Hallway checks start with the path
An ordinary hallway or entry note should name the path before naming a target number. A straight hall, a bent entry path, a recessed front door, a covered porch edge, a door face and a key or handle area are different lighting questions. The note should keep the assessed surface, night state, exposure note and measured condition beside any calculation.
The homes sector page keeps household room links together. The apartment corridor lighting guide covers shared corridors and lift-lobby style checks. This page stays narrower: ordinary hallway path, entry threshold, door face, night state, covered edge, exposure note and measured condition for a home or small private entry.
| Hallway or entry part | Assessed surface | Note beside the value |
|---|---|---|
| Straight hallway | Floor path along the walking line. | Length, width, ceiling height, active lighting zone and night state. |
| Hallway turn | Floor path before and after the turn. | Fitting position, wall shadow and viewing direction. |
| Entry threshold | Floor at the inside edge, covered edge or door approach. | Interior or exterior side, weather cover and door swing shadow. |
| Door face | Vertical face around handle, number or viewer. | Viewing height, side light, reflection and nearby fitting position. |
| Console or drop zone | Local horizontal surface. | Task plane, shadow from shelf or pendant and control state. |
Match the question to the calculation lane
Formula-based calculators can support early estimates, but they need the right context. A room-style area estimate answers a different question from downlight set-out or beam footprint. A hallway with a narrow width may still need separate notes for door faces, dark turns and covered entry edges.
| Question | Primary page | Extra note to keep |
|---|---|---|
| How much light might the hallway need? | Room lighting calculator | Area, target basis, UF, MF and night state. |
| How far apart could ceiling fittings sit? | Downlight spacing calculator | Ceiling height, wall offset, beam spread and dark-gap note. |
| How wide is one beam at the floor or door? | Beam angle calculator | Effective height, beam angle and assessed plane. |
| What did the installed path measure? | Lux meter reading table | Point label, plane, active scene and daylight condition. |
| Which control state was active? | Lighting control table | Switch group, sensor state, dimming level and time condition. |
| Does an exposed edge need enclosure wording? | IP ratings table | Complete luminaire marking and covered-edge exposure note. |
AS/NZS 1680 can provide interior-lighting context, while formula pages own the arithmetic. AS 60529 and AS/NZS 3000 remain boundary references for enclosure and electrical-installation language; this page does not give installation directions.
Entry thresholds need two-sided notes
An entry threshold can sit between a lit interior, a covered edge and an outside approach. A reading at the inside floor line should not be used as the outside approach reading unless the note says the same point and side were assessed. Door swing, wall colour, weather cover and side glazing can all change what the meter sees.
| Threshold condition | Better wording | Weak wording |
|---|---|---|
| Interior side | Inside threshold floor, door closed, hall scene normal. | Entry lit. |
| Exterior covered edge | Covered edge outside door, under eave, night state active. | Porch okay. |
| Open door | Door open, interior spill present, exterior point named. | Doorway reading. |
| Side glazing | Side glass bright from interior scene, door face separately noted. | Entry has light. |
| Mat or dark floor | Dark mat at threshold, floor point labelled. | Floor checked. |
The task-plane table helps when the note moves from floor path to door face, handle area or console surface. Split the note when the assessed surface changes.
Door face and handle areas are vertical notes
A hallway floor value does not describe a door number, handle, viewer, keypad, parcel shelf or face-height view. When the useful surface is upright, write it as a vertical face. When the useful surface is a small horizontal drop zone, write it as a local task plane rather than a whole-hall average.
| Area | Plane to name | Useful companion page |
|---|---|---|
| Door number | Vertical door face at the viewed height. | Task-plane table |
| Handle or lock area | Door face or small hand-height zone. | Lux meter reading table |
| Entry console | Horizontal top surface, with shadow note. | Room lighting calculator |
| Wall mirror | Vertical face and reflected bright source. | Glare glossary |
| Door recess | Threshold floor and door face split into two lines. | Apartment corridor lighting guide |
For a home entry, the note can remain simple: floor path for movement, vertical face for door details and local task plane for any surface where items are placed.
Night state and controls change the measured condition
Many hallway and entry areas have more than one state: normal evening lighting, low night state, sensor-triggered entry, manual override or daylight present from a nearby window. A measured condition should say which state was active before the value is compared.
| State field | Hallway wording | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Active zone | Hallway row, entry fitting, wall light or covered-edge fitting. | One zone may not light every threshold or door face. |
| Night state | Low scene, sensor state, normal evening or manual override. | A point can read differently under each state. |
| Sensor condition | Triggered, waiting, timed delay or not present. | The reading belongs to the observed state. |
| Daylight condition | Night, dawn, daylight from side window or daylight excluded. | Daytime readings may not describe the night state. |
| Control location | Switch group or zone note only. | Keeps the note clear without installation advice. |
The lighting zone glossary explains why one named zone should not be treated as every nearby surface. The lighting control table keeps scene, group and operating condition together.
