--- title: "Salt Air and Landscape Lighting: Fixture Materials That Last" description: "Why aluminum, brass, copper and stainless fixtures age differently in salt air, where corrosion starts on a light, and how distance from the water changes it." canonical_url: "https://www.nightscapeslandscapelighting.com/blog/landscape-lighting-fixture-materials-salt-air" last_updated: "2026-10-23" language: "en" --- ![A screened pool deck at dusk with a low light at the foot of each post and a lake beyond](https://www.nightscapeslandscapelighting.com/img/ns-job-screened-pool-lake-1600.webp) # Landscape Lighting Near Salt Water: Which Fixture Materials Hold Up In salt air, landscape lighting fixtures made of solid brass, copper or stainless steel outlast painted and coated aluminum. But the fixture body is rarely the first part to fail. Splices, lens seals, sockets and cable entries usually go first. Distance decides how hard salt works on all of it: FEMA's bulletin on metal connectors and fasteners in coastal buildings says salt spray "declines rapidly in the first 300 to 3,000 feet landward of the shoreline" \[[1](https://www.nightscapeslandscapelighting.com/blog/landscape-lighting-fixture-materials-salt-air#ref-1)\]\[[2](https://www.nightscapeslandscapelighting.com/blog/landscape-lighting-fixture-materials-salt-air#ref-2)\]. [**By NightScapes Landscape Lighting** owners Todd and SherryAbout us](https://www.nightscapeslandscapelighting.com/about) Published October 23, 2026 Last updated October 23, 2026 Free Consultations and Estimates This guide ties each fixture material to FEMA's distance bands and names the four places corrosion starts on a light. Most material lists stop at "buy brass." That skips the parts that go dark first, and it treats a Naples seawall lot the same as one a few miles inland. Cost driver checker How close is your property to salt water? Shows what FEMA reports for that distance and what it points to for a landscape light. It does not price anything. Pick the spot where the fixture will sit On the water: seawall, dock or beachfront Salt FEMA: salt spray is greatest near breaking waves; spots under decks can corrode faster than open ones (building connectors and fasteners).\[[1](https://www.nightscapeslandscapelighting.com/blog/landscape-lighting-fixture-materials-salt-air#ref-1)\] Material Solid brass, copper or stainless fixtures with matched stainless hardware; sealed connections kept out of the splash.\[[1](https://www.nightscapeslandscapelighting.com/blog/landscape-lighting-fixture-materials-salt-air#ref-1)\]\[[2](https://www.nightscapeslandscapelighting.com/blog/landscape-lighting-fixture-materials-salt-air#ref-2)\] Check first Splices, lens seals, anything mounted under the dock. Within about 300 feet Salt FEMA: salt spray is heaviest close to breaking waves and declines rapidly over the first 300 to 3,000 feet.\[[1](https://www.nightscapeslandscapelighting.com/blog/landscape-lighting-fixture-materials-salt-air#ref-1)\] Material Solid brass or copper where fixtures face the water; coated aluminum only with an intact two-layer finish.\[[2](https://www.nightscapeslandscapelighting.com/blog/landscape-lighting-fixture-materials-salt-air#ref-2)\]\[[4](https://www.nightscapeslandscapelighting.com/blog/landscape-lighting-fixture-materials-salt-air#ref-4)\] Check first Chips in coatings, sockets, lens seals. 300 to 3,000 feet Salt FEMA: salt spray declines rapidly across this band.\[[1](https://www.nightscapeslandscapelighting.com/blog/landscape-lighting-fixture-materials-salt-air#ref-1)\] Material Solid brass or copper where fixtures face the water; coated aluminum only with an intact two-layer finish.\[[2](https://www.nightscapeslandscapelighting.com/blog/landscape-lighting-fixture-materials-salt-air#ref-2)\]\[[4](https://www.nightscapeslandscapelighting.com/blog/landscape-lighting-fixture-materials-salt-air#ref-4)\] Check first Chips in coatings, sockets, lens seals. Inland, up to 5 to 10 miles Salt FEMA: studies have shown accelerated corrosion as far inland as 5 to 10 miles.\[[1](https://www.nightscapeslandscapelighting.com/blog/landscape-lighting-fixture-materials-salt-air#ref-1)\] Material Coated aluminum can hold up; brass and copper still help in beds that stay wet. Check first Splices in wet ground, cable entries. Farther inland Salt FEMA: corrosion can be similar to milder inland conditions.