The Benefits Of Soffit Lighting

Soffit lighting are small recessed lights installed into the soffits of your home. Soffits are the underside of an architectural structure such as an eave or overhang. They can be installed in the eaves of a roof or on the underside of a porch or deck. There are many benefits of installing soffit lighting including greater home security and curb appeal. Soffit lights are typically used to provide additional accent lighting and to enhance the aesthetics of a home. Lighting plays a crucial role in a home’s design and curb appeal. It helps create a mood and highlights stand-out architectural features. By providing more exterior light in key areas, soffit lighting can also improve home security and safety.

Exterior soffit fixtures are one of the most effective ways to increase curb appeal and security. By illuminating the eaves and overhangs of a home, soffit lighting can draw attention to architectural features while creating a warm and inviting atmosphere. They can provide additional light for dark outdoor areas or points of entry. This makes it easier for homeowners to navigate their property at night and helps keep intruders away.

Soffit lighting are available in LED which are energy-efficient and long lasting. Dimmer switches can also be used to control the amount of light and further reduce energy consumption. They can be used for both functional and decorative purposes. There’s a wide variety of styles and colors to choose from, which makes it easy to match the aesthetic of your home.

Because soffit lighting are under a roof, they’re able to withstand harsh outdoor conditions and water. This makes them effective in all environments and in any weather condition.

Why Are Soffit Lights So Popular?

Soffit lights are so popular because they’re an easy way to increase curb appeal, home security and safety all in one. A well lit home at night is less likely to be burglarized, looks better from the curb and is easy to walk around in the dark.Soffit lights should be used to light up entry points, walkways and stairs and key architectural features like windows, porches, eaves and overhangs.

For the absolute best results, combine soffit lighting with other exterior lights. A well placed chandelier, fan, spot-light or sconce can make or break a home’s design.

As a finishing touch, throw in some landscape accent lighting or up-lights to wash the walls in key areas.

The Benefits Of Soffit Lights

The two biggest benefit of installing soffit lights on your home is curb appeal and security. Soffit lights are a great way to provide accent lighting which enhances the aesthetics of a home. Lighting plays a crucial role in every home’s curb appeal at night. It helps create a mood and highlights architectural features, windows, porches and roof-lines. By providing more exterior light to key areas, soffit lighting can greatly improve home security and safety.

By lighting up the eaves and overhangs of a home, soffit lights can draw the attention exactly where you want it most. They provide additional light for dark areas or vulnerable points of entry. This makes it easier for homeowners to navigate the property at night and helps keep intruders away.

Improves Curb Appeal

Soffit Lights enhance the overall aesthetic of the home. There’s no doubt that a well lit home looks better than a dark one at night. Soffit lighting can add a touch of elegance and sophistication to the exterior of your home. It can be used to highlight architectural features, such as gables or dormers, and can add depth and dimension to the overall appearance of the house.

Soffit lights can add value to the property. Not only does soffit lighting improve the aesthetic of a home, but it can also increase its value. This is particularly true in cases where the lighting is used to enhance architectural features or to light up the home’s unique design elements.

Soffit lighting can be used to create a warm and inviting ambiance. This can be especially appealing to potential buyers. With the right soffit lighting, a home can stand out on the market and attract more interest from buyers. Curb appeal is very important when real estate gets more competitive.

Soffit lighting can be used to highlight the landscaping or outdoor living areas of a home. This can be especially beneficial for homeowners who like to entertain or spend time outside in the evening.

Another benefit of soffit lighting is that some LED bulbs can change color. This is a nice feature to have during the holidays if you light up the house at Christmas time.

With soffit lighting, you can create a beautiful outdoor space that can be enjoyed all night long.

Increases Safety & Security

One of the biggest benefits of soffit lighting is increased home security. Generally speaking, a better lit home is a safer home at night. Intruders are far less likely to try and break into a lit home vs a dark one. Soffit lights provide additional lighting to dark areas like steps, porches and entry ways. More lighting is a deterrent to burglars and intruders. A well-lit home can make it more difficult for criminals to conceal themselves.

