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How To Install Patio String Lights

How To Hang Outdoor String Lights From Diy Posts

DIY, How to Install Patio String Lights Portfolio LED Landscape Lighting,

Café lights add a gorgeous glow to an outdoor living space, but they can be tricky to hang if you dont have trees or other tall objects to string them from. Heres a freestanding solution for hanging lights that uses planters and wood posts. Its totally temporary, so its perfect for renters.

  • spray paint in desired color
  • drop cloth
  • 2 x 2 x 8 posts
  • coordinating paint color, if desired
  • painter’s tape
  • 50 lb. bags of quick concrete mix
  • water
  • gravel or other drainage material
  • potting soil
  • 100 feet of patio string lights

Make Use Of House Structure

Before getting started to make the support system, take a stroll around your backyard and see if yourhouse structure could be of any help. For example, if the house roofing comes with a protruded part likethe one you see in the picture, that very part could help you hang the end of the strings.

Where does the other end go? Well, do you remember about the previous plan of making some supportsystem? It is time to execute it. The other end of the strings goes with the support system you make.

How To Hang String Lights Using A Drill

What you need


  • A drill with masonry drill bit
  • Silicone

Lay the string lights against the stucco wall and hold them up using ordinary tape.

Step 2

Measure intervals of one meter and mark using a faint pencil. A dark clear pencil will leave ugly marks on your stucco wall, this is why a faint pencil is recommended.

Step 3

Take the drill and attach the soft masonry bit. Drill pilot holes on the marked surfaces. Fill up each pilot hole with silicone. You can use a silicone gun with a sharp tip.


Step 4

Allow the silicon to be mid-way dry and attach the plastic roof clips. Screw up the roof clips with corrosion-resistant screws until it firmly holds the string lights against the wall.

Step 5

Add some silicone to the attached roof clip to reinforce it. Remove the ordinary tapes and rub off the faint pencil markings.

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How Much Energy Can One Outlet Hold

If you have a standard voltage of 110 and you use these LED low wattage bulbs you dont need to worry about overloading your outlet. We safely strung 4 strands of lights in one outlet. So a total of 60 bulbs. The brand we bought at Costco are LED but the light is a warm amber color. Im not sure about these , but the photo shows them as giving off a warm yellow color.

What Is The Best Way To Hang Outdoor String Lights

DIY Patio Arbor Using String Lights

The best way to hang outdoor string lights depends on where you are hanging them. If you have trees, its easy to hang lights. Just drill a hole into a tree, install a cup hook, wrap the light around it and secure it with a zip tie. Or you can thread them through the branches and not anchor them. But, make sure you are close enough to a power outlet. You can also hang string lights from porch or deck posts, your home, fences, gazebos, pergolas, or pavilions.

When hanging heavy lights or hundreds of feet of string lights, thread them through a guide wire for extra support. You can also install wall anchors before the hooks for extra support.

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How To Hang String Lights Along A Fence

Attaching your lights to a fence is just about as simple as it gets. The industrial lights come with a hole above each bulb so you can simply attach each light with a 3 finish nail pounded in at an angle. The nail heads are small enough that youll be able to remove the lights and replace them without removing the nails.


Finish nail- 16 penny 3 or 3.5 nail

Install Patio Umbrella Lights

Patio umbrella lights are easy to install, and make your outdoor living space more functional and enjoyable.Choose Light StylePatio umbrella lights come in two different styles. You can choose your style depending on how much light you want and how easy an installation process youre looking for.One style consists of six to eight strands of lights that extend the length of each umbrella support. The cords all plug into a multi-plug receptacle that is placed in the center of the umbrella on the pole. The cord runs down the pole or the lights use a battery. This style of umbrella lighting gives lots of illumination.

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How To Attach String Lights To A House Or Building

For most houses and buildings, you should be able to simply drill a pilot hole and screw in a cup hook. Youll want to be sure you arent compromising your siding.

My house has HardiePlank siding and we were able to screw the hooks directly into it. Theyve been in place for three years now without any problems.


When youre just planning to drape the smaller inexpensive lights like I did on my front porch , you can use smaller cup hooks, or even try these outdoor Command Hooks.

Hang Your String Lights

How to hang patio string lights

Now just connect the lights to all the hooks, and thats it.If you just have one strand of lights, youre done after you attach the lights with cable clamps or hooks.

But often youll need to connect strings together. Just secure the male end to the female end of each string.

Check with your manufacturer to make sure that you are not connecting too many strands together. If you connect too many it will put a lot of strain on the string lights. The weight of the lights add to the tension of the string and it may also make the lights sag. A little curve is natural, but you dont want them to hang too low.

