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How To Transform Your Life And Your Yard

Your gazebo is so much more than a structure in your garden. It's a vacation destination -- especially in summer when the days are long and the nights are warm.

How do you use your gazebo? Relaxing after work, playing catch-up with family, wining and dining friends?

Make the most of your gazebo lifestyle. Choose gazebo lights that enhance all of your outdoor activities.  Gazebo lights should serve several needs.

Lighting for safety lets you to walk around after dark without tripping over that fabulous chair with the overstuffed pillows.

You'll see that the burgers on the grill are ready with task lighting.

Security lighting breaks up the inky blackness in the distance.

And accent lighting helps you with safety, task, and security lighting!

Let's start by dividing gazebo lights into 3 purposes:

• General
• Task
• Accent

General Gazebo Lights

 

General lighting is your responsible, low-voltage gazebo lights option.

Gazebo paths and stairs are both high traffic areas.

Generally speaking, use low-voltage, general-purpose gazebo lights to highlight your gazebo pathways.

Low-voltage lights are safe, inexpensive, easy to install, and consume less energy, so you can count on saving money.

And low-voltage light manufacturers comply with government guidelines ensuring these fixtures don't contribute to "dark sky" pollution.

These lights are so safe and easy to install, you'll save tons of money and have lots of fun by using do-it-yourself lighting kits.

Cheap, poor quality hardware and inferior installation makes for a gazebo lighting disaster.

So make your yard shine with high quality fixtures and careful installation! Your low-voltage system will look fabulous, perform reliably, and be easy to change if your needs change.

Low-voltage lights use transformers to reduce the 120 volts normally found in wall outlets to a safer 12 volts. Hence the term low-voltage! How easy is that? 

With only 12 volts, the cables can be covered with just a few inches of soil, mulch, or ground cover instead of being buried way underground. That's why they're so easy to move around.

But if there is a possibility of an edger or lawn mower damaging the cables, just bury them about 6 inches deep. They'll still be easy to move.

We might plug a power strip into a wall socket and have any number of things plugged into the power strip.

Low-voltage circuits are different.

The power-reducing transformer restricts the electrical output. So you can't power lots and lots of lights with only one low-voltage circuit.

More than 100 feet between a fixture and a transformer creates line loss. That's a reduction in power caused by resistance in the wire. And line loss limits the amount of power that can reach a distant fixture. Which in turn causes that fixture to cast a dim light. 

Overcoming this power limitation is uber easy!

Just use a quality transformer that outputs a little more than 12 volts -- like one that outputs 13, 14, or 15 volts.

That way, the entire circuit gets just above 12 volts. And by the time the power reaches the farthest gazebo lights fixture, there's still more than 11 volts in the line to power it.

Task Gazebo Lights

You'll need task lighting for close work like at the wet bar, reading, crafting, or making snacks.

Use small table lamps in your gazebo to read by, work on craft projects or crossword puzzles, and to play board games while listening to music late into the night.

Get recessed fixtures that use compact halogen bulbs for cook station lighting.

Accent Gazebo Lights

Accent lights won't give you good overall illumination -- but that's okay.

In exchange, you get versatility, drama and ambiance!

Instead of flooding your outdoor space with simulated sunlight, accent lights integrate easily with posts, railings, stair risers, and other gazebo elements to create a magical after dark atmosphere.

Set the mood for conversation and alfresco dining with candles and soft lights.

Or hide accent lighting fixtures in the foliage, and get your up lighting and back lighting noticed.

Take advantage of the sheer variety of accent lights available, and you'll create a night scape that illuminates edges, highlights areas and elevations, and defines pathways and destinations. 

Recessed lights are a good example of an accent light. They're also the easiest to conceal during daylight hours. And they're perfect for accenting gazebo stairs without looking overdone.

They use either LED or incandescent bulbs. And both bulb types will give you a different effect.

The best recessed accent lights have round backs regardless of how the fixture looks from the viewing side. That's because the cutout is made with a round drill bit. And a round back fixture fits neatly in the round cutout.

Holes for fixtures with rectangular or square backs are more difficult to make and to conceal. You need a reciprocating saw or jigsaw to make the hole. And the smallest imperfection in the cutout could make your installation look crooked.

Lighting stairs is one way recessed accents lights are used. But lighting stairs is tricky business so be very careful. Poorly lit stairs can be more dangerous than stairs with no lighting at all!

EasyOutdoorDecor Tip...Light colored stairs or stairs with risers and treads with contrasting colors don't need as much light as dark stairs. And if you install fixtures on both sides of the staircase, make sure the light beams overlap -- avoid shadows.

Too much light can blind someone trying to climb the gazebo stairs. And too little light or light misdirected can create shadows causing unsure footing.

