Summer is about spending time on your deck or your porch. Whether you enjoy hosting BBQs and Fourth of July parties for all of your friends and family, or you prefer to spend some quiet time alone on your deck, there is no wrong way to enjoy your home’s deck. A deck is an investment, so you want to enjoy it fully. But, oftentimes you have to head inside too early because of the lack of sunlight, and sometimes you can’t sit out on the deck during the midday because of intense summer heat. That’s where deck lighting comes in. Some of the best times to be on your deck are right after sunset as the day becomes cooler and you can enjoy stargazing or eating delicious dessert. With deck lighting, you can spend more hours of your summer enjoying the wonderful outdoors. Consider these deck lighting installation ideas.

Rail Lighting for Your Deck

Deck rail lighting is a great way to provide lighting to your deck that also provides a nice aesthetic look. Installing small bulbs under your railing that point towards the deck can create beautiful lighting that doesn’t distract too much. Alternatively, if you want to feature your lights, wrapping lights around the railing of your deck is also a popular design choice.

Step Lighting For Your Deck

Adding lights to your deck steps is a smart project. Being able to see the steps at night can increase safety and prevent tripping or falling. Many homeowners install lights on the sides of the steps to illuminate each step or every other step. If you want to enjoy stargazing, having lights that point downward and that are at stair height can prevent light leaking and obscuring your vision of the stars.

Hanging Lighting For Your Deck

Another common lighting design is to hang lights above the doorway or to install standing lights by the corner posts of your deck. This generally gives you the most light on your deck, however, if you did want to stargaze, it will also make drown out starlight. Some homeowners opt for deck post lights where the light is installed into the deck post itself. There are a variety of styles and materials to chose from, so you can theme your lighting around the deck furniture you plan to use.

Recessed Deck Lighting

If you own a covered deck/porch or there is an overhang above your deck, you may choose to use recessed lighting. Recessed lighting is installed in the overhang or the cover for your deck and works similarly to indoor lighting. This option is less common as many decks do not have the needed overhang to install recessed lighting, but it is very popular with covered porches.

Electrical Services for Decks in Massachusetts

Cardoso Electrical Services provides outdoor electrical work including installing outlets and lighting. If you need decking electrical work done this summer, call our team or send us a contact form for a free quote.