String Lights Make Great Patio Lighting For Just About Any Event

LED home lighting

When people think of string lights, they usually think of a tangled mess that you hang up at Christmas. You may be amazed to learn that string lights are great for year-round decorating and they can add a lot to your patio decor.

Compared to most low voltage garden lights, string lights typically require 110 household current. Hence your first concern is to make certain you have an outlet available. On most patios, the outlet is right next to the door, but they may also be placed on the railing. You want to design your setup so as not to have the power cord stretched across any area where people may walk. If that is not possible, the next best thing to do is to ask an electrician to install a couple of additional outlets in your outdoor space. Odds are that if you are decorating your outdoor areas, you will need the extra power for other lights and maybe even appliances or a TV.

When picking ornamental string lights, make sure they are rated for outdoor use. Some of them are not. Then, make certain that they are properly wired so that even if a bulb or two burns out, the string will still stay lit. Most are accompanied with a small fuse, if so an extra one is nice and some extra light bulbs as well.

When going for charm, plain white decorative Christmas lights have a lot of potential. They can be draped over railings, hanging around the underside of patio umbrellas, or simply strung up above the outdoor area to produce a star field effect. These will match any decor and, when done right, can look very classy.

Of course, decorative string lights come in a variety of styles, from the traditional clear light bulb look to novelty lights, for just about any occasion. Most of the novelty lights are simply standard white lights with some kind of plastic embellishment snapped around each light.

Most sets include information on the number of strings that can be connected when sharing an outlet. These are generally conservative approximations but don’t go too far over the allowed number of strings or it may trigger the breaker, or GFI to trip.

Adding decorative string lights to your patio lighting scheme can make a big difference, for a very small price tag!