Decorative Deck Lighting

Summer is here and it's time for relaxing out on the deck! However, it's no fun sitting on your deck in the dark. To completely enjoy your deck in the evening, you need some form of lighting. Fortunately there are many alternatives that fit most pocketbooks and for the most part, are easy projects.

The Tiki Lamp

The Tiki torch is a classic way to light your deck. They give a playful, tropical feel to the deck. A series of torches set up around the perimeter of the deck provide a nice warm glow, while not overpowering with too much light. As a bonus, you can fill the torches with citronella oil to keep the mosquitoes at bay. Tiki torches run the full gamut of prices and styles. tropicaltikis.com has an impressive selection of Tikis for as little as $24 for a set of four five foot torches. They also feature smaller Tiki lamps that can be set along a deck railing or on patio tables for accent lighting.

Paper Lanterns

If you have a somewhere to hang them over your deck, paper lanterns are another "exotic" option for lighting the deck. A few strings of lanterns over the top of the deck provide plenty of light, while like the Tiki, not overpowering the area. Even if you don't have a way to hang them over the top of the deck, they can still be strung along walls or railings for decorative light. They are available in a number of colors and styles. If you check out paperlanternstore.com you will find a great catalog of paper lamps and accessories. If you're worried about the durability of paper lamps, they are also available in nylon, which are far more suited to extended outdoor use.

Solar Lighting

If you don't want to waste oil or electricity, there is an eco-friendly solution for lighting your deck. Solar lamps are easy to install and maintain and best of all, use no power! Brinkmann (brinkmann.com) has a large selection of solar lights that would do very well for patio lighting. Most of their solar lamps are can be hung on shepherd's crooks. Simply place these lights around the perimeter of the deck and you've got a truly simple way to light the deck!

Glow Sticks

For a truly out of the ordinary way to light your deck, consider the glow stick. If you go to glowuniverse.com you will find foot long glow sticks that glow bright for around eight hours! They also sell ground stakes for mounting the sticks wherever you desire. If you have the ability, you can hang them over the deck like paper lanterns. They're a bit pricey in the long run, and a bit wasteful, but if you're looking to really make an impact, this might be the way to go!

There are plenty of other options out there. Candles are always nice, but unless you have them in hurricane lamps you're at the mercy of the wind. A few oil burning lanterns can be set around the deck, but as with any fire based light source you need to make sure they're out of reach of children and pets.