better homes and gardens 1 piece quickfit led deck light

Deck Lighting

Install deck lights to create a safe and stylish structure that functions beautifully from dusk to dawn. Our deck lighting ideas are guaranteed to brighten any outdoor area.

Thoughtfully chosen and properly placed deck lights provide bright spots in the landscape while performing a number of tasks that make outdoor living truly great. Recessed into stair treads and risers, crowning posts, defining access points, and positioned on rails, deck lighting guides folks safely up steps, signal elevation changes, define perimeters, illuminate entertaining areas, and wash neighboring plantings in soft light. Happily, deck lights are affordable, readily available, and easily installed, but their selection requires thoughtful planning. Here's what you need to know to when buying and installing deck lights.

Make a Lighting Plan

Deck Lighting

Sold as sets or as individual components, there's a deck light for every section of a deck. The lights fall into two categories: low-voltage and solar power.

Low-voltage (12-v) lights equipped with LED or incandescent bulbs are powered by a transformer plugged into an electric outlet. You will need to router channels in stair posts and rails' undersides to accommodate the connecting wires of LED deck lighting. Do a little online research to get a feel for which lights fit your budget and devise a lighting plan. Light sizes vary so make sure you measure your deck's post caps, rails, steps, and risers and keep the measurements handy when planning and shopping. Draw a scale sketch of your deck complete with steps, rails, and posts; mark the location of the electrical outlet you will use and where you want to place lights. Draw a line between the lights to determine how the wires will run. Add up the wattage of the marked lights to make sure you choose a transformer with enough power to operate the lighting system.

Solar lights are equipped with batteries and cells powered by the sun. Needing no electricity or wiring, they are eco-friendly options that can oftentimes be installed with just heavy-duty adhesive or screws. Since they radiate light rather than brightly shine, they make good accent lights, but, like low-voltage versions, are offered as stair, post cap, and rail fixtures.

Shine a Style-Apt Light

Small outdoor deck

Take time to peruse the wide array of deck light styles and select the one that best reflects your decorating preferences and your home's architectural style. Referencing classic, transitional, and modern designs, deck lights are available in a range of materials and finishes, including white and black plastic, aluminum, copper, black iron, bronze, stainless and brushed steel, painted, and wood. If you like an understated look, choose lights with matte or weathered patinas, flat-to-low profiles, and streamlined silhouettes. Partial to high-impact lights? Opt for sculptural post-cap lanterns, ball-shape rail lights, or fixtures with colorful or stained glass globes.

Deck lighting goes a long way when it comes to creating cozy alfresco quarters, but you'll need to layer in other light sources to optimize a deck's after-dark usage. Install spotlights along your roof line and point them at grilling stations, buffet serving areas, and adjacent patios. Plug in outdoor standing and table lamps to illuminate seating and work areas. Install deck step lights and deck post lights to showcase walkways. Utilize roofs or pergolas to support flush-mount ceiling fixtures, pendant lights, crystal-draped chandeliers, or colorful paper lanterns. Wrap white light strings or rope lights around deck railings for scintillating shimmer. Deck rail lights and deck stair lighting also increase safety. Highlight its form with rail-set down lights, ground-level spotlights, and twinkling recessed deck lighting.

Pay attention to details, put a thoughtful plan into play, and you'll soon be enjoying a deck that shines a bright (and properly positioned) light at every level.

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