Reprinted with permission from: Deck Design Upgrades
Designing a lighting scheme for your deck used to mean setting up a few bare globes around the deck posts, but these days deck lighting has become something of a fine art. With a little careful planning, you can create a deck lighting design which is both practical and beautiful.
Deck down lighting is the basic component of any deck lighting scheme, so it’s a good strategy to plan this first. You can buy all of the deck lighting fixtures and accessories you need online, which makes the whole job easy.
Deck down lighting tips.
Down lighting simply means lighting the space from above. This creates a natural lighting effect, similar to gentle moonlight at night. You can use down lighting for security and safety around your deck at night, or to create a beautiful, ambient outdoor space you can use for entertaining, or just to enjoy quiet evenings outdoors in the fresh air.
You can use spotlights or floodlight fixtures as down lights. Floodlights are most suitable if you want to bathe a broad area of the deck in light. Spotlights are very useful for highlighting level changes, stairs, and the front or back door. Deck spotlights are also a great idea if you have a particular object of interest around the deck you wish to draw attention to, like an ornament or a special potted plant. You can also install decorative lights on deck posts and balusters.
When you install your deck lighting system, it’s important that the down light fixtures themselves be hidden from view. You should also avoid placing a strong down light where it will shine directly onto a hard, shiny surface on the deck. This will tend to create an irritating and uncomfortable glare.