How to Choose LED Linear Wall Washers? - LuminousLite

09 Dec.,2024

 

How to Choose LED Linear Wall Washers? - LuminousLite

Facade lighting plays a pivotal role in transforming the visual appeal of buildings, turning them into stunning architectural masterpieces that captivate the eye. Among the various lighting techniques employed, LED linear wall washers emerge as indispensable tools for achieving the desired effect. These luminaires, strategically placed along the building&#;s exterior, create a mesmerizing wash of light that gracefully accentuates every architectural detail, curve, and texture.

If you are looking for more details, kindly visit BITASO.

By highlighting the unique features of a structure, LED linear wall washers breathe life into facades, unveiling their true beauty and creating a captivating ambiance. In this guide, we delve into the art of selecting the perfect linear wall washer for facade lighting, ensuring that every architectural gem shines with brilliance and allure.

how to choose LED linear wall washers?

  • Wattage

The power range of linear wall washers varies greatly, from 6W to 96W. In general, the most commonly used power ratings are 6W, 12W, 18W, 24W, and 36W. Higher power ratings are available but are relatively less commonly used. There are several factors to consider when choosing the appropriate wattage for linear wall washers.

  1. Determine the lighting requirements: Assess the desired lighting effect and the specific lighting goals for your facade. Consider whether you want a subtle wash of light or a more intense and vibrant illumination. Additionally, evaluate the size of the facade and the level of brightness required to achieve the desired visual impact.
  2. Consider the building&#;s scale: The scale of the building plays a role in determining the wattage needed. Larger buildings or expansive facades may require higher wattages to ensure sufficient light coverage and intensity. Smaller structures or areas with limited lighting requirements may be adequately served by lower wattage options.
  3. Evaluate the distance and placement: Assess the distance between the linear wall washers and the facade. The closer the fixtures are to the building, the lower the wattage needed to achieve the desired lighting effect. Conversely, if the fixtures are placed at a significant distance, higher wattages may be necessary to maintain proper brightness and coverage.
  4. Lighting calculations and simulation: Conduct lighting calculations or use lighting design software such as Dialux to simulate and visualize the anticipated lighting results. These tools can help determine the optimal wattage based on factors such as the beam angle, beam spread, and the desired illuminance levels for different areas of the facade.
  • Light Source

Linear wall washer lights are low-power light sources. For low-power light sources, Chinese brands are monopolistic, foreign brands are not competitive. When purchasing, it is important to inquire about both the LED chip manufacturer and the packaging manufacturer. Different packaging technologies from different manufacturers of the same brand can result in significant price differences. Generally, well-known domestic brands can meet application requirements.

When it comes to high-power light sources, foreign brands of LED chips still hold the palm, such as Osram&#;s light sources. Now, RGB and RGBW LED chips are the most popular selection. Soon, it is possible that eight-in-one chips may also extend from stage lighting applications to the field of linear wall washers.

In modern facade lighting design, it is generally required that linear wall washer lighting fixtures not only have color variation but also have changes in color temperature. The more variations in the light source, the more diverse the lighting effects can be displayed.

  • Beam Angle

When speaking of beam angle, things can get more complicated. It&#;s essentially about the optical system, which is also a measure of a manufacturer&#;s technical engineering level. Manufacturers who don&#;t pursue excellence often directly purchase suitable standard lenses from lens factories, with prices ranging from a few cents to a few dimes.

As for manufacturers who have the pursuit of excellence, they choose to develop custom lenses from lens factories. The difference lies in the angles compared to standard lenses available in the market. This allows them to claim themselves as professional manufacturers. Beam angles can vary from symmetrical options like 12 degrees, 24 degrees, and 40 degrees, to asymmetrical options like 10° x 60°, 15° x 30°, which produce elliptical light patterns. Evaluating the effectiveness of a linear wall washer&#;s optical system is subjective and it depends on the height and uniformity of the light pattern projected onto the wall.

