You will get the most use from your patio or terrace in summer evenings if you add some form of lighting. If the patio is some distance from the house but is visible from it, lighting it can bring an element of drama that you can also enjoy from the comfort of being indoors during the colder months. Imagine the effect of floodlighting when the ground is covered in snow.

All electrical lighting systems powered from the mains should be installed by a qualified electrician. Safety regulations stipulate how deep electric cables should be buried, and these should be adhered to for the safety of you and your family. As with cabling for a pool, the lighting cables should be laid before the patio or terrace is built. If this is not possible they should be buried where no digging that could damage the wires is likely to take place.

Remember that outdoor lighting should be designed to be seen only within your own garden. Your neighbours may prefer their gardens to be dark at night and you need to respect that.

Types Of Lighting
The simplest way to illuminate your patio is with candles or flares. Obviously, these are not permanent, and they must be supervised at all times. Both of these options are best in still weather, however flares are much less likely to blow out than candles if the wind does pick up a bit. However, you will need to ensure that they can be properly supported in the ground or in stable containers. Candles be housed in lanterns and distributed around the patio or suspended from trees. Continued below…

Low voltage lighting is cheap but is best used to edge a path, since the light shed by then will not be particularly strong. For safety, paths should always be lit at night if the garden is going to be used then. Solar powered lights are available everywhere. They are relatively cheap and are ideal for this purpose.

Floodlights are much more powerful, and many dramatic effects can be achieved if they are sited with care. If there is a tree overhanging the patio, it is a lovely idea to festoon it with fairy lights (colored or white bulbs) or individual lanterns.

Underwater lamps can be used to light up a pond and will keep any fish active until well into the evening.

If you choose the right lighting for your patio area you will be able to get the maximum use of your patio and it will be a place that you and your friends will be able to relax in.