It is probably time to bring your landscape and deck to life by sprucing them up with deck lights.
Photo by Shayla Kirby on Unsplash
These outdoor lighting systems also highlight the home’s architecture while adding a layer of safety and comfort. With the vast collection of designs, styles, and functions available, a little guidance will go a long way in helping you settle for the best option. Here are a few tips to help you choose the best deck lighting for your outdoor space.
Decide On the Area of Use
Knowing where you plan to install the lights will determine the deck lighting types to buy. A few focus areas may include general garden lighting, whereby you illuminate everything, including flower beds, shrubs and trees, and ornamental installations.
You may also decide to illuminate your patios, decking, and steps with energy-efficient lighting options, like the low voltage LED deck lights. The good thing with such a lighting style is that it takes less to no space in the seating area and offers much-needed practical lighting and ambience.
The lighting options for pathways, driveways, and other access areas are also plenty. Such places require bright and efficient enough lighting to offer navigational assistance and added safety while enhancing the aesthetics. You may opt for bulkhead lights, Bollard lights, or on-ground spots.
Consider the Power Source
It is crucial to determine how you plan to power your deck lighting. Know if you need permanently-installed lighting options or plan to move the lights around. You may consider the Mains-powered outdoor lighting if you plan to install the lighting close to the house. On the other hand, solar-powered lighting would be a perfect choice if you need the most energy-efficient and cheapest option. A solar power source is best for low-maintenance garden lighting.
Battery-powered deck lighting might be the perfect fit if you need a highly portable power source to move the lights around. They come in different sizes, shapes, and designs to enable you to benefit from ambient lighting with a single flick of a switch. It is ideal for short-term use, like occasional decorative use.
Look for Your Preferred Deck Lighting Style and Design
Know the kind of look and feel you are interested in and narrow it down to a deck lighting style that matches that. If you are seeking to generate a sleek and contemporary outdoor aesthetic, go for a lighting style and design with a modern touch.
A blend of polished metals with quirky designs, bold lines, and sharp shapes will go a long way in adding a futuristic lighting design and a minimal look that contracts and spruces up your outdoor spaces. Alternatively, if you seek to generate a more classic style of outdoor décor, the traditional-style deck lighting might be what you need. Some of the deck lighting styles and designs to consider include:
Stair and Step Lights – You can mount the lights in the stair’s risers directly into the deck boards or along the deck perimeter to accent other outdoor features.
Landscape Lights – The landscape deck lights can give your yard a dynamic impression and arrangement. You can position these lights around the gardens, walkaways, and deck base.
Side Mount Lights – Add these lights to a railing with continuous top rail or as a perfect way to include subtle lighting. You may opt for a distinctive solar post or low voltage mount lights.
Post Cap Lights – You can use these cap lights to seal the top of your posts, add detail, and protect them from damaging debris.
Under Rail Lights – These lights help illuminate specific deck sections, such as outdoor cooking areas, cramped spaces, and the centers of long railing spans. Under rail lights are low profile in nature and highlight the deck at night without shifting the focus.
Under-tread Lights – The lighting systems are mounted beneath the deck steps. They consist of LED lights, and most of them have motion sensor options for added safety and convenience.
Keep in Mind the Lighting Function
An idea of what you expect your lights to do may guide you in selecting the ideal deck lighting for your outdoor space. Most common functional outdoor and backyard lighting options include security lighting, mainly controlled with PIR sensors and detecting movement to protect your property.
Floodlights are also for security purposes but cover larger areas. Most homeowners use wall-mounted floodlights for large yards, parking areas, and back gardens. On the other hand, Low-level deck lights are best suited for paths and driveways. They are often installed at regular intervals to offer practical and well-distributed lighting in most-needed areas.
You can also use lamp posts to illuminate your paths and driveways. They are not only functional but also highly versatile and decorative. When it comes to lighting your porches and patios, you may opt for year-round options, such as wall lights and sconces. The good thing is that you can power them with batteries, solar, and electricity.
Account for Decorative lighting
If you aim to enhance the aesthetics of your outdoor space and make it more appealing, it would be best to consider checking decorative lighting options. Among them are the party lights that incorporate festoon bulb lights and fairy lights to bring out a magical party-ready vibe.
You can also check the color-changing lights. They are decorative landscape lighting with changing LED splashes and lights which match your outside space. They come in various styles, including spotlights, uplighting, seating, and overhead lights to generate outstanding ambient lighting.
Another decorative lighting option to keep in mind is the tree and shrub lights illuminating trees and shrubs together with garden borders. You may find them in-ground or spike, and you can mount them beneath the ground to face upwards to light the foliage.
Assess the Light’s Energy Efficiency
As you strive to fix proper lighting around the exterior of your property, it would help if you go for the energy-efficient lighting options. Installing energy-efficient deck lighting in your outdoor space will help reduce energy use.
For instance, using energy-efficient LED deck lights lowers up to 75% of energy consumption, saving you some money on energy bills. Most of such light fixtures have motion sensors, dimmers, timers, and other controls that automatically turn your lights on, dim, and off to control energy usage. The reduced energy usage lowers the carbon emissions that can cause harm to the environment.
As you work to spruce up your outdoor space and boost its functionality and performance, it would be best to work with the best deck lighting systems. The suitable deck lighting options will not only accent your front yard and backyard features but also enhance safety for you and your family. Before making any purchase, consider all the information above and ensure the lighting fixture of choice meets your needs.