Choose the right material in outdoor lighting design

People who design for exteriors know that outdoor lighting fixtures are constantly exposed to weather, temperature changes, UV rays, and sometimes even more extreme weather conditions such as exposure to salinity, de-icing salts, high humidity, and frequent hailstorms. 

The houses outdoors and outdoor public spaces are becoming increasingly significant in our daily lifetimes, and it is therefore important that they be best enhanced with lights that are aesthetically balanced and with functional lighting performances, while being a guarantee of quality and lasting value. 

 STRAL has always used exclusively AISI 316L stainless steel for its lighting production. This allows to combine extremely linear and geometric aesthetics with high strength and durability.

Unlike indoor lighting, outdoor lighting projects require more attention and research toward the selected materials.

Economically speaking, stainless steel involves a higher initial investment, but in the long-term it provides savings over time due to lower maintenance requirements. STRAL outdoor luminaires are made of AISI 316L stainless steel, a type of austenitic stainless steel that is ideal for installation in different types of outdoor and humid environments: from the most classic to those with more complications. Therefore, they are perfect for swimming pools, spas, but also for more aggressive environments such as those exposed to the effects of salinity, which reaches up to 10km from the seacoast.

Choosing exclusively AISI 316L stainless steel to design lighting fixtures allows placement in those contexts where other types of material would not provide the same resistance to corrosion and weathering.

Aluminum luminaires are cost-effective because they are made by light alloy casting, but the metal quality is far lower, so they are not designed to be long-lasting outdoors, as over time, the aluminum oxidizes and the paint tends to fade and peel. 

AISI 316L stainless steel is a very low heat conductor: it conducts 4 times less heat than standard steel and as much as 12 times less than aluminum. Therefore, AISI 316L stainless steel luminaires are ideal for lighting poolside walkways, ensuring high safety.  

Not all steel types are the same. AISI 304 stainless steel products, for example, can be used both indoors and outdoors, but they are not suitable for industrial areas, ports, swimming pools, or any other polluted areas. This type of steel is also not recommended in humid conditions. By contrast with AISI 304 products, however, luminaires made of AISI 316L stainless steel can also be used in environments considered harsher such as swimming pools or maritime areas. As well as rural, urban, and industrial environments.

One of the main issues in the outdoor lighting fixture installation is maintenance. Stainless steel has extremely low maintenance costs and high ease of cleaning. In fact, if this material is of high quality, it is almost maintenance-free. If the surface of the material has low porosity, the possibility of dirt being deposited is minimal, so that the risk of corrosion is reduced. Even for stainless steel, however, constant maintenance is recommended to totally avoid the appearance of rust spots, especially if the products are exposed to the weather or if they are in environments with high hydrochloric acid content.