My Patio Lights Project
Summer is almost here. It’s been a long, rainy winter for me, and I am really looking forward to some evening BBQs on my back porch. There is one thing that I do not enjoy about these events, however. It’s my lack of proper patio lights.
Every time I BBQ on my back patio, I am concerned about getting the food cooked before nightfall. If I fail, I either have to bring out my camping lantern or flashlights. Otherwise there is just not enough light to see what I am doing. Another problem is that my guests and I have to either eat inside, or suffer the low light conditions.
This year, I have a solution. I have been researching solar lighting for about six months now, and have really been impressed by what I have seen. I have actually installed some solar accent lights in my front yard, and they work great. I gave my dad some solar Christmas lights to replace some of the old string lights he had covering the eves of his house and they work awesome as well. I decided a couple of weeks ago to go shopping for some solar patio lights.
I decided to go with some mountable solar shed lights. With the help of my cordless drill and a few screws, I was able to mount four of the shed lights on my overhead patio eave. They are kind of tucked into the eave, so they aren’t really that noticeable, but when it gets dark, they automatically switch on and really light up my back patio. There are still a few dark spot out there, but I think I am going to install a couple of spotlights that will light up the area near the BBQ, and maybe a few solar accent lights in the planter boxes that surround the patio slab area. These should really do a lot to create a warm and inviting ambiance.
What I really like about this project is that not only will I finally have adequate lighting for my back patio, but (as with all solar lights) the lights cost absolutely nothing to run. The only problem is that I have to keep my orange tree trimmed to keep it from blocking a few of the light panels. No big deal. I am really looking forward to having a lot of patio parties.
If you have still not looked into getting solar lights for your home, you really should check them out. There is almost no end to what you can do with them.