{"title":"Outdoor Post Lights","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eA post light is the fixture that tells people where your property starts.\u003c\/strong\u003e It marks a driveway entrance, lights a walkway from the street, and does the one job no wall-mounted fixture can — putting light out where there's no wall to mount to.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eHeight, and why it matters more here\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eStandard post lights run \u003cstrong\u003e6 to 7 feet\u003c\/strong\u003e to the top of the fixture, on a post set in a concrete footing. Lamp-post style fixtures for driveway entrances often go to 8 feet.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe Canadian consideration is snow. \u003cstrong\u003eA fixture at 3 feet is invisible from December to March in most of the country\u003c\/strong\u003e — buried, or lighting the inside of a drift. If a post light is meant to work year-round, height is not a style choice, it's a functional minimum. Six feet is the honest floor.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eSetting the post\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThis is the part people underestimate. A post light needs a footing \u003cstrong\u003ebelow the local frost line\u003c\/strong\u003e, or frost heave will push it out of plumb over a winter or two. Frost depth varies enormously — roughly 4 feet in much of Ontario and the Prairies, less on the coast. \u003cstrong\u003eCheck your municipality's figure before you dig\u003c\/strong\u003e, and dig once.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eRun the conduit and cable in the same trench. And call for utility locates before any digging — it's free and it's mandatory.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eWet rating and finish\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003ePost lights are as exposed as a fixture gets: direct rain, snow load on the top, and road salt spray if it's near a driveway. \u003cstrong\u003eWet-rated, sealed housing, non-negotiable.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eOn finish, road salt is the quiet killer. Powder-coated aluminum and marine-grade finishes hold up; thin paint over steel rusts from the inside once the coating is chipped by a stone from the plow.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eDown-facing shades\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eChoose fixtures that direct light downward. Open-top designs throw light into the sky, collect snow inside the shade, and increasingly run into \u003cstrong\u003edark-sky and light-trespass provisions\u003c\/strong\u003e in Canadian municipal bylaws. A shaded post light puts light on the driveway where you need it and keeps it out of your neighbour's bedroom.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eLook for the \u003cstrong\u003eCSA or cUL mark\u003c\/strong\u003e. From a Canadian company that has dug a post hole in October.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eFrequently asked questions\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eHow tall should a post light be?\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e6 to 7 feet to the top of the fixture for walkways, up to 8 feet for driveway entrances. Below 6 feet, snow makes it useless for a Canadian winter.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eHow deep does the footing need to be?\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBelow your local frost line, or frost heave will push the post out of plumb. That's roughly 4 feet across much of Ontario and the Prairies, less on the coast — check your municipality's figure.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eDo post lights need to be wet-rated?\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eYes, without exception. They take direct rain, snow load and road salt spray. A damp rating is not sufficient.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eCan I install a post light myself?\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe post and footing are DIY work if you're comfortable digging. The 120V circuit feeding it generally requires an electrician and a permit in most provinces.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eWhy choose a down-facing shade?\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt puts light on the driveway instead of the sky, avoids collecting snow inside the shade, and keeps you onside with dark-sky and light-trespass bylaws.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cscript type=\"application\/ld+json\"\u003e\n{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@type\":\"FAQPage\",\"mainEntity\":[{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"How tall should a post light be?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"6 to 7 feet to the top of the fixture for walkways, up to 8 feet for driveway entrances. Below 6 feet, snow makes it useless for a Canadian winter.\"}},{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"How deep does a post light footing need to be?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"Below your local frost line, or frost heave will push the post out of plumb. Roughly 4 feet across much of Ontario and the Prairies, less on the coast.\"}},{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"Do post lights need to be wet-rated?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"Yes, without exception. They take direct rain, snow load and road salt spray. A damp rating is not sufficient.\"}},{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"Can I install a post light myself?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"The post and footing are DIY work if you are comfortable digging. The 120V circuit feeding it generally requires an electrician and a permit.\"}},{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"Why choose a down-facing shade on a post light?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"It puts light on the driveway instead of the sky, avoids collecting snow inside the shade, and keeps you onside with dark-sky and light-trespass bylaws.\"}}]}\n\u003c\/script\u003e","products":[],"url":"https:\/\/maisonmonashee.com\/collections\/outdoor-post-lights.oembed","provider":"Maison Monashee ","version":"1.0","type":"link"}