Covered edges need exposure notes
A covered entry is not automatically the same condition as an internal hallway. The eave, verandah, side wind, door seal, insects, dust, coastal air, splash direction and mounting orientation can all affect the enclosure note. The useful lighting note is not a design ruling; it is a written exposure condition beside the complete luminaire marking.
| Exposure note | What to write | Keep outside this page |
|---|---|---|
| Fully internal | Hallway fitting inside conditioned space. | Electrical installation decision. |
| Covered edge | Under eave or porch roof, side exposure noted. | Enclosure selection ruling. |
| Wind-driven rain side | Direction and cover depth written beside the point. | Wet-location decision. |
| Dust or insects | Entry cover, stored items or seasonal insect note. | Maintenance program. |
| Exterior spill concern | Protected direction, observer side and boundary note. | Public outdoor lighting assessment. |
The IP ratings table gives the structure of IP-code language. The outdoor floodlight planning guide and spill light glossary are better references when an exterior edge affects a neighbour, road-facing view or larger outside zone.
Measured condition and point labels
Meter readings are clearest when the same point can be found again. A hallway can be labelled with short point names along the path, plus separate labels for threshold and door-face checks. The measured value should keep the plane, height, night state and daylight condition together.
| Point set | Better field note | What it cannot prove |
|---|---|---|
| Hallway line | H1, H2, H3 along floor path, night state active. | Door face or covered edge. |
| Hallway turn | T1 before turn and T2 after turn, same scene. | Every wall recess. |
| Entry threshold | ET1 inside floor and ET2 covered edge outside. | Whole approach path. |
| Door face | DF1 handle face or number face, vertical plane. | Floor path level. |
| Before and after check | Same point labels, same night state and same daylight condition. | Formal assessment for all surfaces. |
The lux meter reading table keeps these point fields compact. If the note compares two states, the lighting control table should sit beside it.
Glare, shadows and dark pockets
An entry can have enough measured light at one floor point while still leaving a bright source in the view, a shadow at the handle, a dark pocket beside a shoe cabinet or a reflected patch on glass. These notes belong beside the lux value as they explain why a single number may not describe the visual condition.
| Visual note | Suggested wording | Related page |
|---|---|---|
| Bright source in view | Observer side, visible fitting and night state. | Glare glossary |
| Handle shadow | Door face, hand-height point and nearby fitting side. | Task-plane table |
| Dark turn | Point before and after turn, wall colour and fitting position. | Downlight spacing calculator |
| Covered-edge contrast | Interior bright, outside edge lower, threshold side named. | Outdoor floodlight planning |
| Zone mismatch | Hallway zone active, entry fitting off or dimmed. | Lighting zone glossary |
The beam angle calculator can help explain a narrow beam footprint, but the visual note still needs the observer position and surface name.
Boundary for ordinary hallway notes
This page is for ordinary hallway and entry lighting notes. It does not assess emergency lighting, exit signs, stairs, ramps, public paths, electrical installation, surveillance outcomes or formal building outcomes. Keep those specialist files outside the household hallway note.
| Boundary item | Keep in this note | Keep outside |
|---|---|---|
| Hall movement | Ordinary floor path, point labels and active state. | Emergency-lighting documentation. |
| Entry threshold | Interior side, covered edge and door condition. | Electrical installation decisions. |
| Door face | Handle, number, viewer or face-height note. | Door hardware and access-control files. |
| Night state | Scene, sensor condition and measured points. | Commissioning documents. |
| Exterior edge | Covered-edge exposure and spill-light note. | Public exterior lighting category review. |
This boundary keeps the page useful without implying that a quick calculation or single meter reading settles every hallway, entry or outside-edge question.
Compact hallway and entry checklist
| Checklist item | Hallway or entry detail |
|---|---|
| Zone | Hallway run, turn, threshold, door face, console or covered edge. |
| Plane | Floor path, vertical face, handle area, local task plane or outside edge. |
| Geometry | Length, width, ceiling height, door recess, cover depth and wall offset. |
| Calculation | Area estimate, beam diameter, spacing note or point measurement. |
| Night state | Normal, low, sensor-triggered, manual override or daylight present. |
| Exposure note | Internal, covered edge, side exposure, dust, insects or exterior boundary. |
| Measurement | Point label, lux value, plane, state, daylight condition and date. |
| Boundary | Ordinary lighting note only; specialist, emergency and electrical documents remain outside this page. |