Where stairwells bend, light levels dip. This guide shows how to place and aim remote heads at landings, switchbacks, and door thresholds—so you get smooth coverage without glare and pass inspection the first time.
Last updated: October 2025
Why stairwells need different layouts
Turns, landings, and door thresholds create shadows that straight corridors don’t. The goal is even, navigable light on treads and landings, with overlapping beams at changes in direction. Because users move vertically, glare at eye level is more noticeable—beam angle and aiming matter as much as wattage.
- Geometry: Guardrails/soffits block light; inner corners of switchbacks are typical “dark pockets.”
- Sightlines: Approaches face an up-flight or a door; avoid beams pointed directly into eyes.
- Field reality: Inspectors linger at landings and thresholds. Design for uniformity and comfort.
Coverage patterns that work
- Straight flight + landing: One head aimed down the run; a second offsets toward the landing so beams overlap at the nosings.
- 90° switchback: Mount heads to “see around the corner.” Place one above/opposite the inner corner; place another on the next flight so patterns overlap at the landing midline. For general distances and overlap logic, use the remote head spacing guide.
- 180° U-turn landing: Treat as two short corridors meeting head-on. Aim slightly off-axis to avoid face-level glare; ensure coverage on the first 3–5 treads of the new flight.
- Door at landing: Add a head aimed slightly off-axis toward the threshold and first steps beyond the door.
- Exterior stair towers: Use wet-location/IP-rated heads and confirm overlaps in wind-driven rain conditions; see IP65 spacing & aiming.
Mount height & aiming
- Height: 7–10 ft is common. Higher mounts need tighter beams (MR-style optics) to carry to the landing; lower mounts favor wider floods to fill near-field steps.
- Angle: Start ~10–20° down; aim slightly off the path to reduce veiling glare.
- Overlap: Blend beams at landing midpoints and at the first few treads of each new flight.
Glare control & thresholds
At doors and turns, avoid pointing directly into the line of sight. Nudge heads off-axis and use narrower beams where sightlines are long; wider beams help “fill” near-field landings. Code-level expectations for egress illumination are summarized in the code requirements overview.
- Door thresholds: Aim so the beam grazes the floor through the open door and lights the first steps beyond; avoid hot spots on glossy thresholds.
- Eye-level checks: Stand at each landing and look up/down the run—if the head appears glaring, lower elevation or rotate off-axis a few degrees.
Wiring & run planning
- Topology: Favor a star (home-run) layout to each landing cluster; it keeps voltage drop predictable at the far head.
- Voltage choice: For long vertical runs or multiple landings, consider stepping from 12V to 24V; see 12V vs 24V for remote heads.
- Wire size: Pick AWG from the wire gauge & distance tables using round-trip length and a ~5% drop target.
- Label & document: Tag remote branches at the host and at junctions; record conductor gauges, run lengths, and locations on your one-line.
Inspection-ready checklist
- Coverage: Landings and first 3–5 treads in both directions are evenly lit; beams overlap at midpoints.
- Aiming: 10–20° down, slightly off-axis; verify no eye-level glare when standing at landings and door thresholds.
- Documentation: One-line diagram, head schedule (W, qty), conductor gauge, run lengths, and aiming notes on file.
- Compliance: Keep local requirements and test logs handy; see the code requirements overview for what AHJs expect.
Fire code quick references
Two useful baselines (confirm with your AHJ):
FAQ
What’s the best mount height for small landings?
7–8 ft typically works with wider beams. If you mount higher, narrow the beam or add another head to avoid scallops.
How do I reduce glare at a door threshold?
Aim slightly off-axis and down 10–20° so the hot spot lands on the walk line beyond the door—not at eye level.
Do I need 24V for vertical runs?
Not always, but it helps on long, multi-landing circuits. If voltage drop is high at the far head, step up to 24V and/or increase conductor size.
This article focuses on stairwell and egress-turn layouts. For fundamentals and step-by-step sizing, use the core remote head sizing & wiring guide.