Staircase Steps always pose a risk of accident, whether indoors or outdoors. Falls can, of course, have a wide variety of causes, but insufficient or incorrect lighting of the stairs is often the main reason for such a household accident. In principle, therefore, any staircase with more than four steps should be additionally illuminated because of the risk of falling. The basic lighting of the room in question is usually not sufficient for this purpose. Read the following article to find out which staircase lights are available and how to ensure the necessary safety in your home with the right staircase lighting.
A Must: General Lighting in the Stairwell
Dim lighting, irritating shadows and blinding lamps are often triggers for missteps and falls on the stairs. So it is very important to ensure uniform general lighting in the stairwell. Staircase lamps for general lighting need to be bright enough to illuminate the stairs or stairwell uniformly to ensure safe stair climbing. All steps and especially the beginning and end of the staircase should be identifiable. Ideally, the light should fall from the top to the bottom: This creates short, soft shadows and the steps are individually recognisable. Wide-beam wall or ceiling luminaires installed parallel to the course of the stairs are recommended. To save electricity and guarantee safety, staircase luminaires with motion detectors are recommended: They switch on whenever they are needed. How long they are to remain lit can be flexibly adjusted.
Orientation Lighting- Decorative and Practical
In addition to general lighting, orientation and step lights provide a further source of light and ensure greater safety when climbing stairs. Orientation lighting is recommended for all stairs with more than four steps. Suitable for this purpose are, for example, wall spots mounted at about foot height on the wall along the staircase to cast light on the steps. Ideally, at least every third step should be illuminated. A nice alternative to wall lights are built-in orientation or step lights recessed at the end of each stair tread. These generally illuminate each step evenly and brightly. LED luminaires are particularly suitable. They provide a lot of light, are energy-saving and have a long service life. Coloured LED luminaires as stair markers, for example in red, orange or green, are very trendy and decorative.
Important Aspects of Staircase Lighting at a Glance:
- In stairwells: Sufficiently bright, uniform illumination for greater safety from wall or ceiling lights.
- Light coming from above and pointed downwards makes the individual steps visible, e.g. from wall lighting installed at foot height.
- Stairs with four or more steps: Ideally, orientation lights at least every third step.
- Coloured LED lighting as step lights and decorative highlights
- Staircase lighting with motion detectors save electricity and are always there when needed!
