You have no items in your shopping cart.
Make a Lighting Plan
Sketch it out.
Start by sketching out a deck plan. It doesn’t have to be perfect, but simply visualizing the layout of your deck and lighting objectives will go a long way towards achieving the results you want.
Once you have the deck outlined, mark significant features in their approximate locations, especially if these are fixed items. These may include benches and other seating, tables, large planters, and outdoor fireplaces or grills. You may also want to light steps leading to the yard or inside to the home.
Think utility.
What areas of the deck do you want to light for safety or functionality? This may include stair treads, areas used for grilling, or other high traffic spots. A combination of rail lighting, recessed stair lighting and post caps can cast the right amount of light without interrupting the relaxed atmosphere—or even the moonlight—you enjoy on your deck. As you consider these locations, pencil them in on the deck plan.
Think ambience.
This is where the fun starts. Do you want low accent solar lights to soften the deck environment and perhaps add romance? Bright splashes of luminance to highlight details and architectural features? Pencil these locations onto your deck plan.
Choose your lights.
Choose your light fixture types and finalize the locations. As you consider all your options, don’t neglect your deck material and balusters. You’ll want the style, color and luminance of your lights to complement the existing features, as well as your personal style. When you’ve finalized your light choices and locations, mark these in pen on the deck plan.
The possibilities are endless, and if you need a little extra help mulling over them, don’t hesitate to call DecksDirect.com at 1-888-824-5316 for assistance!
Measure before you order!
When ordering post caps, the best way to make sure you obtain the correct light size is to measure the actual size of your deck posts. Post sizes may vary and standard 4x4 posts are not actually 4 inches by 4 inches, but measure 3-1/2 x 3-1/2. The sizes listed on DecksDirect.com are the size of the opening at the base of the light.
a full .pdf version of this lighting guide (4.50 MB) 
