{"title":"Outdoor String Lights","description":"\u003cp\u003eString lights do something no other outdoor fixture manages: they turn an ordinary patio into somewhere people want to stay after dark. Hung well, they light a whole outdoor room from above with no glare at all.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eHanging them properly\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eHeight\u003c\/strong\u003e — 8 to 10 feet above the ground. Low enough to feel enclosed, high enough to walk under.\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSupport\u003c\/strong\u003e — use a stainless steel guide wire and let the string hang from it. A string taking its own weight will sag and eventually snap at the socket.\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDrape\u003c\/strong\u003e — let each run dip about 18 to 24 inches in the middle. A straight, taut line looks stiff.\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePattern\u003c\/strong\u003e — zigzag across a square patio, or run parallel lines down a long deck.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eCommercial grade is worth it\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe difference is the cord. Commercial-grade string lights use thicker gauge wire and moulded sockets that keep water out. They also let you connect several runs end to end, which the cheap versions cannot handle without overloading. A run that survives three winters costs less than three runs that each survive one.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ctable\u003e\n  \u003cthead\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003cth\u003ePatio size\u003c\/th\u003e\n\u003cth\u003eTotal length\u003c\/th\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\u003c\/thead\u003e\n  \u003ctbody\u003e\n    \u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e10 x 10 ft\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e~48 ft\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n    \u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e12 x 16 ft\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e~96 ft\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n    \u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e16 x 20 ft\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e~150 ft\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n  \u003c\/tbody\u003e\n\u003c\/table\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eBulbs\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eShatterproof LED bulbs are the right call outdoors — they survive being knocked, they run cool, and at 2700K they give the warm glow the whole effect depends on. Look for dimmable if you want the same patio to work for dinner and for a party.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eRelated\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAdd \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/outdoor-wall-lights\"\u003eoutdoor wall lights\u003c\/a\u003e on the house wall and \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/landscape-lights\"\u003elandscape lights\u003c\/a\u003e in the beds to light the whole garden in layers.\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[],"url":"https:\/\/alvettolighting.com\/collections\/outdoor-string-lights.oembed","provider":"Alvetto Lighting","version":"1.0","type":"link"}