A Wall washer is the ultimate solution for outdoor lighting. They uplift the exterior outlook by highlighting the textures and unique patterns of the wall. But choosing a wall washer is challenging as there are different techniques and variations in lighting walls. So, I’m here to guide you with my years of experience to get the best wall washer for your lighting project.

What is Wall Washer Lighting?

A Wall washer is a lighting fixture used to enlighten a large vertical area. These lights give a wash effect to the walls and highlight unique objects or textures. 

Besides, wall washer lighting makes the room appear more significant and appealing. You can find these types of lighting in museums, art galleries, or at entrances of buildings.

What is LED Wall Washer Lighting?

LED wall washer lights use LED technology to light the walls. It gives an effect of water flow through the wall. LEDs are great for wall washing due to their bright, durable, and versatile lighting options. 

The projection distance for LED wall washers is about 1-10 feet. And it can extend up to 20 feet with high-power LEDs. Thus, they are excellent for decorating indoor and outdoor areas. You will find them on hotels’ facades, brick walls, building outlines, clubs, etc.

Types Of LED Wall Washers

Based on structure, LED wall washers can be divided into two categories. Rigid LED wall washer and Flexible LED wall washer. Let’s discuss these two types of wall washers in detail-

1. Rigid LED Wall Washer

Rigid LED wall washers are commonly known as projection lights. These wall washers are traditional or classic forms of wall washer lighting. In these wall washers, tiny LED lights are installed in a long aluminum rugged strip to give a wall-washing effect. But, they are stiff and not flexible to shape. 

2. Flexible LED Wall Washer

Flexible LED wall washers are the most modern approach for wall-washing lighting. They are super flexible to bend, curve, and design indoor and outdoor areas. So, with these lights, you can light walls without worrying about edges and corners. Additionally, flexible LED wall washers are waterproof and available with versatile color options. They also have strong adhesive tape on the back that sticks them firmly on the wall. Thus, these bendable wall washers are suitable for installation on curved surfaces.

Rigid LED Wall Washer Vs. Flexible LED Wall Washer – Which One Is Better? 

Flexible LED Wall Washers are a more convenient option than traditional Rigid LED wall washers. And rigid LED wall washers have many drawbacks, which makes flexible LED wall washers a better selection. The reason for this is as follows-

• The length of a conventional Rigid LED wall washer is 1 meter. And this length is fixed, which is not suitable for lighting all types of walls, especially curved ones. Whereas a flexible LED wall washer has a longer run length. For example, the flexible LED wall washer by LEDYi has a maximum height of 5m. Yet, you can use a customized length option to increase the size.
• Rigid LED wall washers are stiff and unbendable. So, you can’t shape them as you desire. In contrast, flexible LED wall washers are super flexible and bendable. You can shape them as you want without worrying about breaking them. For example, the Free Bend Flex LED wall washer of LEDYi has 3D flex options. So, it allows you to bend it simultaneously in both upward and downward directions.
• Flexible LED wall washers are cuttable. They have cut marks with minimum length units. For instance, the minimum cutting length of the flexible LED wall washer of LEDYi is only 125mm (for 2700K-6000K). As a result, they can be used for any length need, small or big. In comparison to this, rigid LED wall washers are stiff and non-sizeable. So, cuttable options are far beyond imagination for rigid LEDs. 
• The packaging and transportation costs for rigid LED wall washers are higher.  And heavy material composition is the reason for it. In contrast, flexible LED wall washers are cheaper and easy to transport. Thanks to their ultra-light PU and silicone molding for ensuring this feature.
• Rigid LED wall washers are heavy and bulky. At the same time, flexible LED wall washers are lighter and thinner than traditional rigid LEDs. 

Therefore, for all these above points, flexible LED wall washers are a better option than conventional rigid LED wall washers. 

