Outdoor deck lighting

[Dave Lehnert]

New deck built last summer. Looking to add some LED deck lighting.
What did you use? What to stay away from. ? Any install tips?
Love to see photo's if you have any handy.

[Jim Koepke]

How about something like this> https://www.costco.com/feit-electric...100405061.html

LED String Lights.png

We installed a set of the same thing with 11 watt incandescent lamps a few years ago and they are still going strong.

Before that we would purchase strings of Christmas lights when they were on sale. They worked pretty well, but they would need replacement every couple of years.

jtk

[Dave Lehnert]

How about something like this> https://www.costco.com/feit-electric...100405061.html

LED String Lights.png

We installed a set of the same thing with 11 watt incandescent lamps a few years ago and they are still going strong.

Before that we would purchase strings of Christmas lights when they were on sale. They worked pretty well, but they would need replacement every couple of years.

jtk

I have looked at them. Good option.
I was thinking more of a permanent set up. Maybe a low volt system????

[Kev Williams]

YES, but -- We strung a bunch of those up in the back yard about 4 years ago, and the wife would leave them on all night, 72 lights worth, nearly 800 watts! It DID affect the light bill! But that much on-time also burns the bulbs out quicker. So what I did after the second bunch of replacement bulbs started dying, bought colored, dimmable, LED bulb replacements, and a remote controller- I believe these lights are less than 1 watt each, so they're on 24-7 now for the most part- and not a single bulb has failed yet about a 18 month's later! (I have broken a few however )

I took these pics, in order: 100% bright, 50%, 25%, and 'lowest':
100.jpg50.jpg25.jpglow.jpg
-- the remote has buttons for 100, 75, 50 and 25%, and also a + and - button for variable dimming, which is how I got less than 25%...

We love 'em

[Darcy Warner]

When I was building tropical hardwood decks, I got all my lighting from decks direct.

Everyone picked post lights, remote dimmers, all stairs had lights.

[Perry Hilbert Jr]

Not sure how shaded or well lit your deck is. That said, the newer solar path lights and deck lights are brighter and longer lasting. We have a wrap around porch with railing and mrs has fower pots that fit over the railings between each set of uprights. I found some Cylinder shaped glass lense solar path lights marked down at the end of the season to $2.00, they are rated at 5 lumens. So I stuck two in each flower box. They get sun about 3/4 of the day. They are still bright and shine all night long, even in winter. I was shopping at the box store last week and noticed solar lights now up to 10 lumens. I am happy with what we have. I don't want bright lights on when I am on the porch at night. It is plenty bright for sitting and having a conversation with beer, etc. Does not attract many bugs, etc. In late sring through mid fall, I often sit out on the porch and watch tv on my tablet. For the times I want to sit and carve on the porch at night, I have a $5.00 110 volt light from Wally world that throws 50 lumens. For out on the picnic table, I turned a wooden light house about a foot tall, all except the glass part on the top. I drilled a hole in the center of the top and put a solar charged light(-minus the cheap plastic pole) onto the top of the light house. That sits on the picnic table which gets sun all day. Then last summer, I saw at a dive Tiki bar at a resort, they had the place lit with over head strings of lights, but also had simple wood blocks with holes drilled in them and cheap $1 solar lights from the dollar store. stuck into the chucks of wood. It fit the decor perfectly, (old cable spools as tables,)

[Bill Dufour]

Dark Sky lights will put more light down where it is useful.
Bill D

[Rod Sheridan]

I'm in the process of installing 12 volt LED lights.

I use a 2 watt LED lamp and make my fixtures.

This is the lamp I use.

https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B06XHGBXMB/...ding=UTF8&th=1

Regards, Rod.