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Blah house? Dress it up with dormersLearn some guidelines and get familiar with the most common types.
6 covered entry optionsChoose one of these to add to your home and avoid getting wet.
Make a grand entrance for your homeTired of dodging rain? Then it might be time to build a covered entry.
Enliven your home’s exterior Here are 4 easy ways you can pull off this weekend project.
When is remodeling worth the money?Additions are out, and 4 replacements are likely the smartest choice.
Gutter cleaning and careProtect your home by keeping your gutters clean and in working order.
© Roger Foley
© Michael S. Thompson / Sunset Books
Photo courtesy of Lamps Plus
© Thomas J. Story / Sunset
© Roger Foley
© Peter O. Whiteley
© Mise au Point / C. Nichols/Sunset Books
FIND YOUR DREAM HOME OR APARTMENT
Choose the best patio lighting
Illuminate your deck or patio with lighting options that fit your space, needs and budget.
Where to begin
Good lighting makes a walkway easy to navigate after dark, provides safety and security and creates a welcoming ambience. Flexibility is the key.
Bright, standard-voltage lights, such as an under-eave porch light or a post light, add strong illumination to repel intruders or allow you to walk without tripping when carrying in the groceries. However, they are too glaring for entertaining. Low-voltage lights are mellower, and are bright enough for most evening activities.
For most patios, a combination of the two types of lighting is ideal. If you already have strong standard-voltage lighting, consider installing dimmer switches so that you can soften the effect when you want.
- Bing: How to install patio lighting
- On MyHomeIdeas.com: Fresh ideas for outdoor rooms
Choose the best patio lighting
Types of lights
Path lights like this one usually have shades that produce a wide, downward spread of light.
Lantern-type lights both illuminate paths and provide general lighting.
Spotlights or floodlights can be swiveled to point at a feature or an area of the yard.
"Brick lights" are shaped to resemble a patio paver and are actually installed in the soil, where they point diffused light upward.
Rope lights are strings of tiny, evenly spaced bulbs that can be hung from a tree like Christmas lights.
Deck lights can be fastened to a vertical structure such as an overhead or a trellis.
Choose the best patio lighting
Economical option
An inexpensive option for patio lighting will likely be a kit that contains 10 or so lights, a programmable transformer and all the cable and connectors you need.
If you want to install a variety of lights or if you don't like the lights that come in kits, you will need to purchase the components separately.
When choosing a transformer, check its specs or consult a salesperson to be sure that it is strong enough to supply power to all the lights you need.
- On MyHomeIdeas.com: Fresh ideas for outdoor rooms
Choose the best patio lighting
Lighting techniques
Position lights so that they will provide illumination without shining into people’s eyes. Often, this means placing low-voltage lights lower than 2 feet above the ground and standard-voltage lights higher than 7 feet.
You can also place lights behind a barrier or use fixtures that provide shielded or diffused light. Most yards benefit from a combination of two or three types.
Choose the best patio lighting
Downlighting
Use lights that point downward to gently light up a patio or walkway or to accent trees and shrubs.
- On MyHomeIdeas.com: Fresh ideas for outdoor rooms
Choose the best patio lighting
Spread lighting
Use short, downward-spreading lights not only to light up a path but to light up shrubbery or flowers. Try different colored bulbs for decorative effects.
Choose the best patio lighting
Silhouetting
To emphasize the shape of a tree, shrub or bed of flowers, try aiming a spotlight or floodlight at a fence or wall from close behind the plant.
For more on creating the perfect patio, purchase Sunset Complete Patio.
- On MyHomeIdeas.com: Fresh ideas for outdoor rooms
