With the modern convenience of solar patio lights, people can quickly transform their yards into a well-lit oasis.
Without the need to route wires or perform electrical work, this transformation can occur literally overnight.
Solar lights for the patio come in every light form including spot, path, and string lights.
Maximum coverage of a yard is accomplished by utilizing a combination of different light mounts.
The more structures you have in a patio, the more lighting possibilities open up.
For example, a patio awning can be covered in colorful string lights for a decorative touch. Floating solar lights are available for ponds and pools.
Functional patio lights such as spot and floodlights can illuminate key areas of the patio such as a dining table set. Let’s look at some of the patio lights available today.
Basic Introduction to Path Patio Lights
One of the most popular types of solar patio lights are the ones used on paths and walkways. These light mounts provide the perfect opportunity to coordinate your lights with your patio decor.
Path lights are made in many styles ranging from modernistic to rustic.
The style and fashion of path lights make them easy on the eyes both in the day when they are visible and at night when they shine. Lights such as these are typically placed along walkways leading through a garden or up to a patio.
The light beam shines onto the ground 360 degrees around the light pod. When lined up on each side of a walkway, they allow people to see where they are going as to not trip on obstacles.
A solar panel on the top of the light pod captures light for power, so it is important that each mount is placed in a location that receives full sun.
This applies to all forms of solar patio lights.
Lanterns, Sheppard’s Hooks and Wind Chimes
Solar technology is compact enough to be placed in just about any style of mount, including those styled from classical times.
Using special glass and light bulbs, solar patio lights can be modeled to look like real candlelight.
Using flickering bulbs filtered through opaque glass or plastic, these lights are placed within lantern-style mounts that can be hung from Sheppard’s hooks in the yard.
Lantern lights can be used to border pathways or placed at corners or entrances. Lanterns can be hung from hooks on a gazebo or placed on metal hooks that stick into the ground.
A solar panel on the top provides the power, letting users place these patio lights anywhere that suits their fancy.
Interestingly enough, even wind chimes are not immune to solar fad. Wind chimes of all varieties and shapes are being equipped with solar panels and lights, creating a musical light show.
As you can see, solar patio lighting is truly all-encompassing and can be applied in every nook and cranny of a yard.
Patio Floodlights and Spot Lighting
There are some areas of a patio where functional light is needed. Areas like the patio itself, pool sides and food preparation centers require bright, ample light to see.
Solar technology has you covered in this area too, as spot and flood lights are available. While not as powerful as wired units, solar spotlights can provide enough light to see. Patio spotlights are made to shine on a specific area and have a limited illumination angle.
They provide focused light right where you need it and nothing more. Spotlights are commonly used to accent structures around the patio such as fountains, pillars, and palm tree trunks.
Floodlights, while similar to spotlights, are designed to “flood” an area with light. These solar lights have a wider angle and are capable of illuminating larger areas.
These forms of light fixtures do well mounted to the wall up high and can be turned to focus on the desired area. The location of the solar panel varies among models but is usually found attached to the mount or connected with a wire.
Solar panels on a wire allow users to place their light mount in a non-sunny location and be able to put the panel in the sun.
Color Changing and Whimsical Patio Lights
If you are seeking an emphasis on color and visual appeal, color changing or whimsical light sources are the best choices.
Color changing LED solar lights offer an appealing way to add color to a patio. Using color-changing LED bulb, these lights switch smoothly between bright colors.
As expected, color-changing lights are incorporated into a variety of whimsical light fixtures, often in the form of bugs, animals, and plants.
Whether you like mushrooms, ladybugs or dragonflies, you can find a whimsical patio light for your taste. These lights work well in places where conventional lights can’t tread, such as garden beds.
When placed in unexpected locals, these lights truly shine and bring out the best in a patio.
Patio String Lights
Solar lighting is not limited to the ground. Lighting places above the head level can provide a truly surreal feeling.
String lights are similar to Christmas-style lighting in that they consist of a powered string with multiple light bulbs.
Each bulb has a plastic cover that is modeled to a certain theme. Themes range from pink flamingos to Japanese paper lanterns, appealing to a wide variety of tastes.
A patio awning provides the perfect medium from which to hang string lights. Hooks, nails or Velcro straps make it easy to get these lights mounted. Power is provided by a solar panel on one end of the string.
Floating Outdoor Patio Lighting
The most unusual and unexpected type of solar patio lighting is left for last. Floating solar lighting fixtures are waterproof and can be placed in pools and ponds.
Because they come on automatically, users do not have to fish out the lights every time they want to turn them on. Some floating lights project vivid colors onto the pool floor, while other changes between several colors.
Bodies of water with a fountain cause these lights to bob and “swim” around, creating an impressive display.
How to Get Started
Transforming a patio from a dark and dreary atmosphere into a well-lit haven is easily done using solar patio lighting.
Patio lighting is not limited to a specific area of the yard.
The wide variety of patio lights available makes it possible to transform a patio front to back.
Solar technology allows these light fixtures to be placed anywhere that receives ample light during the day-no cords needed.
Just about any type of patio light can be powered by solar energy, including everything from string lights to walkway illumination.
More exotic light sources like color-changing bulbs and themed light fixtures bring unparalleled depth and color to a yard.
Solar patio lights are ready to use right out of the box after minimal assembly. Let’s take a closer look at the many types of patio lighting available today.
Designing and Installing Path/Walkway Patio Lights
If you have any confusion about where to start putting lights around your patio, a good tip is to start with your pathways.
Paths can always use extra lighting so people can see where they are going.
Paths made of brick and concrete are all viable candidates for patio path lighting as long as there is soft ground on either side to stick them in.
These light fixtures consist of a light pod that sits on a plastic stake. Users can place the lights into the ground on each side of a path to clearly define the boundary.
These lights also work great as driveway lights, bordering each side of the driveway at night. Any type of structure, corner or side in a patio can be accented with patio path lights.
The fixtures can be made of either plastic or metal and come in many styles ranging from rustic to modern. Matching a style to your patio is one of the many ways solar patio lighting allows you to express your creativity.
Themed / Color Changing Patio Light Styles
To break free from convention and add some color to your patio, try using a themed and/or color-changing light.
Chances are you have a favorite kind of animal or plant. Many patio lights have themed light covers in the shape of animals and other whimsical things. fiber optic technology is often used in these fixtures to create a colorful color-changing light display.
Color changing orbs are a hot ticket right now and look great when placed among shrubbery and flowers. The essence of themed lights is that they can be placed in random, fun locations to achieve an expressive look.
Themes range from mushrooms and ladybugs to palm trees and flamingos.
Definition of Patio String Lights
A very flexible type of solar patio light is the ones that have bulbs on strings. String lights are easy to hang from just about any structure using nails or Velcro straps.
Hang them on the edges of your patio awning to provide surreal lighting from above. String lights come in many themes to suit your fancy.
A solar panel on one end of the string provides the power to all the LED light bulbs on the string. Light is usually filtered through a plastic or paper cover to make the bulbs change color.
Express your creativity by wrapping them around a palm tree trunk or putting them in the branches of a small tree.
Maximizing the Light
Have you ever needed to light up an area with a bright light at a nighttime event? When you need to see your surroundings clearly, such as around an outdoor dining set, a spot or flood light can be employed.
Solar models are available, although they are not quite as powerful as those plugged into a wall.
There is a distinct difference between solar spotlights and floodlights. Spotlights have a focused light beam that can be pointed in a specific location.
Spotlights are used for both functional and decorative purposes. You can use them to light up a small table or point them on a decorative structure in the yard.
Floodlights have a wider light arc, meaning that they can light up larger areas with the same bulb.
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