The above four projection distance diagrams are referenced from a manufacturer&#;s standard illustration. When choosing linear wall washer lighting fixtures, they can only serve as a reference. Sometimes, the insufficient projection distance of linear lighting fixtures is not due to inadequate power but often caused by poor optical lens design. Therefore, when selecting linear lighting fixtures, on-site testing for the actual projection height is highly recommended.

  • Application

The most common issue with linear wall washers, apart from their inherent technical limitations, is when the installation distance is too close to the illuminated objects. This can result in concentrated light spots and uneven transitions. Certain areas of the facade may receive excessive light, resulting in overexposure, while other areas may appear dim or shadowed. This can detract from the intended lighting design and create an unbalanced visual effect.

In addition, placing the linear wall washers too close to the illuminated objects can cause hotspots, where the light intensity becomes concentrated and overly bright. Hotspots can create harsh contrasts and glare, making it uncomfortable for viewers and diminishing the overall visual appeal of the facade.

An ideal projection distance is between 20cm and 60cm from the illuminated object. With a good lens design, the above-mentioned issue can be avoided.

LED Wall Washer: The Definitive Guide

1.    What is LED Wall Washer?

LED Wall Washer is a lighting product that illuminates the facades and landscapes such as the exterior of residential buildings, patios, plazas, restaurants, malls, etc. This type of lighting creates a pool of light that distributes evenly across any surface. As a result, the target wall is flooded uniformly with light.

2.    The Different Types Of LED Wall Washer?

There are two purposes that a LED wall washer lights can serve:

  • Wall Washing
  • Wall Grazing

Wall Washing

Wall washing is mainly done to enhance the smoothness of the wall. It uniformly floods the light on the wall creating a smooth effect.

Wall Grazing

On the other hand, in wall grazing, the lights are placed close to the wall to highlight the patterns on the wall. Such lighting technique will create shadows and consequently accentuate the brick, stone, or any other carved pattern on the walls.

3.    Why is LED Wall Washer Important For Facade?

LED wall washers are high in demand because they can greatly enhance the exterior of any architectural element by providing a pleasing and uniform illumination to the important features.

Wall washing basically &#;washes&#; the exterior with light, creating an intriguing luminosity that will make your building stand out in the nighttime. Wall Washing is important for the facade and landscape as it not only highlights certain portions of the wall but takes care of the whole exterior.

For this reason, it is particularly desired in museums, historical buildings, galleries, and exhibitions.

What&#;s more? Wall washers can be linked together to provide a better control system. Using the RGB and RGBW LEDs you can even change the hues according to your needs. Go for wall washing if you want to highlight your projects exceptionally.

led wall washer

4.    LED Wall Washer vs. LED Strip Light?

You may find LED Wall Washer similar to LED strip lights, but they are quite different in their functions and applications. Here is what you need to know to decide which is best suited for your project.

LED strip lights do not have a high power enough to illuminate the exterior of a building. Such lights are small, thin, and lightweight and are mostly used for highlighting certain features on the wall. LED strip lights are used for smaller projects.

Whereas the wall washers are heavy-duty lights that can illuminate the exterior beautifully owing to their high power and adjustable voltages. They are best suited for larger outdoor facade projects.

5.    4 Steps On How To Choose LED Wall Washer For Your Projects.

If you are confused about what to look for while choosing the best LED wall washer for your project, then this will answer your difficulties.

Step 1: Check The Drive Power Of Wall Washers

Drive power says a lot about the LED products, so if you want to select LED wall Washer, have a look at our product description to check the drive power of our LED lights. R&C Lighting provides a stable drive power, with low heat dissipation and greater efficiency that is perfect for heavy-duty lighting projects.

Step 2: How Bright Do You Need Your Lights To Be?

Another important feature is the light source, i.e., LEDs used in the wall washers. For different LEDs, the heat dissipation is different, and brightness varies. Low-quality LEDs cannot provide high brightness and reliability. However, R&C Lighting is in partnership with CREE/OSRAM who provides high-quality LEDs that are used in our wall washers.

