Over the weekend Chris and I hung some string lights in our backyard. I wanted to give you a proper tutorial on how to do that. Ground lighting is adequate, but we really needed overhead lighting for the upcoming summer nights. string lights A perfect solution. Here are 10 easy steps you can easily do in half a day.
string lights | umbrella | Umbrella stand | chaise longue | Adirondack chair
1. Safety first!
One thing we know for sure is that water and electricity don’t mix. If you decide to hang lights above your pool, be sure to follow these guidelines to avoid serious injury to anyone.
- String lights below 120 volts
- Must be connected to a GFCI outlet
- Hang at least 10 feet above the water (ours hangs 14 feet)
- shatterproof bulb
- Outdoor waterproof rating IP65
Of course, if you have a pool and are concerned about the safety of hanging string lights above, you may want to seek professional help or avoid it.
2. Make a plan
Then decide what point to anchor, how high to hang, and how to tension or sink. You should start near the outlet and choose trees, poles, or other anchor points based on where you need lighting. When I hung string lights in a friend’s backyard, I planted and cemented supports into the ground and embedded extension cords for the outdoors. Therefore, some ingenuity may be required. in this case, pergola and installed GFCI outlets with switches. So every time you switch on pergola pendant, cafe light coming! This was our starting point.
3. Collect materials and tools
We did a lot of research to find the best string lights for this job. And we were really confident in this product. These LED lights from Amazon. Not only does it meet all of the above safety requirements, but it is also energy efficient, at 2700 Kelvin (which is my preferred ambient temperature), the bulb is claimed to have a lifespan of 13.7 years when used 3 hours per day. I’m here. Day! I’m sorry, could you say that again? ?
4. Fix the start anchor
If the starting point is fixed to a tree or tree, eye hook Work well! Drill a pilot hole and drive the eye hook into the hole. A pro tip if you want to get things done faster is to stick a screwdriver in the hook to turn the lever. If your starting point is brick or stone, you will need a masonry bit, a hammer drill, and a masonry anchor. Make sure the anchor is the correct size for the bit you are using.
5. Set the wire to the starting point
Now that we have the anchor in place, we run wire Secure the wire through it.I achieved this by wrapping the wire eye hook Make two wraps, then wrap a wire around one of them. pergola cross beam. Chris then used a flat her bracket with her two screws to secure the end of the wire and prevent it from unraveling. Of course this varies from case to case, but the point is that this wire must be stationary and stable.
6. Run the wire to the next anchor point
Pull the wire to the next anchor point and lift it up to determine placement. If possible, wrap the wire around a pole, tree, or anchor point and cross it forward. This reduces the resistance on the anchor and prevents it from falling. Once the height is known, add the anchors in place and run the wire through.
7. Repeat for all anchor points.
Depending on the material, you may need to switch the anchor type and material. Always use the anchor option that best suits the material being anchored. If you’re screwing the eye hook into a soffit or something you can’t run the hook through the back of, consider running additional wire through the eye hook and screwing it into the wood soffit for added pull resistance.
8. Secure end anchors and wires.
If there is a final anchor point, fix it in the same way as the starting point.
9. Hang lights
Use the ladder to climb up and use the included zip ties to hang the light on the cable. Be careful not to pull it too tight. A strong pull will prevent the light from sliding along the wire. After installing the light, pull it out along the cable until it is fully extended.use cable tie Connect lights to anchor points on each length of cable.
10. End Light
It’s unlikely that you’ll get the exact length of light you need on the cable. There are several options for this.
- The first is to layer the rest of the light bundles onto the wires. This is common and safe, and within a few yards or feet he may have twice as many lights on, but it’s not very noticeable.
- A second option is to place lights around the end anchor point. For example, if it’s a tree, wrap the light around the tree until it runs out of length.
- The option we chose, which requires some electrical knowledge, is to clip the last strand of wire, cap the end with a waterproof cap, wrap it in electrical tape, thread the wire through a waterproof junction box, secure and It was meant to be fixed. It’s hidden behind a tree. Such work should only be attempted if you are familiar with electrical work and have taken appropriate precautions in waterproofing and properly stowing severed wires.
We only had a few nights to enjoy these newly strung lights, but they have already made the entire backyard beauty and atmosphere truly romantic. My favorite part is the light reflections in the pool water when it’s really dark. I can’t think of anything more dreamy.
shop in our backyard
If you’ve ever hung cafe lights in your backyard, we’re curious if your process or experience is similar to ours.
