Lighting for a Patio
Discussion
Currently planning a new patio. Fence panels going in today so planning can commence in earnest.
Before laying the new patio I need to think about electrics and water. The hose is always laying across the existing patio as neither my wife or I can never be bothered to put it away as it will be needed tomorrow! So plan is to lay a water pipe under that patio and have a tap by the outside edge of the patio. Shorter hose needed and it should no longer be left out on the patio.
However also thinking about electrics and lighting. Ultimately I want one of the pagoda's with a retractable roof on the patio. Thinking then when working from home I can sit outside, with the shade and can see the computer screen. Having power would be handy, power also handy for power tools, stereo etc. Anyone put power sockets on a patio? If so did you run the cable under the patio or round it?
Same with lighting. At the moment the patio is lit by a 500w mains floodlight. I was thinking of extra lighting. What lighting are people using? Is solar lighting good enough for a patio? Saves the need for cables.
What lighting do people have? The brochures always make the lighting look great. Does reality match the marketing?
Before laying the new patio I need to think about electrics and water. The hose is always laying across the existing patio as neither my wife or I can never be bothered to put it away as it will be needed tomorrow! So plan is to lay a water pipe under that patio and have a tap by the outside edge of the patio. Shorter hose needed and it should no longer be left out on the patio.
However also thinking about electrics and lighting. Ultimately I want one of the pagoda's with a retractable roof on the patio. Thinking then when working from home I can sit outside, with the shade and can see the computer screen. Having power would be handy, power also handy for power tools, stereo etc. Anyone put power sockets on a patio? If so did you run the cable under the patio or round it?
Same with lighting. At the moment the patio is lit by a 500w mains floodlight. I was thinking of extra lighting. What lighting are people using? Is solar lighting good enough for a patio? Saves the need for cables.
What lighting do people have? The brochures always make the lighting look great. Does reality match the marketing?
Chrisgr31 said:
Same with lighting. At the moment the patio is lit by a 500w mains floodlight. I was thinking of extra lighting. What lighting are people using? Is solar lighting good enough for a patio? Saves the need for cables.
What lighting do people have? The brochures always make the lighting look great. Does reality match the marketing?
Get rid of the floodlight! Light should be soft, zoned / separated for it to be successful. you may want to consider a few low level lights to glow and illuminate certain background areas (behind plants etc) and then some lights that are higher up to provide a bit of direct illumination so you can see what you’re doing. I’d tend to avoid any lights that you can see the source directly when standing / sitting on the patio. And if you can see them, they should be at a lower power / light level.What lighting do people have? The brochures always make the lighting look great. Does reality match the marketing?
Using up lighters onto a trees canopy or the pergola roof for example would produce a nice glow of an evening and create bounce light.
If you had differing light styles on different switches you can adjust to suit depending on use and time of year. whether it’s a soft glow from lights behind plants on winter evenings, or string lights along the pergola top that adds a bit of sparkle and interest to the setting sun in the summer. Also consider timed switches, or dawn to dusk sensors.We have a few and they seem to work well and saves going out to switch them on/off if you haven’t switched inside.
I’d avoid solar - they really haven’t worked for me.
I know I’ve maybe made it seem complex, but really think lighting has the biggest impact on the feel of a house, more than decoration etc.
Surely a self retracting hose reel would be tidier and easier than running it under the patio - with less risk of freezing and easy replacement if (or when) it leaks?
Lighting is much easier these days, with a myriad of low voltage systems that can be installed by DIYers (once a suitable supply has been installed) and can therefore be easily extended/adapted. Charlie DIYte and Proper DIY on YouTube have both installed such systems.
Lighting is much easier these days, with a myriad of low voltage systems that can be installed by DIYers (once a suitable supply has been installed) and can therefore be easily extended/adapted. Charlie DIYte and Proper DIY on YouTube have both installed such systems.
I saw your other thread a while back - you didn't elaborate on what type of Pergola you fancy. So have you decided yet? Last month i fitted a Hygge 4m x 3m with three side screens (sliding roller type) this before the side screens were fitted...................
The wiring for the lights was a piece of cake and everything included except the feed to it. All the fittings are 12v and waterproof that are concealed in the guttering and down the inside and out the bottom of one of the legs. I was lucky as the garage next to it already had an unused hole through it that I threaded an extension cable through into an exterior twin socket. The spare socket has the supplied IR 3kw heater plugged into it.
Like you we didn't want it attached to the house so it's 25mm away from the bifold doors and wall. We love it and no real downsides yet but the coming winter will be the test!
Edit: We went for freestanding as you can't fit the side screens to the wall mounted type
https://hyggepergola.co.uk/product/hygge-aluminium...
The wiring for the lights was a piece of cake and everything included except the feed to it. All the fittings are 12v and waterproof that are concealed in the guttering and down the inside and out the bottom of one of the legs. I was lucky as the garage next to it already had an unused hole through it that I threaded an extension cable through into an exterior twin socket. The spare socket has the supplied IR 3kw heater plugged into it.
Like you we didn't want it attached to the house so it's 25mm away from the bifold doors and wall. We love it and no real downsides yet but the coming winter will be the test!
Edit: We went for freestanding as you can't fit the side screens to the wall mounted type
https://hyggepergola.co.uk/product/hygge-aluminium...
