How To Light Up Your Deck?

With deck lighting, you can create a beautiful deck or porch, to sit relaxed and enjoy around the clock. You can get a number of different styles of design and lighting options to choose from, and since almost all deck lighting is low voltage, you can rest easy knowing your new lights won't drastically affect your energy bill.  While designing a good deck lighting scheme, you can keep in mind the following practical tips:

• Think safety first. Besides, its appearance, the low voltage lighting scheme should be safe and secure around the deck at night. Use spotlights to highlight stairways, steps, doorways and the deck perimeter. Use recessed deck lights to define deck and stair boundaries and highlight potential hazards.
• Avoid glare. Always try to avoid glare. A light shining in eyes can be uncomfortable when you are sitting on a nice deck. Never keep a strong light source where it would directly reflect off a hard surface, such as the surface of the deck or a wall. Use indirect lighting, creating a gentle; even wash of light over all parts of the deck.
• Test lighting. Use flash light or battery operated lantern, to test the lighting on stairs and decks. A flashlight is directional and will allow you to see the shadows created by a direct beam of light. A lantern illuminates 360 degrees, much like a post cap light. Mark the best locations with sticky notes and try different configurations. Record the best configuration on your paper plan.
• Stairs. You must always add a light to every other post so that the lights alternate on either side of the stair, in case you are using the post mounted lights. These downward directed light sources create pools of light. If you are using in-deck lights, then you must install it in every stair, so as to create a pinpoint light effect that does not illuminate.
• Installation. You must always test the light fixtures before installation. Pre-drill the posts and connect the wiring on the underside of the deck, so as to avoid unsightly cables on post mounted lights. Consider mounting the lights 16" to 24" above the deck.