Can You Use an Indoor Light on a Covered Porch?

“I’ve got an outdoor porch, but it’s covered. Can I still use indoor lights?” It’s a simple question, and one we get asked a lot.

Let’s take a look.

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Can You Use an Indoor Light on a Covered Porch?

No, not really. Indoor lights are only designed to be used, well.. indoors. They are not meant to be used outside, even if it’s covered.

This means they don’t have any of the required IP protection ratings you’d need for a light to be used outside.

It’s very similar to using normal indoor lights in a bathroom. You know that if you placed an exposed bulb wall light 4-foot above the shower head, in all likelihood it won’t get wet, so you won’t need a waterproof or water-resistant light.

But it could get wet. So why would you take the chance?

You wouldn’t. Well, you shouldn’t, anyway. And this is exactly the same issue as using indoor lights on a covered porch.

Yes it’s covered, and yes it likely won’t get wet. But it could. In strong winds and rainy conditions, it could very easily get wet, and then you’re in for all kinds of trouble.

Simply put, using indoor lights on a covered porch is just not worth it.

Looking for an outdoor wall light or pendant light? Try these from The Steel Lighting Co.

What IP Rating Do You Need on Porch Lights?

IP44 is the minimum rating you’d want for outdoor porch lights, even if your porch is covered.

This is the minimum however, there is no harm going for porch lights with a higher IP rating, such as IP65, IP66, and IP67 – these are the IP ratings for waterproof lights.

We explain how IP ratings work below, but the takeaway here is that you want a minimum IP44 rating on your porch lighting.

How Do IP Ratings Work?

IP ratings are standardised, there isn’t a specific set of Ip ratings for lights. The same IP rating you’d use for lights is the same IP rating used on your iPhone.

IP ratings, which stand for Ingress Protection ratings, are measures of how well an enclosure is able to resist items entering it.

It is always the letters IP followed by two numbers. The first number shows the protection against moving parts, or solids like dust, debris and/or tools. This number ranges from 0 to 6, with 6 being the strongest protection.

The second number shows the protection from moisture and liquid. This number ranges from 0 to 9K, with 9K being the strongest protection.

What If My Porch is Uncovered?

If your porch is uncovered, your porch lights are going to be exposed to the elements – and depending on where you live, this could be a lot of elements.

So, you want to make sure your porch lighting has the best possible solid protection (the first number of the IP rating), and are rated as waterproof at the very least (represented in the second number).

So, this means an IP rating of IP65, IP66, and IP67.

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