Adding deck lighting fixtures to your home doesn’t have to be complicated or take hours of time. In fact, most home owners can add fun, colorful, engaging lighting on their patio in just a matter of hours, the hardest part is coming up with great ideas for lighting your deck. Luckily for you we’ve done that hard part and come up with a few great ideas that you can use to really bring your deck to life. Using some of these ideas and shopping for your lights online will save you several hours off of the time it takes to install the lights, letting you spend more time doing the things you want to do instead of fixing up your deck.
Tip #1: Use Deck Lighting For Safety
One of the biggest concerns of any homeowner is safety, but luckily your deck lights can help you with this. Make sure that you place some lights around stairs, railings, pools, and ponds to prevent someone from taking an unwanted spill at night. This isn’t to say that you should just put giant, bright outdoor flood lighting fixtures in these areas though. There are many types of solar walkway lights that are both easy to install and striking.
#2: Use String Lights for Cheap Lighting
If you want some cheap lighting, either for a one-off party or as a permanent option, you can’t go wrong with deck or patio string lights. These lights are affordable, but also last a long time and come in a huge array of different styles, shapes, and sizes. You’ll be sure to find something that you can use on your deck, whether it is a set of Chinese paper lanterns or a European-style café lights.
#3: Use Your Deck Lights To Deter Insects
One of the biggest pains of being outside at night is waking up in the morning covered in bug bites. Not only are bugs drawn to you, but many times they’re also drawn to your lights as well. But, there are some things that you can do to cut down on the amount of bugs that visit you at night. There are forms of LED lights that you can use that actually won’t attract moths or other insects. On top of this, don’t be afraid to incorporate tiki torches and citronella candles into your outdoor deck lighting plans to help drive bugs away. Just make sure not to place them too close to where you might be eating your food – they can overpower you nose and ruin its taste!
#4: Highlight Structures
The main focus of most deck light fixtures is cast a soft, wide glow to create a certain ambiance that lets you enjoy using your deck. However, if you have special features on your deck, don’t be afraid to use highlighting on them like you would in other parts of your landscape. Any interesting pieces of architecture, statues, or plants can be highlighted at night with some lights. Just be careful when installing up lighting and more powerful types of lights that you don’t place them so they shine into anyone’s eyes.
#5: Make Sure Tables are Well-Lit
Certainly, the most used areas of your deck are going to be the tables where you’re sitting, and you should make sure that these are well lit with outdoor table lamps, small candles, or even an solar patio umbrella. Provide enough light that you can read by, but also make sure that you can easily turn off or dim the lights if they’re too bright and you just want to enjoy the night sky.
#6: Don’t Forget About Water Features
Finally, while this isn’t necessarily right on your deck, don’t forget to light any water features that you have as well. In addition to making them safer, lighting pools, ponds, and even bird baths can make some eye-catching effects. It can even be done easily. Look for floating solar lights
Lighting your deck is a great way to get better use out of your home. Follow these simple tips and deck lighting ideas and search for some great lights online and you’ll be on the way to having a one-of-a-kind deck in no time at all.