Avoid being distracted by the light when going up the stairs by choosing shaded or louvered fixtures. These fixtures direct the light down instead of straight out.

And if you mount a fixture on stair stringers or near the bottom of railings, think about the position of the light in relation to the stair treads. If you have enough space, position the fixture higher. It will cast light over a wider area.

Solar Gazebo Lights

Go green and skip the power bills too with solar lighting!

This lighting option is not only economical, it's also a good alternative if your gazebo isn't near a power source.

Solar lighting cells charge a battery during the day when the sun's shining. The lights turn on automatically using the stored power when it gets dark.

You can get about 8-10 hours of night light if your solar gazebo lights get a good amount of direct sunlight during the day.

Get The Gazebo Lights Fixture That's Right For You!

Look for lighting fixtures that coordinate with your house or gazebo's style.

Create traditional looks with brass, copper and wrought iron.

Go modern with stainless steal, nickel and chrome.

Satin and antique finishes are the most popular, but polished finishes are just as easy to find.

The most durable fixtures are marine-grade alloy aluminum, die-cast brass, and solid copper.

Most standard applications use cast-aluminum.

Gazebo Lights Safety

UL listings are safety ratings for electrical devices.

"Damp Location" UL rated fixtures can be used safely in high humidity areas. Don't let these fixtures come into direct contact with rain.

Fixtures that have a "Wet Location" UL rating can be operated safely in the rain. But these can't be submerged in water.

Light Bulbs

Incandescent, LED, or CFL gazebo lights?

Incandescent bulbs and LED's dominate the world of exterior accent lighting.

Incandescent is economical, the technology is established, and they are available in any shape, size or wattage. They cast a soft and warm light. But their lifespan is relatively short -- relatively.

LED's last the longest. But they cost more, too. We're paying for the housing and the circuitry -- not just the bulb. But LED's don't just all of a sudden burn out. They fade out over time.

Using Energy-efficient, Compact Fluorescent Lights (CFL's) makes good sense. They're cheaper to run and they last longer than incandescent.  And CFL's with a porcelain base make quick work of replacing bulbs.

Light Switches

 

Connect your gazebo lights to solar timers. They'll automatically turn on the lights as day turns to night.

Check out gazebos that have columns supported on a good size pedestal base if you want conveniently located outdoor light switches and electrical outlets.

Install a light switch in the house that controls your outdoor lighting without you actually having to go outdoors.

Lighting Techniques

Light your outdoor room like a pro by creating patches of light and shadow instead of overall illumination.

Go for maximum visual impact by playing mix and match with fixtures that produce different light intensities, patterns and angles.

Play with shadow and light by highlighting the shapes of your gazebo, trees, and bushes with up lighting and back lighting.

Use broad and narrow casting spotlights to call attention to your water feature or your favorite garden ornaments like a bird bath or garden fountain .

Gazebo Lighting Decorating Ideas

Just because lights are practical, doesn't mean they can't be beautiful, too.

Brightly colored paper lanterns with graphic prints are fabulous in a gazebo. These lanterns are either battery-powered or the come with wire kits. And they look great -- lit or not.

Accessorize your gazebo's roof, floor and eaves with stay-cool, long lasting, flexible LED strand lights.

Hang Moravian stars from your gazebos ceiling to create your own celestial lighting.

Or suspend oriental candle lanterns from the roof stiles.

Create a special mood with candles and oil lamps -- but be careful!

Make your water feature sparkle! Train lights on it from the pond's edge.

Quick, Crafty MIY Gazebo Lighting Projects

Re-purpose canning or juice jars. Fill them half way up with tumbled glass pieces and tuck a tea light in the center. Use these to cast light on your gazebo dinner table, or as fun pathway lighting.

Use flowerpots as gazebo lighting. Find small pots in fun shapes. Secure a light inside the pot, and route the wiring through the drain hole in the bottom.

Make custom shades for inexpensive outdoor fixtures. Get galvanized roof flashing from your local home center and cut it to size with tin snips. Leave enough flashing to cover the fixture and to also wrap 1/2 inch around back on each side. On poster board, draw a pretty pattern with a dotted line. Cover the flashing with your pattern. Use scissors, a screwdriver, or a woodworking awl to punch your pattern through the poster board and the flashing. Secure the flashing to the fixture.

Put natural soy candles and play sand in the bottom of hurricane jars, vases or candle keepers. Use them to define the garden path, or as a table accent.

Go for chic gazebo lights and set colorful tea lights in lots of Oriental dipping saucers. Then arrange them on a lacquered sushi serving tray.

Trees need jewelry, too. Dress low hanging branches with lots of colored glass votive holders. Hang them in your trees with hardly-visible fishing line and watch them twinkle like stars.