# Forum Home Renovation Lighting  Deck lighting

## baileyboy

Ive just finished a 7.2 x 5.4 deck and needs lights. Im thinking of a fluoro in the middle (so its bright enough for reading) and 4 wall lights on each corner. I figured to be safe, these wall lights will need to be outside rated (wind might blow a bit of rain inwards).  
Just wondering what is the norm here? Do I get the light fittings and get an electrician to wire it up or do I get the electrician to get everything. The problem is, I dont know if electrician will go to Bunnings/Masters and get the lights. Probably easier for me to get it. So my next question is where in Brisbane has a good range and prices for these sort of things? 
Much appreciate your help.

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## Bros

As for "outside lights" the rule of thumb is 45 deg inside that you can use standard fittings. 
For the second part you could get them from Bunnings but they are in some cases at the lowest end in quality and can end up taking the electrician longer to fit and terminate. This question comes up a lot but I don't know the answer.

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## chalkyt

Have a look at the ever popular Sparky Direct.

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## mattski2008

I have been to both of these stores and they are good  STORE FINDER Andrews Light Up &ndash; your number one choice for lighting online  Lighting Illusions Stores

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## baileyboy

Thanks guys. I think I'll get a wall light. Something that looks like photo below.  
I think it will do the trick.

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## Uncle Bob

> Something that looks like photo below.

  I reckon while those will look great and be nice mood lighting, they wouldn't really be useful for illuminating any but the wall.
Wouldn't be the first time I've been wrong though  :Wink:

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## Bruiser

Spot on Uncle Bob - I have two of these on the edges of my garage door.  Illuminates the wall, maybe one or two flowers.  Certainly not 'task' lighting.

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## METRIX

Have a look at Mica Lighting, they have a huge selection, and good prices, with very quick delivery.
As a general rule, Bunnings and other Hardware stores only have lower end lights, which are not the best quality. 
With lighting, generally you get what you pay for these days, as there are 6 billion chinese manufactureres of them competing for your dollar.
All outdoor lighting should have a IP rating of 44 as a minimum, if it is less than IP44 then it is not intended for outdoor use.  IP Ratings Demystified, A quick summary of what the IP Rating means for Outdoor Lighting products  MICA Lighting - Wholesale Lighting Direct to Public | MICA Online Lighting

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## Smurf

Lights essentially fall into 3 categories - functional, decorative and signalling. 
Now, assuming you aren't planning on putting a lighthouse or a set of traffic lights on the deck, that rules out signalling. 
So, are you looking for aesthetically pleasing light fittings? Or are you looking for good lighting? The two are not the same, and in a broad sense (there are exceptions of course) are somewhat opposite.  
A fluorescent tube gives good lighting that's for sure, but the fixture itself isn't overly attractive unless you like the somewhat "industrial" look inherent in linear tubes. On the other hand, that wall light probably won't do much apart from lighting up the wall itself and a very small area immediately below it. 
I put plenty of thought into lighting for my new deck but ended up doing something ridiculously simple. It's a timber deck and I'm near the bush so the last thing I wanted was the "stainless steel and glass" look. I ended up just installing 3 ordinary batten holders (the basic fitting that holds a light bulb) under the eaves. It's cheap and looks it, they're worth all of $3 each, but in a strange sort of way it actually suits the surroundings quite well to have something so minimalist and functional. 
Also, how much light do you actually want? There's a big difference between mood lighting versus lighting the place up like an office. Personally, I wanted enough light for cooking on the BBQ and other practical uses but without being overly bright as such.  :Smilie:

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## baileyboy

Its a 7x5.4 deck without a ceiling. I like the whole rustic look but the missus likes stainless steel. I want to place fluoro (or a decent light in the middle) so we can see our food when we eat outside. The ones on the walls (thinking of 4 at each corner) is more just mood lighting.

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## shauck

Just a consideration. We get loads of bugs when we turn on the outside light. Sitting directly below the light would be awful. Thank goodness it's on the wall and not near where we hang out. One of those old school bright as anything halogen lights.

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