LED Wall Step Lights

LED wall step lights: low-level marker lighting for outdoors

Outdoor LED step lights mounted on a wall are marker luminaires fitted to a wall, close to the ground. They do not light the space: they show where you walk. It is worth being clear about that before buying, because an outdoor wall marker light does not replace a wall light or a floodlight: it solves something else, keeping the route readable at night without lighting the whole area. The usual mounting height is 20 to 40 cm above the paving, just enough for the beam to drop and wash the ground.

Recessed wall step light: flush with the wall

The recessed wall step light sits inside the wall and finishes flush with the surface. It is the cleanest option visually and the best protected against knocks in narrow passages. In exchange it calls for the opening and the cable route to be planned, so it fits better when building work is under way or when you can cut into the wall. It is the typical choice at building entrances, garden walls and terrace benches.

Surface mounted wall step light: screw it on and done

The surface mounted wall step light screws onto a finished wall. It stands a few centimetres proud and is the quick route when you do not want to cut into the wall: it works for a new installation as well as for reinforcing the marking of a route that already exists. If the cable has to come in from outside, trunking or a surface box solves it. On a stone wall, exposed brick or a cladding that cannot be recessed into, the surface version is simply the only sensible option.

Downward light: why it does not dazzle the person walking

Almost all these step lights give downward or asymmetric light: the beam comes out downwards and opens over the paving instead of emitting in every direction. Because the luminaire sits below eye level and the source is hidden or set back, you see the ground lit without taking the LED head on. On color temperature, warm light of 2700-3000K is the usual choice in this format for exactly that reason: it is easier on the eye and gives a warmer finish on facades, gardens and terraces.

IP rating and where to fit them

Out in the weather the reasonable minimum is IP65: it handles dust and water jets, which is what a marker light on a facade or a garden wall gets. If the area floods, if sprinkler irrigation reaches it or if it is near the edge of a pool, move up to IP67. The situations where this format performs best are clear:

• Outdoor passages and walkways alongside a facade.
• Stairs and ramps, marking flights and changes of level.
• Building entrances and shop doorways.
• Garden boundary walls and terrace fronts.

One rule for spacing: on a staircase it is enough to mark the flights and the changes of level, you do not need one light per step. And if you need to define an open path where there is no wall, that job is done by ground bollards.

At FactorLED you have recessed and surface mounted LED wall step lights for outdoors. Measure the mounting height, check the IP rating the area calls for and choose the format that suits your wall.

Frequently asked questions about LED wall step lights

At what height is a wall step light fitted?

Usually between 20 and 40 cm above the ground. That height is enough for the beam to wash the paving without dazzling the person walking.

Recessed or surface mounted?

Recessed if you can cut into the wall and want a flush finish. Surface mounted if the wall is already finished and you are not going to cut into it.

What IP rating do I need?

IP65 as a minimum out in the weather. IP67 if the area floods or gets direct irrigation.

Which color temperature is best?

Warm 2700-3000K is the most used: at eye level it dazzles less and feels more pleasant.