Step 3: Radiator Material

The radiator is the part of wall washers that are made of high-quality metals and serves the purpose of heat dissipation. It increases life and improves the quality of lighting. You must choose the wall washers that are made of high-quality material such as aluminum. R&C Lighting uses the highest quality products to manufactures LED wall washers.

Step 4: What IP-rating do you require for your project?

One of the most important attributes that you must consider is the weather-resistant properties of the lights. Wall washers that are installed on the exterior of the building are subjected to rough weather conditions. R&C lighting performs 13 different tests to ensure the wall washers are waterproof and heat resistant. Choose the product that has a sufficient IP-rating and can stand the test of time.

You can always consult our customer support to discuss your needs, and we will suggest the best solution for your projects.

If you have more questions, continue reading the guide as we have made sure to cover all the aspects of LED wall washers for you.

FAQ

1.    How Do You Install a Light Fixture On a Brick Wall?

Once you have the LED light fixture of your choice, you need to showcase it outside your place. Installing this elegant light outdoors may pose a little challenge. Two scenarios may occur during installation. First, if you have electrical wiring running through the brick, then it is easy to mount the light fixture. On the other hand, if wiring is not present, then you must use conduits to bring the supply. Everything is covered below for you:

Follow these five easy steps and get your light fixtures installed in no time.

Step 1: Safety first

Use proper rubber gloves and shoes for insulation. If possible, switch off the breaker from the circuit board. With proper tools and gear, you are ready.

Step 2: Measurement

Locate the area for fixture installation. Mark the area with a tape or marker. 

For a wall without prior wiring, mark the length from a light fixture to the supply source. Add 15% extra length to the total length. Buy an electrical conduit and wire of that length. You can buy the matching conduit with a brick wall, which can be costly.

Step 3: Installation

With a masonry bit, drill a ½ inch diameter hole in the wall. Make it ½ deeper than the &#;Sleeve Anchors&#; to be used. Insert sleeve anchors in the holes. Now you have a solid base for light fixtures.

You can also use nails to hold the mountings, but sleeve anchors provide greater grip. Use screws to install the light fixture on the wall.

If you are using conduits, then use clamps and fittings to fix it along the wall. Run the wire through it and fish it out from the other side.

Step 4: Connection

Insert the lamp in the light fixture. Connect it to the main supply and switch on the main circuit breaker. After completion, cover the electrical box with a removable plate.

Step 5: Check the Installation

Switch off the supply and check if the light is flashing. If not, retrace the steps backward and check if the wires are connected properly.

R&C Lighting produces quality fixtures, and they are made to withstand the harsh outdoor environment. And by going through these steps, you can easily install LED light fixtures. We also provide installation support on-site and online.

2.    How Far Should Wall Washers Be From The Wall?

LED wall washers bring character to the dull outdoor walls. These lights are the subtle touch that showcases the beauty in the simplest of walls. But simply placing it anywhere will not produce the desired effect.

To bring the best out of LED wall washers, they must be placed at a certain distance from the wall. We are not going to confuse you with difficult technical details. Rather our simple guide will help you place these lights perfectly.

If you want to learn more, please visit our website LED Wall Washer Light manufacturer.

·      Wall Washing

For this lighting effect, you need to install LED lights at the top of the ceiling. The light thrown on the wall makes it appear smoother, hiding all imperfections by removing the shadows and charming.

These LED wall washers light up 8 to 9 feet of vertical walls. For that, you have to place them at a considerable distance from the wall. The goal is to throw the light on the wall at a wider angle. Usually, a distance of 2.5 to 3 feet is sufficient.

By doing this wall shines brighter, and it highlights the architecture more beautifully. It also makes the place appear bigger and spacious. R&C Lighting produces high-quality LED wall washers that enhance the look of outdoor patios, restaurants, malls, clubs, etc.

wall washing

·      Wall Grazing

Another technique you can use is called &#;wall grazing.&#; It is opposite to the above-mentioned technique. LED-wall washers can be used in this way to highlight the beauty of stone walls and other such walls.

By placing directly above the wall, these lights create an elegant combination of bright light and shadows that depicts the beauty of a textured wall.

