Of all the things you have in your home, the pool is always one of the nicest. Lighting helps you and everyone else enjoy the pool as much as possible. It also makes your pool much safer to be around at night. In this post we’re going to talk a bit about some pool lighting ideas that will help make your pool look better and feel safer at night.

Path Lights For The Surrounding Area

A common first step in pool lighting is to get some path lights to illuminate the surrounding areas leading up to your pool. These are small lights placed near in the ground along any path, stepping stones, or deck that surrounds your pool. Typically a softer yellow light, there are many options to suit your personal preferences and needs. These will more than likely consist of low-voltage and durable LED bulbs so as to not drive up your electricity bill should you want to leave them on for extended periods of time.

Hardscape Lights For Your Water Features

The next fixture for pool lighting you can add to your collection is called Hardscape Lights. These are mostly used for things like waterfalls or fountains so as to highlight them as focal points of your pool and backyard setting. Lights such as these bring attention to all specific water features that make your pool and backyard special. These lights are usually a stronger white light since they are normally placed behind water. Partnering with a lighting professional will give you the best insight as to what is suited best for your needs. And just as with the Path Lights, you should make sure to use LED bulbs that will extend the life of your Hardscape Lights and also won’t cause your electricity bill to take a hard hit.

Spotlights For Surrounding Nature

The third type of lighting to perfectly compliment your new outdoor pool is Spotlighting. This is most commonly used to accentuate and highlight your carefully selected surrounding gardens, nature, artwork, etc. The effectiveness of spotlights depends on how much you have going on around your pool. If you have a lot of trees or a big garden area, spotlights will be essential, and will make your pool look much better. If not, they may not be as necessary.

Downlights For Nighttime Reading

If you have a lot of surrounding trees or a patio area, downlights can be a big help. They are a subtle way to get a large amount of light. Downlights will enable you to do things like read, eat, play games, and enjoy people’s company at night.

Deck Lights For Poolside Hangouts

This lighting solution is less commonly needed for pools, but exquisite when done right. Deck lights give your deck that extra “umph” when it comes to how much light is present. More people will be attracted to hanging out where the deck lights are, because that’s where the light is. So keep that in mind in case you’d rather have people spend most of their time in a different area.

As with all these lighting options and any other questions you might have regarding your new outdoor pool, it is always best practice to consult with a professional. Professionals can help you select the best lighting scheme and placement to fully cover all your needs and personal tastes for your backyard. Plus it’ll look a lot better the first time, so you’ll likely save time and money on redecoration projects.