How to Install Commercial Grade String Lights

by Angela, Blue i Style

5 Hours

Medium

Raise your hand if you love the look of string lights... Yeah, me too!!

how to install commercial grade string lights, how to, lighting, outdoor living

Our backyard patio is situated between our kitchen and our detached garage, so I always envisioned lights strung back and forth between the house and the garage.

But if we were going to do it, I wanted to do it right - with commercial grade light strands and guide wires, rather than the less inexpensive strings of lights available at most retail stores.

In my blog post (at the link below) I've detailed the differences between commercial vs. standard grade string lights, and why you might consider choosing one over another for your yard.

I honestly think that figuring out the layout for the lights was the hardest part of this project. Even after measuring and coming up with a detailed diagram of the length of string lights would zig zag back and forth across our patio, there were so many decisions to be made, like the socket spacing, calculating max run wattage, and the style and wattage of bulbs. But my blog post covers all of this to save you some of my headaches!

Once the measurements were calculated and the string lights were purchased, we were ready to install. We enlisted the help of a knowledgeable family friend, and as it turns out, it's really not that difficult - you just need to have the right materials!

You'll find the full supply list and the detailed installation tutorial on my blog at the link below.

The lights look great hanging above the patio during the day... .and they look even better at night!

My goal was to make our back patio feel like an extension of our living space, so we also created separate seating and dining areas, and added lots of comfortable touches.

Take the full backyard tour with tips for creating an outdoor living room here .

If you're sprucing up your patio for the summer, you might also want to check out my quick and easy

no-sew method for reupholstering outdoor cushions

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Frequently asked questions

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1 question

Diane Harris on Jun 24, 2018

Strings are only so long...how do u make many lengths into one continuous lenght.

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2 comments

Jennifer on Feb 07, 2017
I say the party is at your house! Outdoor lighting is definitely for any occasion. It looks great!

3 Reply
Jojo Snow on Sep 20, 2017

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