Patio Lights

As the days get longer and the temperatures warmer we all tend to want to spend more time outdoors. What better way to do this than sitting out on your patio and enjoying the evening in the open air. As the sun goes down, the patio lights come on extending your enjoyment of the moment further still. It is perhaps not surprising therefore that the number of retailers selling patio lights has increased dramatically as have the number of lighting products.

As with all forms of lighting, when considering patio lights you should consider the different areas in your patio and how you use them. Lighting can essentially be allocated into three separate streams. The first and perhaps least relevant for patio lights would be general lighting which would provide broad spectrum cover of the area. This type of light would neither be atmospheric or particularly pleasant to spend time in and is not recommended for your patio.

The remaining two types of lighting can be categorised as task lighting and accent lighting. When assessing your patio lights you need to identify those areas of the patio that require localize lighting first. Once the task lighting needs have been identified you should then be able to establish the areas that require particular display. You would illuminate these areas using accent lighting.

Areas that require task lighting might include the barbecue area, or any area in which cooking or food preparation areas might be undertaken. Such lighting needs to be bright enough that you can see what you are doing whilst standing in the light, but not so general that the light spills out and lightens the patio more generally. If this did occur it would very likely spoil the ambiance of the patio at night and limit your enjoyment of the space.

The sort of lights you would use on a patio for task lighting generally be of the down-lighter variety or patio umbrella lights as they tend to keep the light spread quite narrow. Such lights might typically include standalone umbrella lighting, down-lighters on the wall near the area requiring lighting or perhaps even small lights, perhaps artificial or even real exterior candles encircling the area requiring lighting. Task lighting would also include the lighting of paths, or eating areas or any areas where there may be any sort of trip hazard.

In summary task lighting is essentially lighting for functional areas and should be used sparingly in most patios as it is much more likely that you will want to use the patio for sitting and appreciating the evening as it descends rather than sitting in the glare of a light the whole time. It is best to think of task lighting as lighting that improves the safety of using your patio.

Accent lighting is much more fun. Creating accent lighting with your outdoor patio lighting gives you the chance to let the artist within you express themselves. As you may expect there are any number of patio accent lights available to choose from. Accent lights typically throw light onto a particular feature you wish to emphasise or throw into relief against the dark backdrop.

Subjects of accent lights might be a statue, or planting bed with interesting shaped shrubs planted, or it may be a water feature such as a fountain for which the light would create a contrast with the moving water. In contrast to task lighting, accent lighting tends to throw light upwards at its intended subject matter. In this way it creates shadows that increase the dramatic look of the particular object.

Other types of RV patio lights would include speciality or fun lighting. Fairy lights, or Tiki torches would fall generally into this category. The use of such speciality patio lights is largely dependent upon the particular area you wish to create the lighting effect in. However, generally speaking, use of such lighting should be of a sparing nature as there is a risk that too much light can be created and that it creates a patio space that lacks ambiance and atmosphere.

Patio lights can be low voltage AC powered lights, or DC powered lights. But perhaps one really good choice for your patio lights you could use solar garden lights to create your lighting effects. These solar patio lights are simple devices that use sunlight to recharge a battery which powers the patio light during the hours of dark. Solar lights are environmentally friendly and very low cost to operate so they are a sensible choice to consider whenever deciding upon your patio lights.

Patio lights can help create a really great outdoor space that is particularly welcoming when used at night.  It is easy to create lighting effects with just a little bit of thought and planning prior to purchasing your lights.  There are many different types of patio light and one of the best ways to establish the exact product range would be to take advantage of the many retailers web sites that provide pictures and descriptions of all the products in their patio lighting range.