The Low Down on Solar and LED Deck Lights
An outdoor deck may be the most desirable spot in your home; for reading, relaxing, dinner guests in the summer time, or full out parties. For this reason, your deck lighting system has to accommodate a variety of situations. There are plenty of styles for outdoor deck lights. String lights, post lights, spot lights, recession lights, freestanding lamps. You’ll need to think about the function you want your lights to perform and the atmosphere you’d like them to create. Before this, however, comes the decision: what form of electricity are you going to use?
In most situations, your desired effect will require only low voltage deck lighting. As such, solar deck lights and LED deck lights are often the decking lights of choice.
credit: Justin Kearns
A Light-emitting diode is an electronic light source. An LED light used for a deck light has advantages over typical light sources: lower energy consumption and longer lifetime. While LEDs are currently more expensive than solar lights, their low energy consumption and longer lifetime can make it well worth the price down the line. When LEDs eventually die, they do so gradually. The light dims over time instead of a sudden bulb blackout. Additionally, LEDs are safe around kids; they don’t emit heat like a normal light would. LED decking lights also come in a wide variety of colors and give off high quality light; perfect for creating a happening lighting scheme.
Solar decking lights are even more energy efficient than LEDs, and while batteries may need to be changed, their energy source, the sun, is renewable and cannot be depleted. Additional installation of a solar deck light is expensive, but since the main cost is only initial, they turn out less expensive than LEDs. An important point to remember is that if your deck doesn’t receive a large amount of continued sunlight, solar lighting may not be possible.
Solar deck lighting is not as bright as LED lighting. LEDs give off a bright light of superior quality great for outdoors and large spaces. Solar lights are fainter and often have a blue tint. It is possible to use both solar and LED lighting as fit for the different places around your deck; recessed lights can be dimmer than overhead spotlights, for example. There are varieties of solar LED lights around today as well. Based on your needs and budgeting, you should be able to find the right lighting system for that beloved outdoor space.
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