When it comes to fixtures and the way they are mounted, sign lighting is broken down into two major categories: wall mounted fixtures and ground mounted lighting fixtures.

Wall mounted fixtures mount directly to the vertical surface of the wall and illuminate the sign.  Ground mounted floodlights direct light upward onto the vertical surface of a monument that advertises a brand, name, or logo.

Wall mounted fixtures can either linear (meaning square or rectangular in shape), or they can feature the gooseneck design.  Flood light fixtures are almost universally linear floodlights by design.

Gooseneck sign lighting fixtures are so called because they resemble a goose’s neck.  A long, slender tube extends outward from the base.  The lamp housing connects to the end of this tube and adjusts to shine the light at the desired angle of incidence.

Wall mounted fixtures are normally needed when light, not décor, is the main consideration of the business.

Gooseneck fixtures are called for in circumstances where an aesthetic touch must be added to building architecture.  Examples of this include retailers looking to distinguish their storefront from those of their competitors and historical buildings that have been renovated to restore their original look.

It ultimately depends on the nature and size of the sign.

Sign lighting can also be classified according to the type of lamp that is in the fixture.  Currently, there are only three types of lamps that lighting designers recommend.  These are fluorescent, metal halide, and halogen lamps. 

High pressure sodium was a fourth source used at one time, but it has fallen into disfavor due to its poor color rendering and the tendency of the lamp to “yellow” over time.

Fluorescent flood lights are super energy savers, but they tend to be very slender and produce a lower lumen output than metal halide.  This is not a problem when they are used in wall mounted fixtures whose light enhances that of other lighting that is present on a building. 

For monument sign lighting, fluorescent floodlights should only be used when there is limited setback and when very bright illumination is not required.

However, not every building has the luxury of multiple lighting sources.  Some buildings are very tall, and some have signs that are very large.  Sign lighting in these instances must be very bright. 

Lighting designers generally recommend using metal halide, wall mounted flood lights to make the sign on the building stand out in the dark.  It is the equivalent to putting a spotlight on something important.

Halogen lamps are superior in terms of color rendering, and that is about it.  Halogens are almost exclusively used these days in gooseneck fixtures.  Their greatest value lies in value engineering the front-end costs of a lighting design upgrade.  They are a fraction of the cost of metal halide, and they are even less expensive than fluorescent.

Halogen gooseneck sign lighting will make any renovated building and corresponding sign look superb in the best possible light.  However, be prepared to spend more money on power costs and replacement lamps down the line.  This is not as impractical for some as it may sound. 

Many renovated buildings lie in town squares and newly-reopened retail districts that can soon make their money back on a new lighting system, and who can sustain sufficient profits off the new center to absorb the costs of lamp replacement and higher electrical usage.

Making decisions on what type of sign lighting will work best with a particular building and sign is not always easy.  RLLD Commercial Lighting offers photometric analysis and lighting design consulting services to help companies make these often tough calls in order to ensure that in the long run the money they do spend pays off with the best level of light, aesthetic, and potential return on investment possible.

RLLD Commercial Lighting carries a wide variety of industrial & commercial lighting fixtures. If you can not find what you are looking for call us toll free at 1-866-654-3961 and we will find it for you. Our home office is located in Houston, Texas with warehouses located throughout the United States that enable us to service all 50 states.