If you are hanging glass bulbs, consider removing them before hanging your string. This way, you dont have to worry about them breaking during installation. Its incredibly helpful to remove the bulbs if youre hanging several strands of lights or if they cross each other.


Use guide wire to support the hanging lights if needed. If you are hanging heavy bulbs or running hanging lights about 100 feet or more, we recommend guide wire. It provides extra support for your hanging lights, reducing the tension of the strings.

Check out this video to learn more.

If you buy lights with hanging grommets, you can thread the guide wire through the grommet before you hang the lights.

If your lights dont have grommets, use zip ties to secure the guide wire to the string lights. You can do this before or after hanging the lights.

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Purchasing Outdoor String Lights

I purchased BrightTech Ambience Pro Outdoor String Lights. This string comes in a 45-foot string and uses vintage Edison bulbs with exposed filaments give off a warm, nostalgic glow. The Ambiance Pro light string is all black, has a hanger mounting hole and is a heavy duty cord, that is thicker than any other cords Ive seen. This string light is also dimmer compatible.

The lights have 3 feet of spacing between each bulb and you can connect up to 8 strands end to end.

How To Hang Outdoor String Lights: A Step

For an outdoor space thats sparkling with charm, create a glowing overhead galaxy of string lights. Energy efficient, affordable, and easy to install, patio string lights can make a huge impact with just a little bit of planning and preparation. Even better, learning how to hang outdoor patio string lights can be completed in one afternoon!

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What Is The Distance Or Span You Want To Cover

If you want to string lights over a long distance, then you may want to think about using a wire for added support or adding another support pole. The longer the length, the more tension on the poles and more your light string will droop down. We have a bit of that happening on some of our strings of lights.

Best Ways To Hang Outdoor String Lights

How to Hang Patio String Lights

Backyards in many homes are brightened up by hanging string lights. Outdoor string lights can be hung temporarily during events such as weddings or permanently to enhance the backyard patio. Regardless of the events, there are numerous ideas on how to hang the string lights to create that cozy ambiance that will have you enjoy your nights.

String lights bring out an inviting and soft glow in your backyard or the entire homestead. When properly fixed, they will transform your backyard into an attractive spot, where you can host friends and cheer up as you enjoy your night.

Some backyards have trees and other objects while others lack a backyard. Therefore, before you decide on the best way to hand your outdoor string lights, you should take time to assess your backyard.

Outdoor street lights should be able to withstand harsh temperatures, wind, and rain. Therefore, the quality of the lights and the hanging style are crucial.

However, to achieve that inviting illumination in your backyard, you need to hang the lights in the right way to achieve the best illumination pattern. Therefore, you should learn the best ways to hang the outdoor string lights in your homestead.

That said, here are the best ways to hang your outdoor string lights to beautify and brighten up the space.

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Bring A Soft Inviting Glow To Your Backyard Porch Or Patio By Installing Cafe

For string lights strung over a large expanse:

  • String light suspension kit
  • Wire cutters

For yards without trees or other tall supports:

  • 10-foot-long wooden posts or 10-foot-long metal poles
  • Hammer
  • Nails or screws
  • Sturdy planters or weighted buckets filled with concrete and a PVC pipe slot in center
  • 18-inch-long metal rebar stakes
  • Cable ties

Before You Start1. Choose where to hang your outdoor lights. 2. Measure for length and roughly choose your light configuration. 3. Purchase the cords and lights, and gather all materials.How to Hang String Lights1. Identify where mounting support is needed. 2. Install mounting hardware or use a string light suspension kit or both.

  • Hanging without a wire: To hang the patio lights without a wire, screw a cup hook into the wall, fence, pergola or tree trunk to use as mounting.
  • Hanging with a wire: If youre using a wire, you can purchase a wire hanging kit that comes with a cable wire and suspension hardware . Install according to the instructions included with the kit.

3. Hang patio lights. How to Hang String Lights in a Backyard Without TreesAlong a wood fence. On a deck or concrete patio.Posts attached to a rooftop railing provide height and support for outdoor globe lights. On a lawn. How to Hang String Lights on a Covered PatioTell us:

Tips For Hanging Outdoor Lights

The light sets from AQ lighting came with this adapter so that I could plug in two strands to our electric source.

Then I used Velcro to secure it to the metal support beam .

Unfortunately, we dont have a power source out on our patio but thats okay we can fix that!

My husband laid an outdoor extension cord from the outlet under our deck and along the outside of our patio. Then he thread it through the fence at the far corner of the patio.

I plugged the extension cord into that power pack at the top of the back corner post of the pergola.

