Wall Wash Lighting Spacing Calculator Australia

wall face before the geometry

A useful wall wash spacing note starts with the exact wall face. A bench row, wall face, artwork, display, cove, track or private outdoor target can look simple until the actual throw, setback and edge clearances are written down. Naming the surface keeps the geometry tied to one visible lighting job.

That boundary also stops a layout number from being reused in the wrong place. The same beam angle can behave differently on a low wall, a high ceiling, a narrow sign or a long row. Keep the target surface, mounting plane and measured run beside the result.

Beam shape is not a lux result

Wall-wash beam spread describes where a beam or row is likely to land. It does not prove the surface has enough maintained illuminance, good colour, low glare or even appearance. Treat the beam note as a set-out layer that sits beside lumen and measured-lux checks.

A larger footprint can reduce hard gaps, but it can also spill beyond a feature or lower the average level on the target. A tighter footprint can look focused, but it may need another head, another row or a revised aiming note. Read the geometric result with the light-output page that owns brightness.

Measure the throw and the plane

Mounting height, workplane height, throw distance and setback should be measured from the same reference points each time. Small changes in these inputs can move the beam diameter, required angle or aiming angle more than expected, especially at short distances.

Write whether the distance is vertical height, horizontal distance or throw along the aimed path. Mixing those distances is a common reason for layout notes that look plausible but fail when someone marks the surface.

Rows need edge notes

Repeated wall centres is more useful when end offsets and wall offsets are visible. A row that only states centre spacing can still leave a weak edge, a bright corner or a target face that misses the useful beam.

For long rows, keep the count, first position, last position and practical centre spacing together. If furniture, columns, shelves, signs, plants or doors interrupt the row, split the note before the arithmetic becomes misleading.

Overlap is a planning choice

Overlap percentages and spacing criterion values are user-entered planning assumptions on these pages. They help compare a proposed layout with a chosen geometry rule, but they are not a pass mark for formal design.

A high overlap can smooth a wall wash or path row, while a low overlap can reduce fitting count. The right setting depends on visual importance, surface reflectance, brightness target, aiming tolerance and whether the layout will be measured later.

Output and control need their own note

Some geometry pages include watts or linear output only to keep the connected-load note visible. That load number does not choose a driver, cable, dimmer, breaker, fitting model or wet-area equipment. It simply keeps the lighting group from losing its energy context.

If dimming, switching or scene setting changes the normal case, record that state beside the geometry. A display wall at full output and the same wall in a low evening scene can need different measured checks after the set-out is marked.

Mock-up evidence is valuable

Where the surface is visually important, a mock-up or temporary aiming check can be more useful than adding precision to the inputs. Mark the calculated centres, aim one fitting, and compare the actual beam edge, shadow and reflection with the planned number.

A measured lux or photo note after the mock-up helps tell geometry and output issues apart. If the footprint is right but the surface is dim, the issue is likely output or reflectance. If the footprint misses the surface, the issue is placement or aiming.

Record the revision trigger

Geometry pages are most useful when the note says what would make the layout change. A lower ceiling, different beam angle, moved artwork, deeper sign, wider table, darker wall or revised end offset can all change the answer even when the room name stays the same.

Write the trigger in plain language beside the result. That gives the next reviewer a practical way to decide whether the number can still be reused, or whether the measured surface, throw distance, count and centres need another pass before marks are transferred to the ceiling, wall or plan.

Include the drawing or site mark that carries the number. A centre spacing written without a plan, elevation, sketch or photo can become detached from the target. A simple reference such as south wall, island centre line, display bay 2 or entry path keeps the geometry tied to a place someone can check.

Australian scope limits

wall wash spacing pages on AuLumens are private planning calculators for beam geometry, spacing, aiming and connected-load notes. They stay outside emergency lighting, public roads, sports lighting, school spaces, healthcare tasks, car parks, wiring design and approval decisions.

This page is not for facade approvals, public glare decisions or emergency lighting. Keep public-space lighting, formal glare assessment, specialist standards and electrical installation decisions in the appropriate project review process. The value here is a repeatable set-out number that can be checked on the real surface.

A concise set-out note

A readable note includes the target surface, measured dimensions, mounting height, assessed plane, beam angle, throw or setback, count, centres, edge offsets and any user-entered overlap or spacing criterion. Add watts only when the load is part of the layout decision.

Pair it with vertical-illuminance-average or measured-vs-calculated-lux-gap after a mock-up. That context lets another person revise the beam, adjust the count, compare a measured lux value or move the result into the room, workplace, outdoor or LED calculator that owns the next decision.