How to Finish Your Patio Design with Lighting

I sometimes use affiliate links in content. This doesn’t cost you anything but I may make a commission payment from anything you buy through these links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. All opinions remain my own.

Creating the right mood with lighting is surprisingly easy. Not only does lighting add beauty and the perfect mood for the occasion, but it also provides safety. Listed below are a few tips to making your patio have the ambience you desire with some of the different types of patio lights. 

Recessed lighting

Mounting small lights to your deck provides the light you need to your patio, and it saves space. These lights can even be walked on without you damaging the fixtures. Another pro to this type of lighting is that it’s weather safe, so you don’t have to worry about taking it down before bad weather approaches. 

This lighting is ideal for lighting up the perimeter of your patio and with provide you with enough safety when you’re walking around it. The recessed lights will also offer you the ambience you want and a beautiful glow to the outdoors. A downside is that installing recessed lighting can be expensive, but the result you get from these lights is well worth it. 

Post cap lights

These lights have larger fixtures and can attach to the deck, patio railings, or posts. The light projects light 360 degrees around the fixture, which makes it ideal for marking the entrance to the patio itself or the stairs of your patio. These lights provide safety and the glow they give off is beautiful. 

Low voltage lighting

Leaving your outdoor lighting on low voltage lighting is something that you should consider. It is easy to install yourself, energy efficient, and safe. Low voltage lighting can be used in post cap lights, lanterns, and even statues. 

Solar lighting

Since solar lighting doesn’t need wires to emit light, this option is energy efficient and easy to install. Just be sure that if you decide to purchase these lights, you leave them in a well-lit area so that they can recharge.

Solar lighting can be used in tabletop lanterns or pole lamps. With growing concerns about the environment, this type of lighting has become more and more popular for use on patios and decks, as the only energy required comes from the sun. 

Torches and lanterns

The easiest way to light up the space is by placing lanterns all around the area that you need lighting for.  These are ideal for backyard lights where you want to light more than just the patio and can even work as porch lights if you have an area beside the porch where they can stand.

Some of your choices include:

• Bamboo torches – These are inexpensive and easy to install.
• Gas and propane burning torches – Natural gas burning torches can be hooked up to your home’s natural gas line by a professional, while propane burning torches are designed to use conventional propane tanks. Propane and gas tanks are both made to be cleaner than oil torches, meaning there will be no smoke or residue. 
• Lanterns – This option is a beautiful and stylish way to add ambience to your patio. These can either be powered by electricity, oil, or kerosene. Oil and kerosene are relatively inexpensive and easy to take care of. Lanterns can either be mounted on the wall of your patio or pushed into the ground. You can also get solar powered versions
• Outdoor lamps – These lights are weather resistant, sturdy and safe to use outside. 

Outdoor Lighting Options for Your Patio

Lighting is important on a practical level when you design your patio. Without it, you wouldn’t be able to use your patio at night to your best advantage. Lighting that is waterproof may be the best way to go, as if it ever rains you won’t have to go out and remove it. Here is a list of options that you can think about when looking to buy some practical lighting for your patio. 

Fibre optic lighting

Fibre optic lights only use one power source. Because there is no electricity or heat conducted from LED lighting, the cables and light are safe to use for any weather conditions. Installing fibre optic lights can also be a fun DIY project. It can cost a little over $300 to install this lighting yourself.

Low voltage LED light fixtures

This lighting option runs on a 12-volt current instead of the normal 120-volt household current. This can make installation DIY friendly and will cost about $600 for eight fixtures and a 12-volt transformer. You can put these fixtures on the posts of your patio, which will offer your patio ambient lighting and will help you know where the railings are for added safety. 

Moveable lighting

An oversized waterproof floor lamp can provide enough light for your whole patio. A plastic shade, galvanized steel frame, and aluminium base makes this lamp waterproof. Six lead weights make this lamp sturdy so if ever caught in the wind, it won’t go anywhere.

This lamp does need to be plugged in, so you’ll need a waterproof outdoor outlet. It could cost you up to $14,000 to have someone install the waterproof outdoor outlet and for the lamp, but it will light up your entire patio. 

String lights

Outdoor string lights offer style and flexibility. They can go in any location and there’s no need to conceal the wiring. On top of that, they come in different shapes and sizes so that you can find the perfect ambient light that fits the theme of your patio. A 14-foot long string of these lights costs about $20, so it’s a relatively cheap option. 

Combination light and ceiling fan

The ceiling fan can offer you a cool breeze on a hot day and the lighting can light up the entire area. This is also a great option as the ceiling fan and lighting can go along with any theme. This option can cost you around $300. 

Motion-activated lighting

This is a great option if you have any stairs leading to your patio or other outdoor spaces. These lights are battery operated and are very easy to install, using either screws or double sided tape. A bright LED light can detect movement from eight feet away and will stay on for about 30 seconds. The battery life for this lighting option is about a year. Motion-activated lighting costs about $40 for a set of three lights. 

Getting the right patio lighting

It’s important that when looking at patio lighting, you know whether or not the lighting is safe for any weather or are proper outdoor lights. Safety is the number one consideration when you get lighting, but safety can be stylish too. With the options listed above, you can achieve both.