This makes them more visible to neighbors, security cameras like Ring, police and passing cars. This can be especially beneficial for homes located in areas with high crime rates.

Soffit lights can greatly improve safety by making it easier for homeowners to navigate the property in low light conditions. This is a huge benefit if you go out late, work at night or walk the dog.

Soffit lighting can be set on a timer or connected to a home automation system. You can turn the light on and off with a smart phone or other wireless device. This can make it appear as though someone is home even when the house is empty.

Pair your soffit light with Ring cameras or a motion sensor to come on when movement is detected. This makes it easier for the cameras to video anyone near the home.

Energy Efficient

One of the main benefits of soffit lighting is energy efficiency. Many soffit lights come with LED bulbs which use significantly less energy than traditional incandescent bulbs. This can greatly reduce your electricity bills vs old fashioned exterior lighting.

LED lights have a much longer lifespan than incandescent bulbs. This is a huge advantage vs older bulbs because soffit lights can be high up and hard to change.

Some LED lights can be controlled by a home automation system and dimmers. This allows homeowners to adjust the lighting levels and schedule the lights to turn on and off at specific times. These features can help reduce energy consumption even further and save more money on electricity bills.

Conserve Space

Soffit lighting has a compact design that can be tucked into a tight overhang. And they sit flush with the soffit which prevents them from blocking windows or the tops of doors. If you’re looking for more exterior lighting and don’t want drop down chandeliers, fans or flood lights, soffit lighting is a great option.

What Kelvin Temperature Should Soffit Lights Be?

The best kelvin temperature for soffit lights is warm on most homes. One an adjustable LED bulb this is level 3 or 4. The lower settings are usually white and blue which are considered cool. The higher settings are orange and yellow. I’ve found the best color for the most homes is usually slightly yellow because it appears the most like natural daylight.

LED soffit light bulbs generally come in adjustable temperatures which range from yellow, orange, blue, white. etc. Kelvin temperature refers to the color or warmth of the light. The color of light is used by designers to enhance the look of the colors it illuminates. Some colors look better when bathed in warm light and others work best with something cooler.

With old fashioned incandescent light bulbs, the light was always warm and a bit yellow. But with Modern LED light bulbs, you can bath your home in cooler blue and/or white lights.

Adjusting the kelvin temperature of your soffit lights can completely change the effect on the house.

A temperature of around 4000 kelvin feels cold and white. It works great on Modern homes with lots of gray, white, black and concrete. But it doesn’t look good on more traditionally styled homes using earthy colored stone or red brick.
A kelvin temperature of around 2500 is much warmer and work well with red brick, greens, reds, brick and earthy stone.

Choose a kelvin temperature for your soffit lights that works best with the home’s color scheme. Luckily, many LED bulbs have an adjustable kelvin temperature, so you can try different settings with the same bulb to see what looks best.

Evaluate the warmth of your soffit lights from different ranges. How the house looks from the curb and up-close are both very important.

How Bright Should Soffit Lights Be?

Soffit lights should be set to between 140 to 180 Lumens when they’re 10 to 20 feet high. This is the typical height of most one and two story soffits. On an LED bulb with an adjustable setting, this is usually level 2. The higher up you go the more light you’ll need. For really high soffits increase your brightness to 200 to 240 Lumens and above.

In addition to the warmth of your soffit lights, you should also think about how bright they are. This is called Lumens. The lumen output refers to the intensity, or how strong or bright the light looks.A common mistake is to set the lumen output on soffit lights too bright. They’re best when set to a low level because they’re an accent light, not a spot-light.

When its dark, ours eyes don’t require much brightness to see clearly. If a soffit light is so bright that it bothers your eye to look directly at it at night, it’s too bright. The light should be subtle and easy to look at without any glare.

Adding a dimmer control to to your soffit lighting can make a big difference. Start on high and reduce the lights brightness until you can look at them without straining your eyes. There should be no glare and the light should feel soft.

LED, halogen and incandescent lights can sometimes require different types of dimmer switches. Make sure to use the right type of switch for the light bulbs you’re using.

