I find that too many people use fixtures that cause a lot of glare (this is when you see the source of the light). This is the most common fixture used.
This fixture is real good at shining light in your eyes and not so good at actually lighting your path or steps.
Another thing that is used far too often is the “step” light fixture. There are two types of these fixtures that are used often. One has a louvered face which does eliminate the glare issue but at the same time, cuts the photometric (spread of light) of the fixture down to practically nothing, not actually lighting the steps very much at all. The other option is the flat glass face which is an extreme glare producer.
Another issue with these fixtures is corrosion of the box that contains the light source itself. These boxes are installed in concrete or mortar, do corrode and then have to be replaced which is a major undertaking and can be very expensive.
So now that we know what NOT to use, let’s look at some good options. First we have a regular path/spread light fixture that covers the light source and allows the illumination to shine down onto the object in question whether it be steps or pathway. This fixtures casts a very wide photometric and can illuminate a very large area. This allows you to also use less fixtures.
Another good choice is a fixture that can be mounted on a wall and shines down onto the steps. Since this is a surface mounted fixture, corrosion is not an issue. It also allows you to illuminate more than one step per fixture while not shining light in your eyes.
Every project is different and may require a completely different lighting technique so don’t use this information as a hard rule. What you should notice is that we are shining light down and not out. The main thing is that you think about the situation and plan your lighting accordingly, making certain that you are not shining the light into the eyes of those who are moving up the steps or along the walkway.
