Types of Patio Lighting for Cool Effects

Bored with your outside spaces? Why settle for a boring patio or a dull garden? With all the types of patio lighting available today, you can deck that deck out in no time! There was a time when a bare porch-light bulb or a light pole in the front yard were the best we could hope for. Today we can choose from fanciful string lights to lights designed to shine through the trees just like moonlight.

Solar patio lights have revolutionized outdoor lighting. These lights are available to private citizen and business owner alike. Anyone can install them without an electrician because there is no wiring involved. Solar lights don’t have to be hard-wired into the main power grid like standard outdoor lights. No wiring = No electricity. They can be placed anywhere on the property as long as they can get sunshine during the day. Solar lights tend to cost a bit more than standard lighting but, the benefits outweigh the cost.

Since everyone is” going green” these days, solar lighting has become extremely popular. There are very few small patio lights (string lights, outdoor lanterns, etc.) that don’t have a solar-powered version. Larger accent lights are still either hard-wired electric or low-voltage models.

Low-voltage lights are plugged into a standard outlet with a transformer attached to the wire between the outlet and the lights. The transformer regulates the voltage running to the lights making them safe for outdoor use, safer handling and energy efficient. LED low-voltage lighting is even more energy efficient because they last much longer than incandescent bulbs.

Effect lighting such as up-lights which shine up through tree branches, down-lights which shine from within branches, spotlights and security lights usually require hard-wire installation or access to outlets because brighter lighting is required for longer periods than solar lights can provide.

photo credit: VICTOR VIC