The placement can change the perception of the wall. Go for distance placing if you have plain walls and want to showcase their elegance.

You can go to place the lights directly above the wall if it is textured like stone or brick walls. In this case, the wall grazing will give the contrast it needs, and your wall will stand out.

3.    Where Should Wall Washing Lights Be Placed?

RC lighting LED wall washers are a must-have if you want your outdoors to pop out. These are specifically designed to bring out the best of places.

What is amazing about this is that you can become creative with these lights. Getting high lumens is one thing, but the placement of these LED wall washers is something else. This is where the magic happens.

You can have an amazing wall washing effect by placing it at a slight distance from the wall. Our LED lights have customizable beam angles such as 8° &#; 90° *60° (Optional), which gives you the flexibility of space.

·      Mounting Distance and Spacing

Mounting distance refers to the gap between LED light washers and the wall. And the spacing tells the space between each LED washer.

You can place the lights without spacing and have a continuous wash. This works best for simple outdoor walls. By having an even spacing of 2-3 feet, you can have more shoots of lights. If you are opting for this, then it&#;s better to have a mounting distance equal to spacing. It is usually 1/3 of the ceiling height.

Pro tip: A general rule is that spacing of 2-3 feet is necessary for 9 feet wall. Increase it to around 3-4 feet for even higher walls.

4.    How Do You Light A Stone Wall?

If you are a fan of stone and brick walls, then you must be wondering how to light up a stone wall. There are many ways you can bring out the real beauty of masonry. We have listed the lighting techniques you must utilize for your stone walls and similar projects.

·      Wash Lighting

The best way to accentuate your stone wall is to throw the light from above. The wall washing brightens up the whole wall, bringing out the hidden features of the patterns on the wall. A masonry deserves to be illuminated; otherwise, the stone wall doesn&#;t stand out.

·      Wall Grazing

Wall grazing is another best option as it is used to highlight the patterns and texture on the wall. A stone wall is known for its beautiful texture, so the wall grazing technique must be used for this purpose.

You can check out our previous answers to see where wall washers must be placed to achieve washing and grazing effects.

·      Uplighting

Uplighting is yet another technique in which light is thrown from below the wall. The lights are installed at the bottom of the walls to create an unusual effect of light that highlights the stone crevices and carving more aesthetically.

·      Reveal Effect

 The reveal effect is a brilliant way to accentuate a stone wall. But for this, you will have to build a fold/reveal in the stone wall during the construction. The lights are fixed behind the folds to allow the light to splash out from the inner sides of the folds. This technique has the added advantage of having the lighting fixtures hidden inside the folds.

·      Sconces

Sconces are mainly used to illuminate the stone walls in the interior of the building. The cylindrical light casings help in pushing the light from the top and bottom to create a nice lighting effect.

5.    Do LED Lights Ruin Walls?

As much as you think that installing LED lights can damage the walls, it is not quite true. Here us out! Whether LED fixtures cause damage to the wall or not depends on the following reasons.

  • Kind of adhesive and installation method used.
  • How long has the fixture been installed?
  • The quality of wall surface, paint, or wallpaper.
  • Climate can also affect the wall and fixture joint.

For different LED lights, the installation process varies. Unlike the LED Strip Lights that use strong adhesives to stick to the wall, the LED wall washer fixtures use nuts and bolts.

Strip Lights use strong adhesives (3M) to stick to the wall. Such lights will likely damage the wall when you try to remove them. The wall paint and wallpaper can strongly stick to the tape and peel off as you try to remove the LED lights.

However, there are certain techniques, such as using a dryer to heat the tape or using a Laquer thinner to reduce the adhesiveness. You can easily avoid damaging the wall if you perform the uninstallation smartly, or you can always contact us to get a consultation.

6.    What Is Light Grazing?

Light grazing is a stunning lighting effect that you can achieve using our LED Wall Washers. It is used to achieve a visual aesthetic that accents the wall&#;s important details such as textures and patterns.

The technique is similar to wall washing; however, grazing is particularly done to create shadows and enhance the texture on the wall.

