Best Concrete Step Light Ideas

Dark concrete steps are an accident waiting to happen. If you have a set of concrete steps as part of your landscape design, and they become a little bit tricky to navigate after the sun goes down, consider the concrete step light options we present in this article. Not only will lighting the steps make them easier to use in the dark, but it will also add a nice visual component that upgrades the look of your whole landscape in the early morning and late evening hours. 

As you think about improvements that you can make to your Jackson, WY property, remember to keep TLC in mind. With a wide range of services, including landscape design and an expert team on hand to serve you, help is just a phone call away. 

Options for Concrete Step Lights

There are many ways to light your concrete steps. The option you choose will depend on the type of steps you have, how much light you want to add to the area, and any physical limitations that are in your way (such as retaining walls, existing plants, etc.). Check out the list below as a starting point for ideas you may consider –

• Lights on the risers. The riser is the vertical portion of a stair or step, and there are many light products on the market that are designed to be installed in or on this component. So, you could recess lights into the risers, or simply attach them to the surface. Either way, this is a great pick for safety purposes, since it will shine light down directly on the treads where you need to place your feet. On the downside, this pick doesn’t produce as much light as some of the other options, so it won’t be great if you want to light up the entire area around the steps. 
• In-ground lights along the side. To add more overall light to the area, look into lights that are placed into the ground and use those to go up along the side of the steps from top to bottom. These types of lights typically have little stakes on the bottom, so they can be driven into the soil or turf. Many are powered by small solar panels on top, so you don’t need to provide any other source of power. One of the nice features of this type of lighting is the flexibility and ease of installation that it provides. You can drop them into place without any trouble, and when your needs change, they can simply be picked up and moved. 
• Overhead lighting. In some cases, the best way to light up your concrete steps will be to shine that light down from above. If there is a tree in the area, you might consider having lights attached to the tree that are pointed down at the steps. Or, if the steps are close enough to the house or another structure, mounting lights on a nearby building may be possible. While this is the option that will bring the most light into the area, it’s also going to require a more involved installation and likely the help of a professional to make it happen. 

Think About What You Want to Achieve

Sorting through the options for this project will become much easier once you have a clear vision of what you want from the finished product. Is this only about safety as you walk up and down the steps? In that case, lights on the risers are a simple way to see where your feet need to be placed while walking at night. Not only will riser lights help you get around your property without tripping, but having the steps lit will make your guests more comfortable, as well. 

You might see this project as being about more than just safety, however. If you also want to add light that will allow some of your garden to be seen at night, or if you just want to make the whole outdoor space feel more welcoming and inviting for evening gatherings, one of the other options may be a better selection. 

You might be surprised how much difference this project can make once the lights are in place. It might seem like a small thing, but you’ll appreciate the benefits of lighting up the concrete steps each time you are outside after dark. Thank you for stopping by and be sure to reach out to TLC right away for assistance with any Jackson, WY landscaping projects.