Things To Know Before Choosing LED Wall Washer

LED wall washers are great for highlighting the textures of walls, indoor or outdoor. But you must have basic knowledge about some factors to choose the ideal wall washer. So, here are the things to examine while selecting a LED wall washer-

Drive Power

Knowing the drive power is crucial to ensure the correct electricity uses of LED wall washers. So, to get an idea about the energy flow, check the drive power from the LED packaging specifications. 

LEDYi provides flexible LED wall washers with a drive power of 24VDC. That works perfectly on heavy lighting projects avoiding thermal runways.

Brightness

The brightness of LEDs varies for different wall washers. They require a minimum of 6-8 lm/ft2 to illuminate with the wash effect. So, low-quality LEDs can’t provide adequate brightness for a wall washer. But no worries with LEDYi. Our flexible LED wall washers provide up to 120 lm/w for 4000K. So, no compromise with quality and brightness when you have LEDYi. 

Beam Angle

A proper beam angle gives a better outlook to your wall washer lighting. But the requirement of beam angles varies for different patterns and surface sizes. That is why LEDYi wall washers come with a wide range of variations in beam angle ranging from 15°- 20*55°. Besides, they offer you customizable options to fulfill your requirements.  

CRI Rate

A greater Color Rendering Index (CRI) rating ensures better color accuracy. So, while judging an LED wall washer, you must consider its CRI ratings that range from 1 to 100. Nevertheless, flexible LED wall washers of LEDYi offer CRI>90 (for 2700K-6000K) that add a rich depth to your wall texture. 

Color Temperature 

Color temperatures determine the appearance of light and add a mood to your decorations. So for a warm and cozy feel, go for warmer color tones of 2400k to 3000k. Meanwhile, if you want to give your lighting a refreshing and calm style, then any color temperature from 5000k to 6000k would be best. 

Voltage 

For exterior lighting of residential areas, a low-voltage wall washer of 12V, 24V, or 48V is preferable. They are easy to install, inexpensive, and safe for small indoor and outdoor wall lighting. 

But, for decorating large or commercial buildings like malls or museums, you must go for a high-volt wall washer (100V – 265V). However, such wall washers are expensive but ideal for heavy-duty lighting projects. 

So, decide your lighting purpose and choose the correct voltage for your wall washer lighting. 

Radiator

LED wall washers need high-quality cooling radiators as it protects them from overheating. So, always go for a wall washer made of good quality materials. In this case, LEDYi LED wall washers offer an aluminum profile that works best for heat dissipation and thus increases the durability of the wall washer.

Ingress Protection (IP) – Rating

Wall washers are intended for exterior installation, so weather-resistant is a must-have feature. And this weather-resistant ability of LEDs is measured with an IP rating. The higher the IP rating, the more the light is resistant to extreme weather conditions.

LEDYi provides dustproof, waterproof, anti-UV LED wall washers. Its free-bend flex LED wall washer has an IP65 rating. And the rating for a flexible LED wall washer is IP67. So, if you are looking for a wall washer for exterior, bathroom, or poolside decoration, LED wall washers from LEDYi are your best choice.     

Material

The wall washers’ quality, flexibility, and durability highly depend on the material composition. Besides, high-quality materials increase the thermal resistance capability of the LEDs. That is why you should choose a wall washer built with fine-quality materials. 

LEDYi’s wall washers are sealed with waterproof materials. In addition, its PU/ silicon and additional aluminum profiles provide maximum flexibility and thermal protection.

Cutting length 

The knowledge of cutting length is essential when sizing and shaping a flexible LED wall washer. The marks on the flex wall washers allow for cutting and shortening of the stripe. So, the smaller the cutting length is, the more sizing variation it offers. For example- LEDYi offers a minimum cutting length of 205mm for its free-bend LED flex wall washer. But you can’t cut your own flexible wall washer light. Instead, contact the manufacturer to get a customized one.  

Outlook & Size

To set your wall with a fantastic wash effect, consider the wall and wall washer proportion. Such as- putting a big wall washer on a low wall will give it a freakish look. So, be wise in sizing your wall washer.