Edited by dickymint on Saturday 5th October 10:57
Cow Corner said:
Surely a self retracting hose reel would be tidier and easier than running it under the patio - with less risk of freezing and easy replacement if (or when) it leaks?
I'll second that. We bought the Parkside (Lidl) 20M self-retracting hose reel which has proven ideal. It is worth getting a tap with a separate outlet so you never need to disconnect the hose reel.We run water and electrics down either side of the patio, right to the end of the garden.
Rather than a single hose at one end, we have hose points at either end.
Electrics are run off outside sockets. Similar to the water, we spit off along the garden.
For lighting, we have a combination of festoon lights on a pergola, garden spots in the borders, and a bulkhead light attached to the house.
What I missed out in the scheme, was light for the BBQ area. Oops.
Rather than a single hose at one end, we have hose points at either end.
Electrics are run off outside sockets. Similar to the water, we spit off along the garden.
For lighting, we have a combination of festoon lights on a pergola, garden spots in the borders, and a bulkhead light attached to the house.
What I missed out in the scheme, was light for the BBQ area. Oops.
dickymint said:
I saw your other thread a while back - you didn't elaborate on what type of Pergola you fancy. So have you decided yet? Last month i fitted a Hygge 4m x 3m with three side screens (sliding roller type) this before the side screens were fitted...................
Pergola hunting shelved pending choice of slabs and therefore budget! Having bought the world’s most expensive fence panels budget already under pressure. Especially as now having to buy a plane as the panels don’t fit in the Duraposts we bought!Did you install the pergola or did the manufacturer? I guess you patio slopes what was the Pergola padded with to get it level?
How much light do you want?
Mostly on the patio, we need enough light to avoid tripping over stuff and to find your beer.
We have some small solar lights which have been good.
Someitmes we use a couple of lantern things with nightlight candles in.
That's adequate light to eat a meal by or whatever.
It's not a restaurant, you don't need to read the bill!
There's a mains light on the house wall which is normally off.
The other side of the house we have some more serious lights more suited to the serious tasks like washing a motorbike affter a wet ride.
If you want indoor levls of light or 'task lighting' there are endless options including 12V stuff.
Also some effective rechargeable stuff.
Personally I wouldn;t want the patio brightly lit particularly if it was overlooked at all.
Mostly happy to be relaxing out there in the twilight watching the wildlife and having a beer.
Mostly on the patio, we need enough light to avoid tripping over stuff and to find your beer.
We have some small solar lights which have been good.
Someitmes we use a couple of lantern things with nightlight candles in.
That's adequate light to eat a meal by or whatever.
It's not a restaurant, you don't need to read the bill!
There's a mains light on the house wall which is normally off.
The other side of the house we have some more serious lights more suited to the serious tasks like washing a motorbike affter a wet ride.
If you want indoor levls of light or 'task lighting' there are endless options including 12V stuff.
Also some effective rechargeable stuff.
Personally I wouldn;t want the patio brightly lit particularly if it was overlooked at all.
Mostly happy to be relaxing out there in the twilight watching the wildlife and having a beer.
Huzzah said:
Our power and water go around the edge, I'd like to able to get at them if heed be.
I'd definatly consider laying some plastic pipe underneath, with the proviso that I can draw stuff through.
I was pondering running a slotted drain like this https://www.toolstation.com/drain-channel-grating/... around the edge so can run water and electric underneath it. Does of course mean the water and electric will never go wrong!I'd definatly consider laying some plastic pipe underneath, with the proviso that I can draw stuff through.
OutInTheShed said:
How much light do you want?
Personally I wouldn;t want the patio brightly lit particularly if it was overlooked at all.
Mostly happy to be relaxing out there in the twilight watching the wildlife and having a beer.
Agreed don’t want it being mistaken for the runway at Gatwick! However want enough light to see, not sure I want to muck around with lanterns !Personally I wouldn;t want the patio brightly lit particularly if it was overlooked at all.
Mostly happy to be relaxing out there in the twilight watching the wildlife and having a beer.
Chrisgr31 said:
dickymint said:
I saw your other thread a while back - you didn't elaborate on what type of Pergola you fancy. So have you decided yet? Last month i fitted a Hygge 4m x 3m with three side screens (sliding roller type) this before the side screens were fitted...................
Pergola hunting shelved pending choice of slabs and therefore budget! Having bought the world’s most expensive fence panels budget already under pressure. Especially as now having to buy a plane as the panels don’t fit in the Duraposts we bought!Did you install the pergola or did the manufacturer? I guess you patio slopes what was the Pergola padded with to get it level?
Due to the height of our bi-fold doors being higher than normal and outward opening I had to make four pads out of box section to raise the whole up lot by 60mm
Another thing to bare in mind as you've not put the slabs down yet - make sure where the posts are going have a couple of inches of concrete under them to bolt the legs into.
dickymint said:
Another thing to bear in mind as you've not put the slabs down yet - make sure where the posts are going have a couple of inches of concrete under them to bolt the legs into.
Bearing in mind the indecision from she who must be obeyed I reckon that half the slabs will have extra concrete under them for the legs of the pergola!The fence is causing enough issues! Moral of the story is don’t assume the panels supplied will actually fit the Duraposts supplied at the same time! However the good news is the the Duraposts and Their gravel boards should see me out!
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