\[[1](https://www.nightscapeslandscapelighting.com/blog/landscape-lighting-fixture-materials-salt-air#ref-1)\] Material Material is mostly a choice of look and budget. Check first Connections in irrigated beds. General information, not a quote or a rating. FEMA's figures come from its bulletin on metal connectors and fasteners in coastal buildings (NFIP TB-8, June 2019), not from light fixtures. ### Key takeaways - FEMA's bulletin on metal connectors and fasteners in coastal buildings says airborne salt is heaviest near breaking waves and falls off sharply over the first 300 to 3,000 feet. It still speeds corrosion as far as 5 to 10 miles inland \[[1](https://www.nightscapeslandscapelighting.com/blog/landscape-lighting-fixture-materials-salt-air#ref-1)\]. - Solid brass and copper weather to a darker surface called patina and keep working; FX Luminaire builds its premium Standard Series level in brass and copper for "the highest level of protection from the environment" \[[2](https://www.nightscapeslandscapelighting.com/blog/landscape-lighting-fixture-materials-salt-air#ref-2)\]\[[3](https://www.nightscapeslandscapelighting.com/blog/landscape-lighting-fixture-materials-salt-air#ref-3)\]. - Aluminum fixtures depend on their coating, and the weak point of any coating is a chip or scratch \[[4](https://www.nightscapeslandscapelighting.com/blog/landscape-lighting-fixture-materials-salt-air#ref-4)\]\[[1](https://www.nightscapeslandscapelighting.com/blog/landscape-lighting-fixture-materials-salt-air#ref-1)\]. - On a coastal system, splices, lens seals, sockets and cable entries usually corrode before the fixture body. Check those four points every spring. - A "bronze" finish is often a powder-coat color, not bronze metal. Ask what the fixture is made of \[[3](https://www.nightscapeslandscapelighting.com/blog/landscape-lighting-fixture-materials-salt-air#ref-3)\]. 01Salt and metal ## What salt does to metal outdoors Salt speeds up corrosion by sitting on metal and holding moisture against it. FEMA's technical bulletin on metal connectors and fasteners in coastal buildings says ocean salts "accumulate on metal surfaces and accelerate the electrochemical reactions that cause rusting and other forms of corrosion" \[[1](https://www.nightscapeslandscapelighting.com/blog/landscape-lighting-fixture-materials-salt-air#ref-1)\]. A landscape light faces the same chemistry, plus daily irrigation and wet summer ground. Moisture is the multiplier. The same FEMA bulletin says "the longer a surface remains damp during the normal daily fluctuations in humidity, the higher the corrosion rate" \[[1](https://www.nightscapeslandscapelighting.com/blog/landscape-lighting-fixture-materials-salt-air#ref-1)\]. NightScapes' [main landscape lighting page](https://www.nightscapeslandscapelighting.com/landscape-lighting) describes the Southwest Florida version: "Salt carries inland on the wind, irrigation runs over the same heads every day, and the ground stays wet all summer." FEMA adds that corrosion runs higher where the wind mostly blows onshore \[[1](https://www.nightscapeslandscapelighting.com/blog/landscape-lighting-fixture-materials-salt-air#ref-1)\]. Two different metals touching make it worse. FEMA defines galvanic corrosion as what happens when two metals with different electrical potential touch in saltwater: one corrodes and the other is protected \[[1](https://www.nightscapeslandscapelighting.com/blog/landscape-lighting-fixture-materials-salt-air#ref-1)\]. Its example pair is stainless steel and aluminum, and its advice is that fasteners and connectors "be made of similar metals" \[[1](https://www.nightscapeslandscapelighting.com/blog/landscape-lighting-fixture-materials-salt-air#ref-1)\]. On a landscape light, the metals that touch are the housing, the mount, the riser and the screws. Shelter can be worse than exposure. FEMA found that spots under decks and walkways can corrode faster than open ones, because rain doesn't rinse the salt away and they stay damp longer \[[1](https://www.nightscapeslandscapelighting.com/blog/landscape-lighting-fixture-materials-salt-air#ref-1)\]. A light under a dock or a lanai eave sits in exactly that kind of spot. 02Distance from the water ## Distance from the water changes the answer How far a fixture sits from breaking waves changes how hard salt works on it. FEMA's bulletin on coastal metal connectors and fasteners says salt spray is greatest near breaking waves and declines rapidly over the first 300 to 3,000 feet. It still raises corrosion rates as far as 5 to 10 miles inland \[[1](https://www.nightscapeslandscapelighting.com/blog/landscape-lighting-fixture-materials-salt-air#ref-1)\]. Farther than that, corrosion can be similar to milder inland conditions \[[1](https://www.nightscapeslandscapelighting.com/blog/landscape-lighting-fixture-materials-salt-air#ref-1)\]. FEMA's numbers come from building hardware, not light fixtures, but the air and the metal are the same. One test FEMA cites is stark: in North Carolina in the 1940s, iron samples 80 feet from the shoreline corroded 10 times faster than samples of the same material 800 feet back \[[1](https://www.nightscapeslandscapelighting.com/blog/landscape-lighting-fixture-materials-salt-air#ref-1)\]. | Distance from salt water | What FEMA reports for building connectors and fasteners \[[1](https://www.nightscapeslandscapelighting.com/blog/landscape-lighting-fixture-materials-salt-air#ref-1)\] | What it points to for a landscape light | What to watch first | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | On the water: seawall, dock, beachfront | Salt spray is greatest near breaking waves; sheltered spots under decks can corrode faster than open ones | Solid brass, copper or stainless fixtures with matched stainless hardware; sealed connections kept out of the splash | Splices, lens seals, anything mounted under the dock | | First 300 to 3,000 feet | Salt spray declines rapidly across this band | Solid brass or copper where fixtures face the water; coated aluminum only with an intact two-layer finish | Chips in coatings, sockets, lens seals | | 3,000 feet to 5 to 10 miles | Studies have shown accelerated corrosion this far inland | Coated aluminum can hold up; brass and copper still help in beds that stay wet | Splices in wet ground, cable entries | | Farther inland | Corrosion can be similar to milder inland conditions | Material is mostly a choice of look and budget | Connections in irrigated beds | The 3,000-foot line isn't a wall. After Hurricanes Irma and Maria, FEMA's assessment team found significant corrosion in Puerto Rico farther than 3,000 feet inland \[[1](https://www.nightscapeslandscapelighting.com/blog/landscape-lighting-fixture-materials-salt-air#ref-1)\]. Canal and bay lots lack breaking surf, so they may carry less airborne salt at the same distance; FEMA doesn't measure canal shorelines, so treat that as likely, not proven. The [dock and seawall fixtures](https://www.nightscapeslandscapelighting.com/deck-dock-lighting) on a canal lot still sit beside salt water every day. > Not sure which band your property falls in, or which fixtures are already failing? NightScapes offers free consultations and estimates across Naples and Southwest Florida. [Request a free estimate](https://www.nightscapeslandscapelighting.com/request-estimate-form) or call (239) 649-6940. 03Aluminum ## Aluminum: coatings and what scratches them An aluminum landscape light near salt water is only as durable as its coating. FX Luminaire's FB up light, for example, is die-cast aluminum with "two-layer protection of sulfuric acid anodization and polyester TGIC powder coat" \[[4](https://www.nightscapeslandscapelighting.com/blog/landscape-lighting-fixture-materials-salt-air#ref-4)\]. That's a serious finish. The weak point is any chip, scratch or worn spot, where the aluminum meets salt and water directly. FX's design guide describes 6061 aluminum alloy as having "a great balance of strength, machinability and corrosion resistance" \[[3](https://www.nightscapeslandscapelighting.com/blog/landscape-lighting-fixture-materials-salt-air#ref-3)\]. The FB page calls its finish "marine-grade" anodization \[[4](https://www.nightscapeslandscapelighting.com/blog/landscape-lighting-fixture-materials-salt-air#ref-4)\]. That describes the finish, not a rating for beachfront use, and none of the FX pages we read gives one. What breaks the coating is ordinary yard life. FX's guide lists what landscape lighting is up against: "rain, snow, ice, and UV exposure to irrigation, landscaping equipment, and even animals and people" \[[3](https://www.nightscapeslandscapelighting.com/blog/landscape-lighting-fixture-materials-salt-air#ref-3)\]. In a Naples bed, that means string trimmers, mower decks and fixtures re-aimed as plants grow. FEMA warns about painted connectors the same way: "if it is scratched, it does not provide any corrosion resistance at that location" \[[1](https://www.nightscapeslandscapelighting.com/blog/landscape-lighting-fixture-materials-salt-air#ref-1)\]. Aluminum often fails quietly. NightScapes' [landscape lighting repair](https://www.nightscapeslandscapelighting.com/landscape-lighting-repair) page says "thin aluminum housings pit from the inside in salt air, sometimes while the lamp inside still