How to Install Deck Lighting

How to install low-voltage lights for your deck.

By Carl Hines

From The Family Handyman

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Getting Started

About This Project

If the night is calling you, pull up a lounge chair and enjoy it from your backyard. Your deck can be the setting for many relaxing evenings. The key is to add lighting that casts a nice glow over sitting areas, highlights features and illuminates steps and walks.

Low-voltage systems do this well and they’re safe and easy to work with. Unlike with standard household voltage, the transformer that powers them simply plugs into a receptacle. In this article, we’ll show you how to plan a system for your deck and how to install the transformer and fixtures.

Planning and Layout
Draw Your Deck and Plan the Light Positions

Mark the light fixture locations on your deck plan. Locate the transformer next to an electrical receptacle (if necessary, add one). Draw routing lines for the wiring circuits. For our deck, the post lights (green) highlight the main entrance to the house and light the path to the driveway. The step lights (blue) add safety by lighting stairways. The rope lights (red) highlight the planter boxes and add ambient light. The floodlights (orange) highlight the plants and add to the look from the street.

There are several types of low-voltage fixtures, each designed for special uses (lead photo). To decide on which light fixtures to use where, first draw a rough plan of your deck (Fig. A). On the plan, note at least the following key features: stairs, sitting and congregating areas, nice features such as railings and plantings and traffic paths. Also note the location of nearby receptacles that can be used to plug in your transformer.

Take your deck plan to a lighting showroom to select specific fixtures to light each feature. Ask a sales person to help. Mark the selected fixtures on the plan. Note that a single fixture can sometimes handle several tasks. Next position the transformer on the drawing next to an existing receptacle. If no receptacle is nearby, you’ll have to install one. A receptacle controlled by an inside switch is the most convenient setup.

Draw lines to connect the fixtures to the transformer. Minimize the amount of wire you’ll need by connecting multiple fixtures to a single circuit wire. (This may affect the size wire you need. See “Sizing Circuit Cables,”below)

Next, add up the total wattage for all the fixtures (see “Sizing the Transformer,”below). Select a transformer size that provides at least 25 percent excess capacity. Also decide what features you want with the transformer.

Always try to route wires out of sight. You don’t have to worry about safety. Low-voltage wiring isn’t dangerous. Run the cables under the decking. If a cable must be visible, staple it into a corner or on the least conspicuous surface.

Use insulated staples to fasten the cables to wood members at 2-ft. intervals. The low-voltage wire and the water-proof wire connectors must be buried 6 in. deep into the ground.

Waterproof Wire Connectors are ideal for exterior low-voltage wiring. Strip 3/4 in. of insulation from each wire end. Hold all the ends flush together and twist on a connector. You can get waterproof connectors at home centers, electrical supply houses and irrigation supply houses. If you need help finding a local dealer, call King Safety Products at (800) 633-0232, or visit its Web site at www.kingsafety.com.

Sizing the Transformer

Add the wattage of each fixture to determine the total load. Our deck:
4 step lights x 12 watts	48 watts
3 post lights x 20 watts	60 watts
60 ft. of rope light x 5.45 watts per foot	327 watts
2 floodlights x 20 watts	40 watts
Total	475 watts
Add 25 percent excess:
475 x 1.25	594 watts

The Power Center
Optional features:

Timer switch, which automatically turns the lights on and off at preset times.
Photo eye, which turns the lights on at dusk and off at dawn.
Individually switched circuits, which allow different groups of lights (scenes) to be independently controlled.

Sizing Circuit Cables
(Allows for connecting fixtures with a maximum total of 150 watts)

LENGTH OF CABLE	WIRE SIZE
0 to 50 ft.	Use 12-gauge
50 to 100 ft.	Use 10-gauge
100-plus ft.	Use 8-gauge

Rope Lighting
Attach a power connector to one end of the rope lighting (Photo 9). The cord on the power connector then attaches to the circuit wire with twist connectors. You can connect multiple pieces of rope light with straight and 90-degree connectors, but it’s quite flexible and we were able to bend it around 90-degree corners without the 90-degree connector.

While you can install the rope with clips that mount every foot or so, the best system is a plastic rope light track. Cut the track to length and then mount it with nails or screws. We found that predrilling the back of the track and fastening with 3/4-in. corrosion-resistant screws worked best (Photo 10).

Round up a helper and stretch the rope light along the installed track, then cut it to length (Photo 11) atone of the cutting marks. Start with the end with the connected power cord and push it into the track, working to the other end (Photo 12).

Connecting the Floodlights
Floodlights provide a wash that highlights features. Be careful not to direct the light into people’s eyes when they’re on the deck. Some floodlights come with a hood to reduce glare. A ground stake attached to the bottom of the fixture makes installation a snap(Photo 13). Bury the wire 6 in. deep.

Buyer’s Guide
Here is one manufacturer of high-quality 12-volt rope light. Call if you need help finding a local dealer.WAC: (800) 526-2588. www.waclighting.com. Catalog available on-line.