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Patio and deck lighting.
The terrace is where you actually sit outside. Light it to eat, talk and see the garden, not to blind your guests.
← All garden and exterior lighting
What works on a patio or deck
- Wall lights on the house, warm and shielded, on a dimmer.
- Recessed deck lights in boards and steps. Low voltage, rated for walk-over and wet.
- Under-bench and under-step strips for a soft glow at low level.
- Festoon lights on a proper outdoor circuit with an outdoor switched socket or hard-wired supply, not a trailing extension lead.
- Outdoor sockets for heaters, speakers and the barbecue. See outdoor socket installation.
Decks need care
Timber moves and stays damp underneath, so cables under decks go in protected routes clipped clear of the ground, with joints in sealed boxes you can reach. Deck lights are usually 12 or 24 volt from a driver kept somewhere dry. See low voltage or mains.
Scenes
Put the terrace on a dimmer or a scene so it is bright for clearing up, soft for dinner and off at midnight, with the rest of the garden on the same timer.
Photographs: a private residence in Totteridge (a project led by our director Michael Simm and now maintained by SEGplc) and new-build houses in Radlett.
Questions we’re asked
Can festoon lights be hard-wired?
Yes, or run from a switched outdoor socket. Either way they need a proper outdoor circuit with RCD protection, not an extension lead through a window.
Are outdoor heaters a problem?
Larger electric patio heaters can need their own circuit. Tell us the model and we will check the supply.
Can you light an existing deck?
Often, yes. If we can get underneath or lift a few boards, we can add recessed lights without rebuilding the deck.
Written by SEGplc. Last updated 19 October 2026.
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