works." Aluminum still has a place near the water, with a good two-layer finish and a spot where crews won't hit it. Placement first, then material. Free Consultations and Estimates [Request a free estimate](https://www.nightscapeslandscapelighting.com/blog/landscape-lighting-fixture-materials-salt-air#post-form) [or call (239) 649-6940](tel:+12396496940) 04Brass and copper ## Brass and copper: patina is not failure Patina is the darker, sometimes greenish surface that forms on brass and copper outdoors. FX Luminaire's design guide defines it as "a thin greenish layer, usually basic copper sulfate, that forms on copper or copper alloys, such as brass, due to corrosion" \[[3](https://www.nightscapeslandscapelighting.com/blog/landscape-lighting-fixture-materials-salt-air#ref-3)\]. Patina is corrosion, but it stays a thin surface layer while the fixture keeps working, which is why solid brass and copper suit salt air. In FX's Standard Series, "the Premium Level utilizes high-quality brass and copper for the highest level of protection from the environment and a stylish appearance" \[[2](https://www.nightscapeslandscapelighting.com/blog/landscape-lighting-fixture-materials-salt-air#ref-2)\]. Brass and copper cost more up front. Near the water, that protection is what the extra cost buys. The FX FG path light shows what a solid copper-and-brass fixture looks like on paper. It has a machined C360 brass cap and reducer with stainless hardware, a spun C110 copper top, and an extruded C110 copper riser joined with press-fit brass fittings \[[5](https://www.nightscapeslandscapelighting.com/blog/landscape-lighting-fixture-materials-salt-air#ref-5)\]. The metals that touch are close relatives, and FEMA's galvanic chart shows why that matters: metals close together on it "will have low rates of corrosion" against each other \[[1](https://www.nightscapeslandscapelighting.com/blog/landscape-lighting-fixture-materials-salt-air#ref-1)\]. NightScapes puts the practical difference this way on its palm uplighting page: "Salt air is hard on painted and plated metals, and a finish that flakes lets the body underneath corrode. Solid brass and copper weather to a darker color instead and keep working." Expect the look to change. NightScapes' redesign page puts it plainly for anyone adding to an older system: "Brass and copper darken; new fixtures stand out until they weather or are chosen to match." 05Stainless and hardware ## Stainless, composite and the hardware Stainless steel is the most salt-tolerant common metal in FEMA's coastal guidance. Its bulletin on metal connectors and fasteners says stainless "is resistant to corrosion in salt air, and it usually lasts longer than most other materials, even in the most corrosive oceanfront situations" \[[1](https://www.nightscapeslandscapelighting.com/blog/landscape-lighting-fixture-materials-salt-air#ref-1)\]. For coastal use, FEMA names Type 304 or Type 316, and calls 316 the more corrosion resistant \[[1](https://www.nightscapeslandscapelighting.com/blog/landscape-lighting-fixture-materials-salt-air#ref-1)\]. Not all stainless is equal. FEMA notes that Type 410 resists corrosion less well than Type 316 \[[1](https://www.nightscapeslandscapelighting.com/blog/landscape-lighting-fixture-materials-salt-air#ref-1)\], so ask which type a "stainless" mount is. On most landscape lights, stainless shows up as hardware. The FX FB up light uses "stainless steel hardware" with its aluminum housing and a stainless angle lock screw, and the FG path light uses stainless sealing screws \[[4](https://www.nightscapeslandscapelighting.com/blog/landscape-lighting-fixture-materials-salt-air#ref-4)\]\[[5](https://www.nightscapeslandscapelighting.com/blog/landscape-lighting-fixture-materials-salt-air#ref-5)\]. Hardware matters because of galvanic corrosion: FEMA says stainless connectors must be fastened with stainless, or corrosion speeds up on the less resistant metal \[[1](https://www.nightscapeslandscapelighting.com/blog/landscape-lighting-fixture-materials-salt-air#ref-1)\]. A brass fixture held by plated steel screws invites the same problem. Composite is the other option. FX lists composite among its fixture materials and puts it in its Standard Series Base Level beside aluminum and zinc \[[3](https://www.nightscapeslandscapelighting.com/blog/landscape-lighting-fixture-materials-salt-air#ref-3)\]\[[2](https://www.nightscapeslandscapelighting.com/blog/landscape-lighting-fixture-materials-salt-air#ref-2)\]. Composite isn't metal, so FEMA's findings don't describe it. Its weak points are the small metal parts every fixture has: the socket, the screws and the wire connections. 