Apr 18, 2019 - Decorative Poles in the City

 

City planners are in charge of determining how the city’s land and resources should be used; this encompasses planning the construction of new buildings, protecting the environment, and provide zoning regulations for private properties. Part of that description ties in street lights, as they reside along all city streets, highways, and main roads. They ensure that these areas are safe and well lit for visibility purposes. Street lights keep everyone and everything in sight, for drivers and pedestrians.

 

 

 

 

Many city planners consider the light that is used but neglect to consider the structure of the street lamp, which plays a pivotal role in the functionality of it all. Many lighting poles are similar in terms of structure, purpose, and functionality but the external appeal can be important as well. Those lighting poles are called decorative poles, as they are able to spruce up any road or walkway, significantly changing the landscape of location. For any city planners, architects, or designers, decorative poles are certainly an option to look into to increase the appeal of your designs.

 

Keep reading to learn more about decorative poles and how you can utilize them well to integrate into your project:

 

 

What are the various subcategories of decorative poles?

Decorative poles have a variety of options, as it goes beyond just the physical exterior of the pole itself, and can be adorned in a variety of places. They are broken down into the base, arm, accessories, and specialty decorative poles. Each subcategory have a wide array of pieces that help to change the look of a generic lighting pole.

 

 

What is important for street lights to have?

Whether you are looking for basic lighting poles or considering decorative poles for your next project, the following are important factors to note and ensure your product meets for optimal benefits:

 

• The pole’s height: street light poles have a standard to maintain and they must be the correct height to provide the appropriate lighting density. Usually, this will range from 9 to 14 feet. The height needs to be there to support the lighting as these poles should provide sufficient light without creating an excessive glare.

• Consistent lighting: if you choose to purchase a selection of decorative poles, they should be consistent throughout and staggered so that the road has sufficient lighting throughout, as opposed to some areas being lit and others being darkened out. This will allow for a seamless visibility system to be integrated into that landscape.

• Matching Poles to Region: depending on the area that these poles are installed in, you might need to choose decoration poles that are catered towards the weather and temperatures of the region. For example, coastal locations will have more salt water which can create damage by corrosion to the poles. To avoid this, you should consider decorative poles that include a special finish.

• Aesthetic purposes: the purpose of decorative poles is to provide this functionality, tying together the landscape of an area. When choosing the poles that will maximize the aesthetic appeal for the location, ensure that you are matching the style with the area that they will be placed in. For example, for more historical and art-based locations, you may opt for a regal decorative pole whereas the heart of the city would benefit from minimalistic and sleek pole styles.

 

 

Outdoor Light Bulbs

In addition to the factors above, having outdoor light bulbs that work effectively are key for these poles to be successful in the areas they are built for. As the world moves towards a much needed sustainable future, consider opting for a light-emitting diode (LED) light instead of your regular ones.

 

LEDs are known to provide a bright and natural light, similar to daylight, providing the most colour accuracy of nature of any outdoor lamp. They also contribute to the LEED certification, thus if you company or project is interested in being a part of that initiative, LED lights are the way to go.

 

 

Other benefits of LEDs include the following:

• Energy savings: LEDs use 30% to 60% less energy than high-intensity discharge lighting. They also require less maintenance, which minimizes costs

• Performance: the authentic lighting is a big advantage as it adds to the advantages for security lighting. LEDs are able to provide full brightness almost instantaneously and offer precise control over lighting patterns

• Long life: LED lights can last up to 50,000 hours, compared to 30,000 and 7000 hours for the regular light bulbs - this can result in less replacements necessary

• Environment: LEDs do not have mercury, which means there is a lack of hazardous material, consider this when you choose the light as this can impact the environment when they have to be replaced and tossed out.

 

 

Conclusion

Whether you are looking for a decorative pole to assist your project or if you are simply educating yourself on the different options for your city, each of these considerations need to be taken into account. Both the lighting pole and the light itself are functional parts of this product that can be tailored to the project you are looking to use it for, thus they need to have specifics to narrow down what would best suit you.

 

If you are looking for a new decorative pole to add to your next project, give our team a call to learn more about the different options that exist for you.