Decking is often used to create an inviting garden space for homeowners and guests to relax, chat and bask in the summer sun.
In this guide, our lighting experts at The Solar Centre discuss ways to use solar decking lights to bring your decking area to life.
Why is Decking Lighting Important?
Atmospheric decking lighting improves both the safety and style of your outdoor space. There are two main reasons to use decking lighting:
- Functional Decking Lighting: Decking lights are important for safety, improving visibility for walkways, stairs or around decorations and furniture at night.
- Decorative Decking Lighting: While safety is important, decking lighting can also influence the atmosphere of your outdoor space to create a distinct mood. From elegant lanterns to our LED fixtures, create the environment you want.
Under Decking Lighting
Adding under decking lighting to your outdoor space can create a serene glow from beneath your decking to provide both clear visibility and a warm ambience to your garden.
For under-deck lighting, we recommend our solar square decking light, with a beautiful, resistant stainless steel design, and year-round reliability no matter the weather.
Hanging Lights
By adding hanging lights to the overhead area above your decking, you can create soft down lighting that turns your outdoor space into a cosy social hub perfect for holding parties and gatherings.
For hanging lights over your decking, we suggest our Camden USB Solar Cluster Fairy Lights to help provide visibility and peace of mind, while creating a warm ambience for your guests.
Path Lights
Solar path lights can be placed along pathways and around obstacles to improve visibility and make sure guests remain safe. We recommend you place these lights at regular intervals to create a seamless, well-lit walkway.
For path lights, we suggest using our Dartmouth Solar Decking Lights to create a soft, white glow to your walkway, providing increased visibility while remaining soft on the eyes.
Post Lights
Solar post lights can be used on the edges of decking to prevent slips, trips and falls while highlighting the perimeter, especially for decking leading to steep drops. These post lights are essential for keeping guests safe while blending seamlessly into the environment.
At Solar Centre, we offer the Peake Pro Solar Post Cap Lights as the perfect option for post lighting at the edges of your decking, keeping the party flowing.
Solar Lamp Lights
Whether it’s a table centrepiece or an outdoor lounge area, create a space where you and your guests can gather, relax and create meaningful conversation. Solar lamp lights provide a soft, warm glow essential for illuminating table surfaces.
For outdoor table lighting, we suggest the Solar Traditional Gas Lantern. It provides an old-world, rustic feel that blends seamlessly into any vintage-style decking area. These lamps come in a set of two, making them perfect for longer or wider tables.
Additional Considerations When Setting Up Solar Decking Lights
When setting up solar decking lights, there are some important considerations when thinking about safety and atmosphere. These include:
- Environmental Hazards: It’s worth considering any additional environmental hazards, like decking furniture, or potentially hazardous objects on table surfaces are well lit to protect those using your outdoor space.
- Decking Boundaries: Lights should be placed on decking boundaries at equal intervals to highlight where your decking ends to prevent slips, trips and falls.
- Safe Walkways: It’s important to place solar decking lights along clear walkways to give guests a safe way to navigate your decking space.
- Sunlight Access: It’s important to place the solar panels of your lights in a part of the garden that gets a large amount of sunlight to make sure that your lights continue to work year-round.
Solar Decking Lighting with The Solar Centre
If you’re feeling inspired by our range of lighting ideas, then browse our range of solar lighting options to find the right lighting fixtures and create the perfect ambience for your decking area.
Our offers range from post lights, hanging lights and strip lights. All available with completely solar LED options.
Related Guides
See our list of related guides below to help you find the perfect lighting ideas for your garden:
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q: Do Solar Lights Charge on Cloudy Days?
A: It’s possible for solar lights to recharge on cloudy days, although the amount of charge they gain is reduced when compared to a sunny day. For the best charging performance, it’s important to position your solar light panels in an area of your garden that receives the most light.
Q: Do Solar Lights Charge When Turned Off?
A: It’s possible for solar lights to charge when turned off. Solar panels collect sunlight and convert it into energy, which is then stored in the battery. If a battery is fully drained or damaged, the lights may not function properly.
Q: Do Solar Lights Work in Winter?
A: Solar lights can work in winter, but performance may be affected by shorter days and a lack of direct sunlight, and snow or ice on panels may affect charging. Place solar lights in areas that receive direct sunlight to improve charging efficiency.