Solar Lighting for a Deck or Patio
There are millions of homes with an attached deck or
patio, and many of them have a single, wall-mounted lighting fixture that
illuminates the space after dark. This is often an unappealing sort of
“spot” light that most people would rather avoid. The most common answer
when using the area after sunset is to use candles, tiki torches or other
temporary lighting sources, but of course these can be costly, time
consuming and even dangerous. They also don’t provide any real or durable
illumination.
Is there any kind of solution? Usually, anyone hoping to
illuminate their deck or patio will first investigate their “hard wired”
options. Often this leads to frustration because there are only a limited
range of exterior lighting solutions that can be used around a deck or patio
area without the need for a lot of electrical work. With solar lighting
fixtures however, the range of fixtures and ease of installation make it an
irresistible choice.
Today’s exterior solar lighting fixtures features pole,
wall and hook-mounted options which come equipped with motion and light
sensors that allow them to operate both efficiently and effectively. For
example, a solar deck lighting configuration would be able to serve as
recreational illumination as well as security thanks to motion sensors,
solar
spot lights and floodlights that can be aimed or used
how and wherever necessary.
Let’s look at a “standard” deck and see how solar lighting
fixtures could be used in a far superior way than standard electrical units.
First the entrance to the deck from the home could be outfitted with a
decorative accent fixture mounted to the wall above the doorway; this would
turn on automatically at dusk and run until sunrise or it could be outfitted
with an easy to use timer. The railing of the deck could have decorative
fixtures mounted at fixed locations or it could have solar lamp posts set at
the corners. A few solar floodlights could be placed around the yard to
accent ornamental trees, light darkened areas for security purposes and
ensure that the pathways were very clear. Finally, any gates or entrance
areas for the deck or patio could also be outfitted with motion sensor
lights that illuminated the gate upon the approach of a visitor or owner,
but which could be programmed to turn off within a few minutes of being
triggered.
Clearly, there are dozens of
solar lighting options to
utilize in a deck or patio lighting configuration, and while many would
say the same fixtures are available in standard “hard wired”
arrangements, the fact of the matter is that the homeowner could easily
install the solar fixtures without the added expense of a professional
electrician and without the monthly electricity bills.
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