Why Use Outdoor Flood Lighting?

Outdoor flood lighting is probably the easiest type of lighting to find outside of most homes today.

The most common type of flood lamps found in most homes is the PAR lamp.

The PAR lamp has some unique features that make it perfect for outdoor lighting.

Flood Lamps

Originally designed as a fog light for farm tractors, the PAR lamp needed to withstand all types of weather conditions.

One thing that makes these outdoor lamps unique is that they're surrounded by a thick, heat resistant glass allowing them to be installed in open faced fixtures. The glass will withstand rain, irrigation, snow and various temperature changes.

Flood Lighting Beam Spread

Flood lights will typically have an open beam spread which makes their light output spread openly and cover a broad surface area. They lack the focused beam spread often found in spot lights.

Newer flood lights take your traditional PAR lamps (AKA flood lights) and combines them with a more energy efficient compact fluorescent or LED light source.

The benefits of having the tough outer skin of the lamp protecting the light source from the outdoor environment makes this combo a win-win with an added benefit of energy efficiency.

Flood Lighting Fixtures

Having a hard time deciding what type of fixtures to choose? Don't worry, there are a variety of beautiful fixtures to choose from.

As I mentioned earlier, flood lamps are known for their wide beam spread and their ability to perform well in a variety of outdoor climates and environments.

Therefore, an open faced fixture would be fine for outdoor use. Closed faced fixtures might work but first make sure the fixture you're using has good ventilation, as this lamp needs to release the heat it produces.

The only time you should consider a closed faced fixture for the flood light would be if you'll be uplighting objects from below.

Since these fixtures will be facing upward, moisture and other debris can likely get caught in the lamp's base which can eventually lead to the fixture coroding over time.