06Where corrosion starts ## Where corrosion starts on a landscape light On a coastal landscape lighting system, corrosion usually starts at the small parts, not the fixture body. NightScapes' repair page calls a failed splice in wet ground the most common reason a section of a system fails in Southwest Florida. Its main landscape lighting page names lens seals as where most coastal fixtures finally fail and go dark. Sockets and cable entries are the other two weak points. Splices sit in the ground. Each fixture joins the run at a splice. The NightScapes repair page explains what happens next: "In ground that stays wet, a twist-on connector corrodes until it stops carrying current." Everything past that point goes dark together, so a dark section is often a wire problem, not a fixture problem. Cable entries can pull water in. FX's technology page explains that a heating lamp pushes air into the cable and a cooling one "creates suction inside the fixture and the cable" \[[6](https://www.nightscapeslandscapelighting.com/blog/landscape-lighting-fixture-materials-salt-air#ref-6)\]. FX says this "causes moisture ingress, which can lead to internal corrosion and electrical failure" \[[6](https://www.nightscapeslandscapelighting.com/blog/landscape-lighting-fixture-materials-salt-air#ref-6)\]. Its answer is MoistureBlock, which FX describes as "a 100% watertight cable entry that stops moisture intrusion" \[[6](https://www.nightscapeslandscapelighting.com/blog/landscape-lighting-fixture-materials-salt-air#ref-6)\]. Sockets fail where you can't see. The repair page notes that "a socket that looks clean can be green underneath," and a corroded socket means a good lamp no longer makes contact. Integrated LED fixtures have no lamp socket; FX's spec sheets give its LED modules gold-plated connectors and a conformal coating "for maximum reliability and corrosion resistance" \[[4](https://www.nightscapeslandscapelighting.com/blog/landscape-lighting-fixture-materials-salt-air#ref-4)\]\[[5](https://www.nightscapeslandscapelighting.com/blog/landscape-lighting-fixture-materials-salt-air#ref-5)\]. Inspect these four points each spring, before the wet summer months, or have them checked at [a yearly maintenance visit](https://www.nightscapeslandscapelighting.com/landscape-lighting-maintenance): 1. **Splices and wire connections.** Any run with a dim or dark section gets its splices opened and checked. 2. **The lens and its gasket.** The gasket should be seated and supple, with no water or fog inside the lens. 3. **Socket contacts.** They should be clean, bright and gripping the lamp, not green or loose. 4. **The cable entry and housing.** Look for early corrosion where the cable enters and for pitting on the body; a pitted housing points to replacement. The transformer belongs on the list too. NightScapes' main landscape lighting page lists it as "Mounted above water and out of the irrigation throw." 07Finish and material ## Finish is not material A finish is the color on the outside; the material is the metal underneath. FX Luminaire's standard powder-coat finishes include "Bronze Metallic, Black, Weathered Iron, Sedona Brown, and Desert Granite," while its metal finishes include "Antique Bronze on copper and brass" \[[3](https://www.nightscapeslandscapelighting.com/blog/landscape-lighting-fixture-materials-salt-air#ref-3)\]. So a fixture described as bronze can be powder-coated aluminum. Near salt water, ask what it's made of. A bronze-colored finish isn't bronze. On a coated aluminum fixture, that color is a coating, and it behaves like one: it protects until it chips. Then the aluminum underneath is exposed. Solid metal fixtures can wear a coating too. FX's FG path light comes in natural copper and brass or antiqued finishes, and its antique finishes are "sealed with a clear TGIC powder coat layer" \[[5](https://www.nightscapeslandscapelighting.com/blog/landscape-lighting-fixture-materials-salt-air#ref-5)\]. When an FG is ordered in Bronze, Silver, Black or Flat White, FX says its "brass accent pieces remain natural (not powder coated)" \[[5](https://www.nightscapeslandscapelighting.com/blog/landscape-lighting-fixture-materials-salt-air#ref-5)\]. A chip on a coated brass fixture exposes brass, which weathers instead of pitting. Three questions sort it out: What is the housing made of? Is the finish powder coat, plating or natural metal? What are the screws and mount made of? Aluminum, powder coat and plated steel belong well back from the water. 