Ideally, a soffit light should have a soft glow that accents the house instead of a bright glare. If the lights are overpowering and lighting up the entire property, turn them down.

Types Of Soffit Lighting

Soffit lights are installed recessed within the soffit. They look very similar to recessed interior lights also known as high-hats. They providing a sleek and unobtrusive look to your exterior overhangs. You can use soffit lights to highlight architectural features or to provide general lighting for the exterior of a home. Recessed soffit lights are available in various sizes and styles. They can be used in combination with other types of lighting like spot lights, chandeliers and ceiling fans.

LED strip lights are thin and flexible which makes them easy to install in tight spaces. They can provide small accent lighting in very specific areas. LED strip lights are a great choice for illuminating the underside of eaves and overhangs when you don’t want to wash the walls or ground in light.

Puck lights are small and compact. They’re designed to be installed in tight spaces, like a soffit. They can be used to provide accent lighting or to highlight specific areas of the home. Puck lights are available in a range of styles, and can be used in combination with other types of soffit lighting. They provide a lot more light than strip LEDs but less than spot lights or most chandeliers.

High-output LED lights are designed to provide a high level of exterior light. They’re best for large outdoor spaces or for illuminating the entire exterior of a home.

Some manufacturers also offer features like color-changing LED lights and dimming. They can be used to add a dynamic effect to the exterior of a home and can be controlled by a home automation system. This provides the homeowner the ability to adjust the lighting levels and color to suit different needs or moods.

Is Soffit Lighting Worth It?

Soffit lighting can be a worthwhile investment for homeowners for several reasons. In my opinion, they’re definitely worth it and don’t cost that much if you primarily use them to light the front of the house. They’re one of my favorite ways to increase curb appeal, security and safety of a home. They can provide additional lighting to dark areas which acts as a deterrent to burglars and makes it easier to walk around the home at night. They also enhance the houses appeal during dusk, the early morning and at night.

LED lights, which are often used for soffit lighting, use less energy and have a longer lifespan than traditional incandescent bulbs. This can save money on electricity bills if you light the exterior of your home.

Soffit lighting comes in different types and styles, making them highly versatile and able to adapt to different needs and preferences.

Whether or not soffit lights are worth it depends on the homeowner’s personal preferences, the architecture of the house, and the location. Some homes definitely benefit more from soffit lights than others.

If you have a 2 story or higher home you’ll benefit more from soffit lights because they’ll be more visible. You’ll also get more out of them if you have large overhangs, porches, eaves or soffits. Modern flat roof houses gain a lot from soffit lights because they tend to have lots of overhanging roof-lines.

If you’re considering adding soffit lighting to your home, it may be helpful to consult a lighting expert or an architect to determine the best options for your specific needs and budget.

Where Should Soffit Lights Be Installed?

Soffit lights should be placed in locations that will provide the most benefit in terms of both aesthetics and functionality. They provide curb appeal, safety and increased security. The front of the house is an obvious place to use them, but don’t forget about other entry doors and the sides and back of the house.

Some common locations for soffit lights include:

Along the eaves or overhangs of a home: This is a popular location for soffit lighting. It can provide safety, security and curb appeal. So these spots are the best and most popular locations.
Above windows and doors: Soffit lights placed above windows and doors can help to highlight these architectural features and make them more visible at night. Lights above doors helps a lot with home security when you pair them with other security features like Ring cameras.
Along walkways and steps: Soffit lights placed along walkways and steps helps with safety when walking around the house at night.
In outdoor living spaces: Soffit lights can be used to illuminate outdoor living spaces such as patios and decks. This helps create warm and inviting places to entertain at night.

The best location for soffit lights also depends on the specific architecture and layout of the house and the lighting needs of the homeowner. Consulting with a lighting expert or an architect can help you determine the best options for your specific needs and budget.

Summary: The Benefits Of Soffit Lighting

Because soffit lighting are under a roof, they’re able to withstand harsh outdoor conditions and water. This makes them effective in all environments and in any weather condition.

If you have any questions or comments the benefits of soffit lighting, e-mail us any time.