Pricing 

The pricing of LED wash lights varies with the color and material composition. For instance, a white, aluminum-made flexible LED wall washer costs $12.18/m, whereas a copper-made one costs $15/m. So, analyze the color and quality of the wall washer lighting and say yes to the best deal. 

Warranty

Wall washers go through challenging weather as they are installed outdoors. So, a warranty, in this case, ensures the reliability and quality of the product. LEDYi provides a 3-year warranty for its flexible LED wall washers series. And if you face any issues during this time, we promise to fix them within seven days.

Wall Washer Lighting Techniques 

You can install a wall washer using wall washing and wall gazing techniques. The use of these two techniques is discussed below-

1. Wall Washing

In the wall-washing technique, LED wall washers are mounted at the ceiling height to create a wide beam that spreads all over the wall. Such a technique of wall-wash lighting is applied to plain walls to bring a glowing and smooth effect to the wall. 

2. Wall Gazing

In the wall gazing technique, wall washer lights are placed closer to the textured surfaces to highlight the unique patterns. They create shadows to bring out the structure of stone, brick, or other rough surfaces. This gazing technique is widely used for lighting statues and curved surfaces.

Difference Between Wall Washing and Wall Grazing

The differences between wall-washing and wall-gazing techniques are presented below to let you know when and where to use them- 

Wall Washers and The Wall: Distance

Wall washer lighting brings out the beauty of any plain or dull walls. But you need to place the lights, maintaining a specific distance between the wall and the light source. So, without getting deeper into technical terms, let’s know about the wall washer installing distance in the simplest language-

Distance For Wall Washing

In wall-washing techniques, light is spread to the entire wall from top to bottom. Usually, a LED wall washer light covers an 8-9 feet surface area. And to light up this area, you need to place the LED wall washer somewhere from 2.5 – 3 feet away from the wall. Such installments will make your space appear much more prominent and brighter, hiding flaws and imperfections from the wall.

Distance For Wall Gazing

In the wall gazing technique, LED wall washers are placed right at the top of the wall to create shadow effects. So, they are installed closer to the wall keeping minimal distance in between.

Therefore, to smooth out plain walls, go for distance installments following the wall-washing technique. Otherwise, close placement using the gazing method will stand out the lighting of textures walls.

Steps To Select an LED Wall Washer

After having an idea about the topics mentioned in the above section, it’s time to select an LED wall washer for your lighting project. Here, I’ve pointed out four simple steps to choose the suitable wall washer for you-

Step:1: Decide What Effect You Need

The first and foremost step to selecting an LED wall washer is to decide what effects you want your wall lighting. For example, you can choose a wall-washing effect for lighting flat or plain walls. And for highlighting any specific object or unique patterned walls, go for the wall gazing effect. 

Step:2: Select Color Patterns

LED wall washers offer you a vast option in terms of light color. You can use static white, tunable white, RGB, or RGBW wall washers based on your taste. 

In addition, going for DMX512 RGB and RGBW will add a new dimension to your exterior decorations with their changeable color and lighting patterns.

Step:3: Take Measurements 

Using a measuring tape, measure the length of the lighting area. It gives you an idea of how long washer light you need for your lighting project. In this case, a flexible LED wall washer is your best choice due to its customizable option. They can fit perfectly, no matter how small or large your lighting area is. 

Step:4: Consult A Trusted Brand 

After deciding what you need for your lighting project, consult a trusted brand manufacturing LED wall washer lighting. You can ask for customized LED wall washers per your requirements and see what offers they bring you. And finally, select the LED wall washer that fits best to your needs. 

Thus, following these easy steps, you can choose an LED wall washer to enhance your exterior or interior decorations. 

How To Install LED Wall Washers?

