Retaining Wall Lighting Ideas: Six Ways to Light a Sandstone Wall

Retaining Wall Lighting Ideas: Six Ways to Light a Sandstone Wall

A sandstone retaining wall is the best feature in many Sydney gardens. By day the colour and texture of the stone do the work. At night, without light, the wall disappears and you are left with a dark slope. Lighting it well makes the wall a feature after dark and also makes the steps and paths beside it safer.

The good news is that retaining walls are some of the easiest structures to light, especially with solar fittings that need no cable. The challenge is choosing a method that suits the stone, the height of the wall and the sun it receives. Here are six approaches, from the simplest to the most dramatic.

1. A continuous line of wall lights

The classic method. Small warm lights fixed to the face of the wall at an even height and spacing give a continuous soft line of light. A starting point is one light every 1.5 to 2 metres, mounted at a consistent height so the rhythm reads clearly. It is the best method for a long, low wall where you want the whole length defined.

• Fix into the mortar joint where you can, and into the stone where you cannot, using a masonry bit and plug.
• Keep each solar panel facing open sky. A wall that faces away from the sun, or sits in shade all day, will not keep a solar light running.
• Our stainless solar wall and fence light is a warm white, IP65 fitting made for this, and the Retaining Wall Lighting Kit combines twelve of them with two spotlights for a long wall.

2. Grazing light for texture

Rock-faced and split-face sandstone is all about texture, and the best way to show texture is light that skims across the surface at a low angle. Place a spotlight low and close to the wall, a few hundred millimetres out, and aim it along the face rather than at it. The ridges throw shadows and the stone looks three-dimensional. A spotlight pointed straight at a flat wall from a distance does the opposite and flattens it.

Use this for the best section of the wall or a feature corner rather than the whole length. Two or three grazing lights are usually enough. See our solar spotlights and the uplighting guide. If you are choosing the stone, rock-faced sandstone blocks show grazing light best, while smooth sawn finishes suit a more uniform wash.

3. Lights on the cap, washing the wall from above

On a low wall with a capping stone, small lights mounted on or under the cap can wash the face of the wall from above. The light falls down the wall, emphasising its height and giving a soft glow at the base. This works best on walls of about 600 mm to 1 metre, where the cap is easy to reach and the beam covers most of the face.

Check that the fixing will not weaken the cap or let water into the wall, and keep panels clear of the garden bed above. If the wall is part of a garden-edge or pool-coping scheme, see sandstone edging and capping for the stone options.

4. Lighting the steps that go with the wall

Many retaining walls include steps, and these are where light matters most for safety. A small light at the side of each tread or on alternate risers marks the change of level without glare. Use low, downward-facing fittings so the light falls on the step and not in people's eyes. The same lights that suit the wall suit the steps: our Fence, Deck & Step Lighting Kit includes eight. The stone for the steps themselves is covered on our sandstone steps page, and the deck and stair lighting ideas post goes into spacing.

5. Path lights at the foot of the wall

A path or garden bed at the base of the wall benefits from marker lights along its edge. The glow from stake or in-ground lights bounces off the base of the stone and gives the wall a soft lower edge. Space them about 1.5 to 2 metres apart and stagger them against any wall lights above. See our spacing guide.

6. Plan for mains power or conduit behind the wall

If the wall is not yet built, this is the idea that matters most. Cable is awkward to retrofit once the wall is finished and backfilled. A length of capped conduit left behind or under the wall costs almost nothing during construction and gives you the option of 12V or mains lighting later. Ask your builder or landscaper to leave it in, and have a licensed electrician advise on any mains connection. For how the options compare, see low voltage vs solar garden lights.

What suits which wall

• Low garden wall (under 600 mm). A line of small wall lights at one height, or cap lights. Light gently; the wall is a border, not a feature.
• Mid-height retaining wall (600 mm to 1.5 metres). Wall lights every 1.5 to 2 metres plus one or two grazing spotlights on the best section.
• High retaining wall (over 1.5 metres). Solar wall lights will define it, but the wall's height means shade and drainage matter more. Consider where the light will actually fall and whether the base is in permanent shade.
• Sandstone log wall. The rounded profile suits grazing light and small lights fixed between logs. See sandstone log retaining walls.
• Block wall. Regular courses suit a regular rhythm of wall lights. See retaining wall blocks.

Practical points for solar lights on walls

• Sun first. A wall that faces south, sits under a tree or at the bottom of a slope may not charge solar lights well. Check how many hours of direct light each fixing position receives, in winter as well as summer.
• Drainage and water. Do not drill through a waterproofing membrane or drainage layer. Fix to the face or cap and seal any holes drilled into capping.
• Height consistency. Measure a fixing height from the base or the cap and stick to it. A line of lights at random heights looks accidental.
• Colour. Use one colour temperature across the wall and the garden. Warm white sits well with sandstone.
• Brightness expectations. Small solar wall lights are accent lights. They give a soft line, not a wall-wash like a mains floodlight. Our supplier does not publish a lumen figure, so we do not quote one.

A simple layout for a 15 metre wall

1. Fix a wall light every 1.5 to 2 metres at one consistent height. Allow for about eight to ten lights along 15 metres.
2. Add one grazing spotlight at the best feature section, aimed along the face.
3. Add stake or disk lights along the base if there is a path, spaced and staggered from the wall lights.
4. Check sun at each fixing before you drill.
5. Leave the lights to charge for a full day, then judge the result at dusk and move any weak spots.

Bottom line

Light a sandstone retaining wall in layers: a continuous line of small wall lights for the outline, one or two grazing spotlights for texture, marker lights at the base and low lights on the steps. Choose warm white, check the sun at every fixing, and if the wall is not yet built, leave a conduit in. Browse the solar wall lights page, or speak to us about the stone for your wall, starting with our sandstone retaining walls.