How to Use Ropelight to Light a Patio

Rope lighting will make your patio come alive.

Nearly everyone is familiar with the "old style" rope lights; tweens have been using them for years to decorate their bedrooms. New technology has brought them into the 21st century. Now solar rope lights are available for outdoor use which come in all colors, pose no fire hazard, last for approximately 25,000 hours and require no electricity. You can install them yourself to light your deck or patio at night.

Things You'll Need

• Measuring tape
• Solar-powered rope light
• Scissors or rope light cutting tool
• End caps
• Mounting clips
• Mounting tracks
• Suction cup mounts
• Zip ties
• Screws
• Screwdriver
• Weatherproof plastics adhesive

Instructions

1. Measure the path along which you want to run a rope light. Cut the rope light with the scissors or rope light cutting tool at the "cutting interval" marker which is nearest to your measurement. Put an end cap into each open end of the rope tubing, pushing each cap until it's firmly seated in the tube.

2. Attach mounting clips at 6 to 12 inch intervals along the path using screws or adhesive. Snap the rope light into the clips

3. Attach mounting tracks end-to-end along the path using screws or adhesive. Push the rope light through the tracks.

4. Moisten the concave part of the suction pads on the suction cup mounts, and stick them to glass or other smooth surfaces along the path. Snap the rope light into the clips.

5. Secure the rope light to poles or chain link by placing the lights along the path, wrapping a zip tie around both the rope and the other object, slipping the tail of the zip tie through its head and tightening it down. Use the scissors to snip off the tail ¼ inch from the head.

Tips & Warnings

• Mounting clips are useful if the path of the light will turn or twist. Mounting tracks are used when you want the light to follow an absolutely straight line. Suction cup mounts will attach rope light to glass windows or doors. Zip ties will hold rope light to poles or other thin surfaces.

• If you have an umbrella on your patio table, twist a rope light around the pole. They also sell rope light kits that allow you to attach a string of lights to each of the umbrella's ribs to illuminate the table.

• Rope light can be cut at specific intervals only, which varies according to the manufacturer and style of light, but the most usual interval is 18 inches. If you look closely at the plastic covering of the light, you can see a small mark or icon where you can cut the rope without damaging its lighting capability.

References

• Bird Dog Distributing: Mounting Rope Light