Make the most of your backyard day and night.
Places to Light Up
- The Deck or Patio
- The Pool
- Pathways and Steps
- Hot Tub
- The Dock
- Fire Pits
- The Shed
- The Treehouse
The Deck or Patio
It takes more than just one little light beside the back door to make your backyard inviting. Why limit yourself to the square footage inside your home? The backyard should be looked at as outside living space. A few simple additions can make all the difference. Turning an average patio into a spectacular veranda.
Utilizing several different types of lighting on your deck or patio allows you to create different lighting effects based on your needs. If you’re just relaxing, enjoying the summer breeze, turn on the string lights. If you are finishing up a game of badminton on the lawn, throw on the flood lights. If you’re having a large gathering, turn all the lights on. Functional and creative lighting design options will enhance and improve how you use your patio or deck.
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The Pool
Installing a pool is a big investment and something you want to be able to use at any time. If you are installing a new in ground pool don’t forget to include a lighting package. In the past pool lighting was strictly for visibility and safety, but now it’s used to set a tone that can reflect your personality. Gone are the the plain white incandescent lights. New LED lights can allow the homeowner to program a light show using multiple colors and effects.
Types of Pool Lighting
- Flush-Mounted or Surface-Mounted Underwater LED Pool Light
- Flush-Mounted or Surface-Mounted Underwater Halogen Pool Light
- Feature Lighting
- Pool Garden Lighting
- Halogen Flood Lighting
- LED Flood Lighting
- Submersible and Floating LED Lighting
Flush-Mounted or Surface-Mounted Underwater LED Pool Lights
LED lighting will save you approximately 75% on your energy usage when compared to incandescent lighting. They will cost more than a standard incandescent light but you will eventually recoup your money. According to the manufactures, LED bulbs can burn for 25 years or more
Image Ablepool.com
Flush-Mounted or Surface-Mounted Underwater Halogen Pool Lights
Halogen lights are no longer widely used when a new pool is installed, but many people still have them in older pools. Replacement of these bulbs is a bit expensive. The entire fixture is replaced plus mark-up and labor, so a typical halogen white light fixture will be about about $500 if you hire someone to change it. Which is recommended.
Feature Lighting and Garden Lighting
Features such as waterfalls and fountains or even a large planter, will enhance the overall visual appeal of the area. When you integrate the design with proper lighting you can create a bold visual poolscape or a tranquil oasis at the touch of a remote or the flick of a switch.
Image Bol.com
LED and Halogen Flood Lighting
Flood lights are great when you are having a party or just want to really light up the pool area. They can be overly bright so they are best when combined with other, more subtle lighting. They are comparatively inexpensive to install and easy to maintain.
Image HomeDepot.com
Submersible and Floating LED Lighting
As the name implies, theses lights float on the surface of the pool or are submerged in the water. They are a fun addition to the overall pool lighting. Whether you are looking to add whimsy by using floating Jellyfish or tranquility by using floating Lotus blossoms, there is a myriad of colorful options available.
Image Dhgate.com
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Pathways and Steps
You want to be able to safely walk through your yard at night, but pathways are often under lit or not lit at all. If you have gone to the trouble to install a pool or a fire pit you’ll want to have a beautiful path leading to it. When illuminated, be it a garden path or an access from the front to the rear yard, a lit pathway will beckon you. In addition to providing safety, pathway lights can prevent border plants from being trampled, provide ambient light for parties and add curb appeal if in the front of your home. These lights can easily be added to any backyard due to the wide variety of solar powered options on the market today.
Types of Path and Step Lighting
- Downlights
- Bollards
- Flush lights
- Step ligthts
Downlights
These lights are mounted on poles and the light source is focused downwards to provide a targeted light with little side glare
Image Kichler.com
Bollards
Bollards were originally used on ships and docks for mooring boats and later to block off roads. With the addition of a light they have now become popular for lighting both residential and commercial paths and walkways. They usually have a 360 degree light spread to cover both paths and landscaping.
Image Houzz.com
Flush Lights
As the name implies these lights are installed in the surface of a path, flush with the ground. The lights softly illuminate up and outwards, without the glare or intensity of a spot light. If you get the kind that go in the lawn you can mow right over them with no problem.
Image Kdusha.info
Step Lights
Lighting on the steps can be used to embellish architectural features as well as light walkways for safety. You can have them built in or attached to the surface of the steps.
Image Opensky.com
Hot Tub
Lighting around the hot tub is an absolute necessity for safety. The internal hot tub lights are great for setting the mood but to safely get in and out of the tub you must have exterior lights. You can create a secluded getaway for a romantic encounter or pump up the lighting for a lively gathering place. Many of the same lighting options for the pool are appropriate for the hot tub area as well.
The Dock
Lighting for a boat dock is important for two reasons. You want to be able to safely navigate the dock at night when walking to and from your boat, as well as being able to easily pick out your dock from a distance when you are returning at night from an evening boat ride. Bollard lights have a nautical history and are a perfect choice for any dock.
Lombardolandscaping.com
Fire Pits
Having a fire pit in the backyard is currently very fashionable. And why shouldn’t it be. They are a fun addition to any yard. It is however another place in the yard that usually doesn’t have enough lighting. You want to be able to see to build and douse your fire safely.
Consider hanging string lights around the pit or spacing torches around it. The lighting is subtle enough to not interfere with the fire. Another interesting idea is to place lanterns either on the ground or hung from poles surrounding the fire pit.
The Shed
If you use your shed for more than just a place to store your lawn mower and bicycles you should definitely add some lights to it. If you have a she-shed consider string lights or even Christmas icicle lights in addition to table lights. If it’s more like a work space, aside from the inside lights you will already have, you should place a light by the door. Both should have pathway lights as well.
Image Dwell.com
Treehouse
Kids do love a treehouse. But there are some inherent dangers to having one. Keep your kids safe by adding lights to the inside as well as the ladder and deck if any. Shine a flood light on it or place some uplights at the base. You can even wrap the tree trunk with rope lights.
Image homestratosphere.com
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