Having a deck means you have a great place to sit outdoors and enjoy the evening air. Maybe you also entertain a lot, in which case the deck keeps traffic inside to a minimum. There’s just one problem. If you are going to enjoy the deck all year long, you’re going to need lighting, and there are so many different ways to do that.
Solar Lighting
Solar lighting incorporates lighting products that collect the sun’s energy all day and then light up the night. There are so many different styles of lights and garden accessories that do this already. Adding this type of lighting to the deck is not only simple and easy to do, but also eco-friendly.
Rope Lighting
Rope lighting constitutes any sort of lights on a string. If you can plug the lights into a nearby outlet, this might be a good option. You can swap it out for different holidays to change the look and the mood of your deck too.
Recessed Lighting
Recessed deck lighting is installed from the underside of the deck. It requires the skills of either a general contractor or an electrician. Areas around the outer edge of the deck are carved out of the planks to create inset sites for the lights. The lights are set into the insets and the wiring is tied into either your home’s electrical system or into its own subpanel.
Reflective Lighting
The use of highly reflective panels installed on key areas of the deck along with low power lights creates high power lighting through reflection. Think mirror held up to a small flashlight in the dark, and you’ve got it. The benefit to this type of deck lighting design is that it is low cost and low energy consumption with a lot of powerful light.
Post Cap Lighting
Post cap lights sit on top of the posts that frame the edge of a deck, if applicable. They may be solar, battery powered, or hardwired into your electrical system. With a light cap on each post, there’s more than adequate light on your deck.