Use rope lights to illuminate steps and walkways. ATTRIBUTION: daryl_mitchell (Flickr)
You can create safe and inviting landscaping with the use of walkway lighting. At night, a lack of outdoor lights can make it difficult to navigate your yard, but introducing various light sources along driveways and pathways can illuminate these areas and add instant eye appeal. Here, I’ll discuss a few unusual ways to light up your walkways at night.
Outdoor Rope Lights
One of the easiest ways to brighten your walkways is with exterior rope lights. Rope lights, also known as tube lighting, create a glowing effect and easily highlight focal points in the yard. To use outdoor rope lights, line each side of the pathway with the tube lighting and pin the lights to the ground using garden staples.
Glow-in-the-Dark Stepping Stones
For a walkway that looks normal during the day and glows in the dark at night, use stepping stones painted with special glow paint. If you plan to do this project yourself, regular pavers can be painted using glow-in-the-dark paint in a variety of neon colors. Glow stones manufactured using luminescent materials can also be purchased.
Solar-Powered LED Bricks
Solar-powered LED bricks are composed of LEDs powered completely by the sun. As there are no external wiring, battery, or bulbs, this form of walkway lighting is virtually maintenance-free. Switch regular bricks in your walkways for solar-powered LED bricks and when the sun goes down, the bricks will glow.
Color-Changing Solar-Powered Stake Lights
Stake lights have been a popular form of outdoor lighting for many years due to their simplicity. These self-contained outdoor lights contain built-in solar panels that collect energy during the day so the lights can glow at night. Styles range from modern to traditional, and they can be found in a multitude of colors. Color-changing stake lights change color as they glow.
Glowing Globe Lights
Glowing globe lights are round sun-powered lamps that not only light up at night but also create architectural interest. Some styles of globe lights are designed to be staked directly into the ground, while others simply sit on the grass or float in a pool. Glowing globes can be typically be found in simple white or in color-changing options.
Motion-Detector Walkway Lights
For energy-conscious homeowners, motion-detector walkway lights only glow when they sense movement, meaning they don’t shine all of the time. The direction and range of the sensors are also adjustable. Motion-detector lights may contain batteries or may be solar-powered, depending on the design.
Permanent Lamp Posts
For a more permanent solution for your walkway lighting woes, lamp posts offer an excellent solution. Decorative lamp posts can be installed directly into the ground with wiring run to your home to power the lamps at night. With permanent lamp posts, lighting up your walkways is as easy as flipping a switch.
Landscape Spot and Flood Lights
Outdoor spot and flood lights allow you to easily illuminate any focal points in your backyard, including driveways, pathways, and sidewalks. Spot and flood lights are available in solar-powered, battery-powered, or hard-wired varieties and give off varying amounts of light. Small, low-voltage lights can be targeted at your walkways to brighten the area.