08 Choose a question - [Is brass better than aluminum for outdoor lighting near the beach?](https://www.nightscapeslandscapelighting.com/blog/landscape-lighting-fixture-materials-salt-air#frequently-asked-questions-about-landscape-lighting-fixtures-in-salt-air-0) - [Does powder-coated aluminum corrode near the ocean?](https://www.nightscapeslandscapelighting.com/blog/landscape-lighting-fixture-materials-salt-air#frequently-asked-questions-about-landscape-lighting-fixtures-in-salt-air-1) - [How far from the beach does salt air matter?](https://www.nightscapeslandscapelighting.com/blog/landscape-lighting-fixture-materials-salt-air#frequently-asked-questions-about-landscape-lighting-fixtures-in-salt-air-2) - [Can I use regular LED bulbs in coastal fixtures?](https://www.nightscapeslandscapelighting.com/blog/landscape-lighting-fixture-materials-salt-air#frequently-asked-questions-about-landscape-lighting-fixtures-in-salt-air-3) - [Is a bronze or black finish enough near salt water?](https://www.nightscapeslandscapelighting.com/blog/landscape-lighting-fixture-materials-salt-air#frequently-asked-questions-about-landscape-lighting-fixtures-in-salt-air-4) ### Is brass better than aluminum for outdoor lighting near the beach? Yes, for fixtures that live close to salt water. Solid brass weathers to a darker patina and keeps working, while coated aluminum depends on its finish staying intact. FX Luminaire builds the Premium Level of its Standard Series in brass and copper for "the highest level of protection from the environment". FX's FB up light shows what a good aluminum finish looks like: anodization under powder coat. Well back from the water, a fixture like that can hold up. The closer a fixture sits to breaking waves, where FEMA's coastal data put salt spray at its heaviest, the stronger the case for brass, copper or stainless. ### Does powder-coated aluminum corrode near the ocean? It can, once the coating is broken. Trimmers, mowers, re-aiming and irrigation all wear at a finish. FEMA's bulletin on coastal metal connectors and fasteners notes that a painted coating gives no protection where it's scratched. On a landscape light, that shows up as chalking and pitting. NightScapes' main landscape lighting page describes the end: "Thin housings chalk, pit and finally fail at the lens seal, and the system goes dark one fixture at a time." ### How far from the beach does salt air matter? Farther than most people expect. FEMA's bulletin on metal connectors and fasteners in coastal buildings says salt spray declines rapidly in the first 300 to 3,000 feet from the shoreline. It also cites studies showing accelerated corrosion as far inland as 5 to 10 miles. For a landscape light, the first few hundred feet are where material choice matters most. Farther back, wet ground and irrigation still decide how long the connections last. ### Can I use regular LED bulbs in coastal fixtures? Use a lamp made for the fixture's socket and its low-voltage system, not a household bulb. FX notes that a majority of landscape systems run on 12 volts, stepped down from 120-volt power by a transformer. NightScapes' bulb replacement page says that if "the socket is corroded, the seal has failed or the housing is breaking up," a new lamp won't last. Check the socket and gasket every time a lamp is changed. ### Is a bronze or black finish enough near salt water? Not on its own, because a color says nothing about the metal underneath. FX Luminaire's standard powder-coat colors include Bronze Metallic and Black. A bronze powder coat on aluminum is still a coated aluminum fixture, and it lasts as long as the coating does. A black finish on solid brass is different: under the coat is brass. Near the water, choose solid brass, copper or stainless with matched hardware. [Ask us on the phone: (239) 649-6940](tel:+12396496940) Related services - [![A screened pool deck at dusk with a low light at the foot of each post and a lake beyond](https://www.nightscapeslandscapelighting.com/img/ns-job-screened-pool-lake-1600.webp) Deck and Dock Lighting Decks, docks and seawalls View service](https://www.nightscapeslandscapelighting.com/deck-dock-lighting) - [![An estate at blue hour, palms and house front lit with warm LED light](https://www.nightscapeslandscapelighting.com/img/ns-job-motor-court-bluehour-palms-960.webp) LED Lighting Low-draw, long-life fixtures View service](https://www.nightscapeslandscapelighting.com/led-landscape-lighting) - [![A white home at dusk with its arched entry, facade, planting and