If you scroll up to the photo of me cleaning youll see that ugly orange extension cord hanging loosely from the pergola post.

Dont worry we found a trick to hid that too!

A zip tie!

How easy is that?

Instead of just letting it hang down lose and blowing in the windif theres wind strong enough to blow an extension cord. LOLI secured it to the post with a cable tie.

It looks so much better since you cant see the extension cord at all unless you go behind the outdoor sofa sectional.

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What Color Should The Bulbs Be

Whenever Im buying lightbulbs, whether for indoor or outdoor use, I always look for warm white. Regular lightbulbs will have this Lighting Facts diagram on the back of the box like the ones below. Youll always want your light color to be on the warm side of the spectrum.

Boxes of string lights may or may not have this diagram. But the point is that you want a warm glow with yellow/orange undertones, similar to the color of candlelight. Anything that says daylight or cool is going to have a blue cast like an alien spaceship. And Im guessing thats not the ambiance youre going for.

Commercial Outdoor String Lights

HOW TO PUT UP STRING LIGHTS | PATIO STRING LIGHTS INSTALLATION VIDEO

Any amount of string lights can add magic, but I knew two things: I wanted lots of light , and I wanted them not to break.

I began by choosing the type of lights that would provide the most light and ambiance for our outdoor living space. Globe lights were going to give us more light: enough for outdoor dining and yard games. But I decided that a vintage style globe light provided more ambiance than simple round lights.

I then compared regular string lights to commercial grade lights, and it was no competition. I read reviews and compared and decided that these commercial grade vintage-style string lights were the way to go.

Even better, theyre LED, which should last longer, stay cool to the touch, and allows for more strands to be connected together from a single outlet because the wattage per bulb is lower. If you need a lot of strands, the price can certainly add up. But I think its worth it to have something that should survive the outdoors and last for years to come.

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Can Multiple Outdoor Light Strings Be Attached Together

One of the appealing aspects of how to hang string lights is that many light strings can attach end to end with another string of lights. This lets you plan outdoor lighting over a larger area without having to install an additional power supply. It is important to keep in mind that, when dealing with electricity, the power at the starting connection will step down the further the electricity has to travel, which can result in dimmer lights at the end of the light strings.

To help maintain a more consistent color and brightness, pay attention to the wire gauge of the light strings being connected, particularly when considering a longer string, such as the 150 or 300 length light strings. For longer strings or for chaining multiple strings together, look for a wider gauge wire, such as a 16 gauge rather than an 18 gauge light string. This will help ensure a more consistent flow of electricity from end to end.

How Do You Hang Edison Lights Under Covered Patio Deck

To hang Edison lights under a covered patio, you’ll need to have hooks or screw eyes that are drilled underneath the ceiling of the covered patio or deck. Next, use silicon to do preventative shielding for water damage. Hang the string lights without the bulbs. Once the string lights are hung up, add the bulbs on along with an extension cord and automatic timer.

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How To String Lights On Pergola

Our old string lights were hung on the top beams of the pergola by weaving them in between each beam since they were lightweight.

I installed the new small string lights the same way going above and under each cross support beam.

But, when I tried to hang the larger lights they were much heavier and hung a bit too low.

Plus, I wanted to stagger the giant globes but since the spacing between the bulbs was fairly long they were lining up one behind the other as I was hanging them.

I knew that wouldnt work so, I stepped back to figure out a way to hang the larger bulb string lights and still look great!

I decided I needed to wind the giant globe light strands around the beams to tighten the slack in the cord and get the big light bulb to line up correctly.

Also hanging the wire for heavier bulb over rather than under the cross beam when I was able lifted the lights higher.

Once I decided to wrap the strand around the beam it was super quick to finish hanging all the lights and install the bulbs.

When two light strands connected and plugged into each other I just wrapped the cord around and tucked the plugs at the top so they would be less visible.

Hanging the smaller lights first helped me stagger the giant bulbs over the pergola area and get the spacing right.

The combination of two different sized bulbs on the new string lights looks so good together, doesnt it?

I like that its so unique!

Now are you ready to see the lights turned on?

Summary Of Hanging String Lights Under Covered Patio Or Deck

Adding Patio String Lights to the Deck!

Seriously, this is the easiest project ever. Adding string lights to our deck makes our evening more magical. The lights look glorious during sunset hours. I just love to get away from the noise of what a big family offers and just sit and relax with a cup of hot chocolate. The glow is charming and provides a surprising amount of light.

While it is true that bugs are less attracted to these LED lights as compared to my regular fan lighting, I now had a new appreciation for what my screened in patio could do for me. Check out our project on restoring our deck patio furniture here!

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