Storefront & Main Street Lighting

A storefront reads from across the street as one composition, so light it as one. Work from the top of the facade down.

### Sign band
The sign band is the horizontal strip above the transom where the business name lives. Light it from above with angled shades on gooseneck arms: the Emblem Sign (8 to 22 inches) or the Step Neck Angle (8 to 14 inches). A common starting point is one fixture per 3 to 4 feet of sign width. Arm reach depends on the depth of the sign band and how far the cornice projects, and we can build a custom arm when a standard one won't clear.

### Entry and soffit
The door should be the brightest point on the facade. A Standard Dome or Step Neck Dome on a short gooseneck or wall bracket marks it. A Lanterna sconce is a good fit on a narrow pier beside the door. Keep the bottom of the shade above head height so it clears the door swing and passersby.

### Awnings and canopies
The NEC treats the space under canopies and marquees as a damp location. Where wind-driven rain reaches a fixture, spec a wet listing. All of the reflectors here are wet-listed, so one fixture covers both conditions.

### Display windows
Light hung just inside the glass lights up the whole facade. At BookHampton on Long Island, blue Step Neck Domes behind the window show from the sidewalk as part of the storefront.

### Upper facade
For a cornice or a painted ghost sign, the classic fluted Radial Wave or a wider Emblem Sign washes masonry without floodlight glare.

Most historic-district reviews ask one question: will this fixture look like it belongs here? A gooseneck shade over a sign has belonged on Main Street for about a century, which is why it gets approved so easily.

### What district guidelines usually ask for
- External, indirect sign lighting. Guidelines in places like Peekskill NY, Saratoga Springs NY, Franklin PA and Platteville WI encourage small gooseneck lights aimed at the sign and discourage internally lit cabinet signs.
- Shielded, downward light. The shade should hide the lamp and keep light off the street and the neighbors' windows. A solid spun shade aimed down does this. If your town has a dark-sky ordinance, ask us which configurations meet its full-cutoff requirements before you submit.
- Warm color. 2700K or 3000K suits brick, stone and painted wood. Bock's adjustable LED modules let you set 2700 to 5000K and three lumen levels in the field, with 0–10V dimming down to 10%.
- Finish that matches the trim. Choose from 38 standard powder-coat finishes, including Dark Bronze, Dark Green and Verdigris, or ask for a custom color match.

### Facade-improvement grants
Many downtown programs reimburse lighting. Minot, ND lists "permanent sign lighting (not located within sign) such as gooseneck lighting" as eligible. Columbus, WI and Main Street Hanover, PA list exterior lighting as an eligible improvement, with a dollar-for-dollar match. Grant applications usually need a spec sheet and an itemized quote before design review. We can put both together from one configuration, with finish and arm length spelled out.

### Built to last at street level
Storefront fixtures hang within reach. Add a glass jelly jar and a wire guard where people can touch them, seal the threaded fitting on outdoor installs, and choose galvanized steel or powder-coated aluminum for salt and weather. Projects that need Buy American or BABA documentation can add BAA or BABA to the part number.