DIY masterclass

Upgrade your garden decking with LED lights – just follow our simple guide

Upgrade your outside space with DIY lighting

Make the most of your outdoor space on a spring evening by adding lights into your decking. This project will not only add a touch of glam and sophistication to your garden space, but it will also teach you a thing or two about how to use heavy-duty tools. So, what are you waiting for? Get your cordless combi drill ready to do some easy decking DIY!

SHOPPING LIST

Carpenter’s pencil Heavy-duty tape measure Carpenter’s try square Cordless combi drill Wood drill bit, 24 x 400mm General-purpose sandpaper LED deck lights LED desk light extension kit Rigger gloves Safety goggles

Get started

1 SOCKET SITUATION

Check to see if you have a 13-amp plug socket within 5m of your deck. If you don’t, you will need to have one fitted by a qualified electrician.

2 REMOVE THE BOARDS

If you are adding lights to a fascia board then remove the board now; this will allow you to avoid any bolts when choosing where to position the light fittings. If you are adding the lights to the top of a deck, make sure that they are positioned over the centre of a deck board and not directly over any joists.

3 POSITION YOUR LIGHTS

Lay your light fittings out into the position you would like them to be in, keeping in mind that the lights can’t be placed more than 1.2m apart. Use a tape measure to ensure the lights are evenly spaced along your boards. They should not be plugged in at this stage.

4 MAKE YOUR MARK

Once you are happy with the position of the lights, use a try square and pencil to accurately mark these positions out on the wood. Reattach the fascia board and drill the mounting holes using a 24mm drill bit.

5 CABLE RUN

Remove all the necessary deck boards so that you can feed the cables of each light through the holes. If need be, smooth down any rough edges with a piece of sandpaper.

6 CONNECT THE DOTS

Use the 24mm drill bit to create holes in the joists or noggings so the cables can be connected. Place the light fittings into position. Once all of the lights are in place, connect each head to the next in the series.

7 EXTEND AND COVER

If you are not extending the lights, then add the blanking plug to cover the last socket. If you are extending the lights, repeat the same process of choosing where to position them, then marking the placement, drilling the holes and connecting the lights.

8 LIGHT THEM UP!

Add the blanking plug to cover the last socket. Connect the driver cable into the socket closest to the plug. Place the mains cable and driver inside the decking so that they will not be visible once you secure the boards back into position. Switch on to test all the lights are working. Once you have tested the lights, secure all the boards back into position.