drive lit as one scheme](https://www.nightscapeslandscapelighting.com/img/ns-job-arched-entry-home-1600.webp) Landscape Lighting Full-property design and install View service](https://www.nightscapeslandscapelighting.com/landscape-lighting) - [![A waterfront home at night, its lights and colors reflected in the canal in front of it](https://www.nightscapeslandscapelighting.com/img/ns-job-waterfront-home-color-reflection-1600.webp) Underwater Lighting Dock and waterline fixtures View service](https://www.nightscapeslandscapelighting.com/underwater-dock-lighting) 09Next step ## What to do next Near salt water, choose the material by distance and check the small parts every year. FEMA's coastal data say salt spray is heaviest near breaking waves and still matters miles inland \[[1](https://www.nightscapeslandscapelighting.com/blog/landscape-lighting-fixture-materials-salt-air#ref-1)\]. Solid brass, copper and stainless suit fixtures facing the water; coated aluminum belongs where salt is lighter and crews won't chip it. Whatever the material, splices, lens seals, sockets and cable entries usually fail first. If lights have started to go dark, that's where repair begins. For the fixtures themselves, see [how LED fixtures are specified](https://www.nightscapeslandscapelighting.com/led-landscape-lighting). NightScapes has designed, installed and repaired outdoor lighting in Naples since 2006 (Todd since 1998), and outdoor lighting is all we do. The consultation and the estimate are free. Call (239) 649-6940 or [request a free estimate](https://www.nightscapeslandscapelighting.com/request-estimate-form). Share this guide - [Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nightscapeslandscapelighting.com%2Fblog%2Flandscape-lighting-fixture-materials-salt-air) - [X](https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nightscapeslandscapelighting.com%2Fblog%2Flandscape-lighting-fixture-materials-salt-air&text=Landscape%20Lighting%20Near%20Salt%20Water%3A%20Which%20Fixture%20Materials%20Hold%20Up) - [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/sharing/share-offsite/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nightscapeslandscapelighting.com%2Fblog%2Flandscape-lighting-fixture-materials-salt-air) - [Email](mailto:?subject=Landscape%20Lighting%20Near%20Salt%20Water%3A%20Which%20Fixture%20Materials%20Hold%20Up&body=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nightscapeslandscapelighting.com%2Fblog%2Flandscape-lighting-fixture-materials-salt-air) 10Sources ## References 1. FEMA. *Corrosion Protection for Metal Connectors and Fasteners in Coastal Areas* (NFIP Technical Bulletin 8). June 2019. [fema.gov/sites/default/files/2020-07/tb8-corrosion\_protection\_me](https://www.fema.gov/sites/default/files/2020-07/tb8-corrosion_protection_metal_connectors_coastal_areas.pdf) 2. FX Luminaire (Hunter Industries). *Designer and Standard Series Fixtures*. Read October 23, 2026 from the archived copy of February 6, 2026. [fxl.com/designer-and-standard-series-fixtures](https://www.fxl.com/designer-and-standard-series-fixtures) 3. FX Luminaire (Hunter Industries). *Landscape Lighting Design Guide (FX-229)*. 2021. Read October 23, 2026 from the archived copy of October 1, 2021. [fxl.com/sites/fxl.com/files/fx-229-dg-lightingtraining-us-web.pd](https://www.fxl.com/sites/fxl.com/files/fx-229-dg-lightingtraining-us-web.pdf) 4. FX Luminaire (Hunter Industries). *FB up light, product page and specifications*. Read October 23, 2026 from the archived copy of August 12, 2025. [fxl.com/product/up-lights/designer/fb](https://www.fxl.com/product/up-lights/designer/fb) 5. FX Luminaire (Hunter Industries). *FG path light, product page and specifications*. Read October 23, 2026 from the archived copy of December 12, 2025. [fxl.com/product/path-and-area-lights/designer/fg](https://www.fxl.com/product/path-and-area-lights/designer/fg) 6. FX Luminaire (Hunter Industries). *Technology* (MoistureBlock cable entry). Read October 23, 2026 from the archived copy of August 14, 2025. [fxl.com/technology](https://www.fxl.com/technology) Written by [NightScapes Landscape Lighting, owners Todd and Sherry](https://www.nightscapeslandscapelighting.com/about) NightScapes has designed, installed and repaired outdoor lighting in Naples since 2006 (Todd since 1998), and outdoor lighting is all we do. [About NightScapes](https://www.nightscapeslandscapelighting.com/about) [All posts](https://www.nightscapeslandscapelighting.com/blog) Share Free Consultations and Estimates [or call (239) 649-6940](tel:+12396496940)