Plastic Recessed Deck Lighting

Landscape Lighting

• Decks and patios are typically used more through the summer months than at any other time of the year. High daytime temperatures can mean the outdoors are better enjoyed at night, and lighting then becomes a factor. Slips on poorly lit steps and staircases can lead to serious injury, but bright floodlights are hardly conducive to a mellow and relaxing experience. Good landscape lighting can make a deck safe and enjoyable without ruining the mood. Post or railing lights, or rope lights strung between posts, are an effective way of delineating the safe limits of the deck if it is raised above the surrounding area, or if it has a water feature.

Recessed Lighting

• Recessed lighting has a specific purpose; it is used when light fixtures are required to be flush with the surface to which they are mounted. The most common use for recessed lighting is in the uprights of staircases, properly called the risers, where they shed illumination on the vertical parts -- the steps -- without being vulnerable to accidental kicking. Recessed step lights are typically fitted with downward-facing grilles, so the light pools where the foot lands but is shielded from shining into the user’s eyes.

Plastic Exterior Lighting

• Plastic is a common material for the manufacture of exterior lighting fixtures of all sorts. Chromed metal, stainless steel and aluminum all resist outdoor conditions well, as do brass and copper when they have a protective coating applied at the factory. Plastic lights are typically the most cost-effective; although they will not rust, they do not project light as well as those made from metal, and they are prone to damage after a season or two in the sun has made them brittle.

Solar-Powered Deck Lighting

• A refinement is the use of solar-powered deck lighting. Not only does a solar installation give all the benefits of traditional, mains-powered lighting, it does so without additional cost once installation is complete. Recessed lighting is one of the three most popular candidates for solar powering, along with post lights and cap lights, according to the experts at CleanEnergies.org. During the day, solar panels collect energy which is stored in discrete batteries; at dusk, light sensors switch on the lighting. In the past such installations tended to fail after a few hours, but with the advent of low-drain LEDs the lights typically stay bright all night.