After selecting and purchasing your LED wall washers, now it’s time to install them. Below I’ve pointed out four easy steps to install the LED washer in the quickest way possible- 

1. Ensure Safety

Before installing wall washers; you must ensure safety. And to do so, use hand gloves and rubber shoes to protect yourself from electric shocks. 

2. Measure The lighting Area

The next step is to measure the installation area and mark it with tape. Now work on the wirings to connect the lighting to the power source.

3. Installation and Connection 

Once you are done working on wirings, it’s time to drill the tape-marked area. Use a drill machine to make half-inch diameter holes to set the base of the wall washer lighting. Screw them well into the wall and insert the light fixtures into it. Now, run the wires through the lights. After installing the LED wall washer, connect the cables to the power supply.

4. Final Check

Turn on the switches to check if the wall washers are glowing. If not, switch off the power source and check the wiring before reconnecting.

Thus, following these simple steps, you can easily install LED wall washers. LEDYi provides high-quality flexible LED wall washers with online and on-site installation services. 

LED Wall Washer Lighting colors

LED wall washers come with various color options. Using these wall washers, you can choose the color that suits you best to highlight the exterior or interior walls. The colors available for LED wall washers are as follows- 

Static White

The static white LED wall washers use white color LEDs to give a subtle wall wash effect. These LED wall washers are widely used at hotels, malls, offices, and houses for adding a sophisticated exterior outlook.

Tunable White

Tunable white LED wall washers offer you changeable color temperature options. With these LEDs, you get variable shades of white from warm to cool tones in a single wall washer light. Such lights are great for experimenting with your wall lighting effects.

The tunable white LED wall washers of LEDYi offer a color-changing temperature ranging from 2700k to 6500k. So, if you are looking for tunable white LEDs, LEDYi can help you.

RGB

RGB LED wall washers combine red, green, and blue colors to create a variety of lighting shades. In such stands, three different colors are used in a single chip. What’s more interesting is that by mixing these primary colors at high brightness, RGB stands can also create white lights. So, you are getting a wide range of wall-washing effects using a single RGB LED wall washer.  

RGBW

RGBW is a 4-in-1 LED chip that combines red, green, blue, and white colors. Now you may question why to add this extra white chip when an RGB stand can produce the white color. 

Unfortunately, the white hue produced in an RGB frame doesn’t illuminate pure white. That is why an extra white chip is added to the RGBW stand to get a more precise and pure shade of white. 

DMX512 RGB & RGBW

DMX512 is a lighting control protocol to help standardize stage lighting control. A DMX512 RGB or RGBW LED wall washer forms a wide range of color and lighting patterns. They are fun to watch and give a funky outlook with their automated color-changing schemes. Plus, such lighting is ideal for clubs, pubs, stage lighting, malls, and festive event decorations. 

Why Choose LED Wall Washer For Outdoor Lighting?

Regarding outdoor lighting, LED wall washers are the best option. They provide your wall with a pleasing and elegant appearance. Aside from these, numerous other factors make LED wall washers perfect for outdoor decorations. These are the following:

Enhance Architectural Designs

LED wall washers amplify architectural designs by creating an illusion of space. It complements your outdoor decorations making a design statement. Moreover, it makes your area appear more prominent and broader. That is why they are commonly used for facade lighting to attract passers-by. 

Highlight Structures & Adds Dramatic Effect

You can highlight the unique outdoor structures using LED wall washers to grab visitors’ attention. And in this case, the wall-gazing technique works best. Here, the LED wall washer is placed above any object or unique textured walls to bring it to focus. Such a placement of lights creates an impressive shadow that highlights the shape of the structures. 

Nonetheless, you can use LED wall washers to highlight any formations. It could be a statue, artwork, stone, or brick wall. Besides, they create a dramatic effect with their color, lighting pattern, and washout illusions.

Weather-Resistant 

High-quality LED wall washers are resistant to extreme weather conditions. They stand out even in the heat of the sun or pouring rain. And for these features, LED wall washers require a higher IP rating, making them water, heat, and dustproof. Thus, LED wall washers are the best for exterior lighting projects. 

