Outdoor Lighting

Outdoor lighting in Canada has a job description most fixtures aren't built for. It has to work at minus thirty, survive freeze-thaw cycles that crack cheap seals, shed snow load, and keep a walkway visible when the sun sets at 4:15 in December. A fixture that's fine on a patio in Arizona is a one-winter fixture here.

Start with the rating, not the look

Two things determine whether an outdoor fixture lasts.

Wet-rated vs damp-rated. A damp-rated fixture is for covered locations — a porch ceiling, a soffit, a spot that never takes direct precipitation. A wet-rated fixture handles direct rain, snow and meltwater. On an exposed wall, a post, or anywhere in the yard, wet-rated is the only correct answer. Damp-rated fixtures in exposed positions fail through water ingress, usually in the first spring.

Gasket and housing quality. Canadian freeze-thaw is brutal on seals — water gets in, freezes, expands, and splits the gasket. Look for sealed housings and marine-grade or powder-coated finishes rather than thin painted steel, which rusts from the inside once the coating is breached.

The four things people actually light

Entry and front door. Wall sconces flanking a door, or a single fixture above it. Mount at roughly 66 to 72 inches from the threshold to the centre of the fixture. For a pair, size each at about one-third the door height; for a single fixture above the door, one-quarter.

Walkways and driveways. Path lights and post lights. In Canada, mounting height matters for a reason people forget: a path light shorter than your average snowbank disappears in January. Taller stems and post-mounted fixtures stay useful all year.

Garden and architecture. Low-voltage landscape lighting — spots on trees, grazing light on stone and brick. Running on 12V through a transformer, it's the one category of exterior lighting most homeowners can install without an electrician.

Patios and decks. Wall lights, string-free pendants under a covered roof, and outdoor chandeliers for a three-season room.

Solar and motion sensors, realistically

Solar outdoor lights work here — with a caveat. Northern latitudes mean short winter days and low sun angles, and a panel under snow charges nothing. Solar is excellent from April to October and unreliable in deep winter. For a walkway you need lit year-round, hardwired or low-voltage is the honest choice.

Motion sensors are worth it for security and for not fumbling with keys in the dark. Check the operating temperature range on the spec — some sensor modules become erratic below -20°C.

Wiring and certification

Every fixture is built for 120V at 60Hz Canadian residential supply, or 12V for low-voltage landscape systems. Exterior fixtures on a permanent circuit are hardwired and, in most provinces, new outdoor circuits require a permit and inspection. Replacing an existing exterior fixture on an existing box is a reasonable DIY job with the breaker off.

Certification matters more outdoors than anywhere else, both for insurance and for safety. Look for the CSA or cUL mark on anything going into a wet location.

Buy exterior lighting in spring or early summer if you can: installing a post light into frozen ground in November is a job nobody enjoys twice.

From a Canadian company that knows what a February looks like.

Frequently asked questions

What's the difference between wet-rated and damp-rated?

Damp-rated fixtures suit covered locations that never take direct precipitation — porch ceilings, soffits. Wet-rated fixtures handle direct rain and snow and are required for exposed walls, posts and open yard positions.

Do solar outdoor lights work in Canadian winters?

Partially. Short days, low sun angle and snow cover on the panel mean solar performs well from spring through fall and unreliably in deep winter. For year-round walkway lighting, choose hardwired or low-voltage.

How high should outdoor wall lights be mounted?

About 66 to 72 inches from the threshold to the centre of the fixture. For a pair flanking a door, size each at roughly one-third the door height.

Can I install landscape lighting myself?

Low-voltage 12V landscape systems run off a plug-in transformer and are designed for homeowner installation. Permanent 120V exterior circuits are electrician work and generally need a permit.

Will outdoor fixtures survive -30°C?

Quality wet-rated fixtures with sealed housings will. The failure point in Canadian conditions is almost always the gasket, not the fixture body — check the operating temperature range listed on each product page.

What certification should I look for?

A CSA or cUL mark, particularly on anything in a wet location. It matters for safety and for your insurer.