June is here! With the summer months come longer days and warmer evenings – and what better way to spend a summer evening than relaxing with friends and family outside? Adding creative lighting solutions provides ambiance and beauty to outdoor spaces, increasing the usability of those spaces after dark. Plus, there’s no better place than your own backyard to relax, play, and host, so why not set the tone with beautiful outdoor lighting?
Ideas for Outdoor Lighting
- String lights can be used to brighten up an outdoor dining area or living space. Try hanging lights above your table or over your outdoor seating arrangement.
- Light up the area around your fire pit with lanterns for added glow and warmth.
- Fairy lights aren’t just for the holiday season! Drape warm white lights along your fence, wrap your tree trunks, or string lights across your whole yard using trees as anchors!
- Candles are an excellent way to add ambiance to an outdoor area–you can even use citronella candles to keep the mosquitos away! Just be sure to never leave lit candles unattended.
Outdoor Lighting Safety Tips
- Avoid overloading your outdoor outlets! Never plug too many lights (or too many extension cords) into one outlet, as this can cause circuits to short. You can tell that your electrical circuit is overloaded if you are experiencing flickering or uncharacteristically dim lights or blown fuses, and we’re always here to advise you.
- Check for broken or damaged lights before installing them. It’s always a good idea to replace your outdoor string lights every 4-6 years, just to be safe.
- Unplug your outdoor lights when they aren’t in use! Even if your lights are turned off, make sure you unplug them when you are not actively using them. This will help you save money and conserve energy.
Don’t perform electrical work that you are not qualified to do–that’s what Lion Electrical is for! (And we want you and your loved ones to be safe.) For help installing your summer outdoor lighting solutions, give us a call at (970) 632-2281.