Energy-Efficient  

LED wall washers consume less energy for their LED technology. For instance, a 6-watt LED is equivalent to a 50-watt halogen light. So, no worries about energy consumption; leaving LED wall washers on all night will have little effect on your electricity bill.

Therefore, LED wall washers are great for outdoor lighting projects. So, you can use them for exterior lighting in offices, homes, poolside, malls, garages, outlets, and more.  

Why Is LED Wall Washer Important For Facade?

LED wall washers are famous for adding an extensive outlook to the exterior of any architectural structure. With colorful and uniform light beams LED wall washer creates a washout illusion on the surfaces. Thus, they highlight the unique features and textures of the walls. 

That is why LED wall washers are widely used to give an asthenic look to the facade of buildings. They focus on the striking patterns and elements added to the walls. LED wall washers are mostly used in the facade of museums, galleries, historical establishments, government buildings, and exhibitions. 

Differences Between LED Wall Washers & LED Strip Lights

LED wall washers and LED strip lights have structural and functional differences. These are as follows-

• A LED wall washer can have a maximum power of 95 watts, whereas a LED strip light has a maximum 25-watt power limit. So, LED wall washers are more powerful than LED strip lights.
• LED strip lights are thin and tiny compared to thick and bulky LED wall washers. 
• In terms of brightness, LED wall washers are brighter than LED strip lights. 
• LED wall washers have higher IP ratings that make them waterproof. Meanwhile, a LED strip light may or may not be resistant to water. 
• The beam angle of LED wall washers is greater than the beam angles of LED strip lights.
• For external uses, LED wall washers are the best option. In comparison, LED strips are more suitable for indoor lighting. 

Therefore, these are the significant differences between LED wall washers and LED strip lights that distinguishes one from the other. 

Best Ways to Light Stone Walls

Lighting for the stone wall is a must to bring out its texture. Here I’ve bought five techniques for lighting your stone walls- 

Wall Washing

The light source is placed far from the stone wall in wall-washing techniques. They highlight the subtle detailings of the wall patterns illuminating the entire wall. And so, it brings out the characters of the stone wall in the most appealing way. 

Wall Gazing

Wall gazing is the most distinctive approach to highlighting stone structures. This lighting technique is ideal for textured walls. Such lighting creates narrow beam angles to highlight a specific region rather than illuminating the entire wall. In wall gazing, the light source is installed close to the wall making shadows ideal for bringing out the textures of the rough stone surfaces. 

Reveal Effect

In reveal effects; the lights are hidden behind folds. In such lighting, you must construct folds in the stone wall and place the lighting behind the folds. One benefit of the revel effect is that it hides the wiring and light flexure. So even in daylight, the stone wall looks flawless without any visible cables or lights. 

Sconces

The sconces technique is the most traditional way to light stone walls. Yet, this technique is still in use. A designed plane case or frame is placed on the wall in such lighting. And lights are fixed in that frame. Sconces are suitable for indoor decorations rather than outdoors. So if you have stone walls in the interior of your house, go for sconces wall lighting to highlight wall textures. 

Uplighting 

The uplighting is a more dramatic option than wall washing when lighting stone walls. In this technique, lights are placed below the stone wall. And so the floating or washout effect is produced from the lower surface of the wall. Plus, it highlights the stone structures well, creating an asthenic outlook.

FAQ

Conclusion

Wall washer lightings are great for enhancing and highlighting any architectural structures. In addition, they take the outdoor decorations to a new height. So, to stand out in your lighting projects, utilize wall washers in the most effective way possible. 

Go through the color temperature, size, length, IP rating, CRI, and other factors mentioned in this guide and get the best deal for your wall lighting project.

Contact LEDYi for high-quality and customized flexible LED wall washers. We further offer a free-bend flex LED wall washer that supports 3D bending. So, get to us asap!