Light grazing involves placing the LED wall washers at the ceiling height. The light falls on the wall from a narrow angle. The short distance from the wall is essential to create the shadows and grazing effect.

If the wall washers are mounted at a larger distance, then the effect produced is termed as washing, and no shadows are produced; rather, a smooth surface effect is achieved.

Grazing is used to enhance the pattern, whereas wall washing is used to hide the imperfections on the walls.

7.    What Are RGB and RGBW Wall Washer Lights?

LED wall washers are divided into three main types, white color, 4-color RGBW, and 3-color RGB color LED wall washers.

·      White/Warm White Color LED Wall Washer

White LED wall washers use the white-colored LEDs that are used to create a smooth and graceful illumination on any wall. White color is mainly required to provide a subtle illuminating to a wall.

We can provide a customizable white color temperature, warm, neutral, or cool, depending on your architectural requirements.

Such wall washers are ideal for hotels, office buildings, residential structures, and plazas to give a sophisticated and ambient look to the exterior.

·      RGB and RGBW LED Wall Washers

RGB stands for Red, Green, and Blue. Such LEDs use 3-in-1 LED chips. By mixing the three colors, these LEDs can produce a wide range of hues. It can also create white light if all colors are mixed at high brightness.

RGBW uses four colors, i.e., Red, Green, Blue, and White. The added white LED is important in creating purer and clearer white color.

RGBW LED wall washers are a better option if you require pure white color as well. Such lighting can create vibrant hues that can give a classy and fun look to a place, such as clubs, bars, concerts, sports events, restaurants, etc.

8.    Is LED Wall Washing Only For Exterior?

LED Wall Washing is the kind of technique that can be used to light up both the interior and exterior of the architecture. Usually, wall washing is required to illuminate the outer structure of the building to give an enhanced look that makes the building stand out. When used indoors, wall washing is done on a particular wall, such as a brick wall or masonry, to beautify it further.

R&C lighting provides outdoor LED wall washers to cater to your bigger architectural needs.

9.    How Can LED Wall Washer Be Customized?

Every project needs a different lighting design to do justice to its exterior. R&C Lighting is fully aware of this fact; hence we create customizable solutions for your projects.  You can get your LED Wall washers customized in terms of:

·      Beam Angle

For adjusting beam angle, a versatile fixture is of utmost importance. We produce fixtures that can provide ease in installing the light at a particle angle best suited for the project. A perfect beam angle will spread the light over a larger area of the wall and create an even better outlook. R&C Lighting can customize bema angles in the wide range of 8°&#; 90° *60°.

·      Color temperature

The color temperature greatly influences the mood of your exterior. You can choose between a warm, neutral, or cool color temperature. The warmer light will give a cozy and comfortable feel to your project, whereas a cool color temperature symbolized energy and freshness. Learn more about color temperature from our post: What is Color Temperature and How To Choose?

Our CCT customization falls between the range of K &#; K.

·      Voltage

For outdoor lighting, two types of voltages are usually preferred: low voltage (12V/24V/48V DC) and high voltage (100-265V AC).

Low voltages offer higher safety in the installation process, and you do not require a technician to mount them. They are safe in wet conditions and are not hazardous in any way. Such lighting is preferred in residential areas because of the safety and ease of installation. Moreover, they are less expensive.

On the other hand, Line voltages are used to decorate larger buildings and facades such as big plazas and other commercial areas to offer security and safety. They are expensive and provide greater illumination and reliability. The installation process requires an expert because proper wiring must be done and have larger fixtures.

Learn more about voltage from our post: Line Voltage VS. Low Voltage Landscape Lighting: What&#;s the Difference?

·      Appearance and size

Depending on the area, the size of the lights must be adjusted. It will be unwise to use a large wall washer on a small wall. We can adjust the sizes according to the area of the walls to be illuminated.

Conclusion

Your architectural facade lighting project needs something more exciting that can do justice to its already built features. Our LED wall washers will perform that duty for you.

Do you think you have more questions? Contact us and we will help you out instantly.

If you are looking for more details, kindly visit Led Handrail Lights.