Installing Retaining Wall Lighting: Everything You’ll Need To Know
It’s no small feat to make light fixtures and their infrastructure fit tastefully into the aesthetics of your home and landscape, especially if you’re going for a minimalist look instead of a traditional “light fixture on a post” look. One great solution to disguise light fixtures is to embed landscape lighting into hardscape features such as a retaining wall. It’s a sophisticated look. And, you can add lighting to existing retaining walls. In this article, we’ll cover some of the best hardscape lighting products, some frequently asked questions, and the ins and outs of installing retaining wall lighting: everything you’ll need to know. Let’s get started!
Lighting Your Retaining Wall: The Right Products
When it comes to choosing lighting to illuminate your retaining wall, you’ll want the highest quality products that will do the job and last for many years without maintenance hassles. Let’s cover some of the best products you can use:
IL18.xxx.500 LED Lighting Fixture: This sleek light fixture from Integral Lighting features a stainless steel casing around compact LEDs. Choose between 2700K warm white, 3000K white, and 4200K cool white color temperatures.
ACE Up-Down White 12V: This modern light fixture from In-Lite Outdoor Lighting can be applied to any vertical hardscape surface, including masonry retaining walls and wooden fences. It provides both uplighting and downlighting for paths and vertical features.
Kichler 15745AZT27: Another fantastic light fixture from Kichler, this one will anchor down your retaining wall with gorgeous metal frames including copper, brass, and other finishes. You can even use this product in the moist areas of your landscape.
VOLT Undercover Hardscape Light: An upgrade on the original masterpiece from VOLT, this elegant hardscape light fixture is a great way to bring a touch of modernity to any retaining wall and landscape. It angles the light down so you won’t add to light pollution.
What Are Hardscape Lights?
First, what’s a hardscape? A hardscape is the opposite of a softscape in that it’s the part of the outdoor space that is man-made. This includes any paved surface (patio, walkway, pool deck, or driveway); retaining walls; planters; pillars; and other structures. Everything made of organic matter, such as your garden and trees, are part of the corresponding softscape.
Within the hardscape, there are three main locations of hardscape lights. Let’s cover where most homeowners will mount their hardscape lights for the best aesthetics and function:
Retaining Walls and Other Walls:
Any masonry structure in your landscape can provide housing for light fixtures. This includes retaining walls, sitting walls, steps, pillars or columns, raised masonry planters, water features, fire features, and the structure of your outdoor kitchen. Integrating lighting into masonry structures is a great opportunity to highlight the stonework while adding ambient light to the space.
Wooden Railings, Posts, and Columns:
Much like masonry features, wooden structures such as railings, posts, and columns also provide the opportunity for some excellent landscape lighting. Sconces and under-railing fixtures, for example, are great ways to illuminate a deck. Unlike masonry features however, many wooden structures don’t provide much protection for light fixtures or their wiring.
Steps
Embedding lights within masonry or wood garden steps will increase safety. Positioning lights slightly above the ground level helps light the way without causing shadows that can obscure potential hazards like uneven pavement.
Paved Surfaces
Many modern designs feature lights embedded in the surfaces of walkways, patios, pool deck, and driveway. These lights in the paved surfaces are called in-grade lights and they are an effective way to bring illumination to vertical landscape features and provide definition to the visual spaces. During the day, they’re virtually invisible. At night, they offer sleek runway-like lighting to clearly define spaces and guide the way.
How Far Apart Should Retaining Wall Lights Be?
Lights that are embedded into retaining walls are typically small. The average light used for this purpose has a radius of light that typically extends up to four feet from the source. Lights that are placed too far apart will create an uneven look full of dark spots. Lights that are placed too close together will overlap, creating some overly bright spots and wasting electricity. This means that retaining wall lights should be placed about six feet apart from each other. This will ensure consistent lighting without dark spots.
How Do You Put Lights On A Retaining Wall?
There are a few ways in which landscape lights can be attached to an existing retaining wall.
Ideally, lighting is embedded into a retaining wall during the wall’s construction because retrofitting lights into an existing wall, as you can see, is tedious and difficult work.
Installing Lights at the Same Time as a New Veneer
Another option is to add a stone veneer to an existing wall and embed lighting while you’re doing that. This option works best on an existing retaining wall that doesn’t have a lot of texture so that you’re assured that the veneer will adhere evenly.
This approach will result in a retaining wall with a fresh look as well as safely installed light fixtures. It’s still a painstaking process but the results can be stunning.
Installing Lights Under the Cap Stone
Probably the easiest way to add lighting to a retaining wall is to simply attach lights under the lip of the capstone using masonry nails or hooks. However, this work is tedious, difficult, and not always pretty if the cap stone isn’t deep enough to really hide and protect the wiring; and you’ll also need to disguise the wiring at the end of the retaining wall. You can also use an angle grinder and remove the mortar between the top row of stones and the capstone and create a snug spot for wiring.
Embedding Lights Into an Existing Wall
The cleanest look will come from removing the individual blocks in an existing retaining wall, and then embedding the lights. This will require the right tools, as well as lots of time and patience (but the result is worth it).
The right tools for installing lights inside a new retaining wall include:
4.5” angle grinder
Caulking gun and stone adhesive
Permanent marker
Power drill & ¼” masonry drill bit
Tape measure
Masonry chisel
Heavy duty hammer
Shovel (for digging a trench where the wiring comes to the retaining wall)
Keep in mind the spacing in between each of the lights should be at least six feet. Here’s what you’ll need to do:
Removing the Blocks: If you’re building a new retaining wall and adding lights simultaneously, skip this step and move on to step 2. If you’re adding lights to an existing retaining wall, you’ll need to remove blocks. Wedge the masonry chisel in the space between the block as far as possible. Using your masonry hammer, push the chisel in between the blocks to break apart the stone adhesive. Once the block is removed, use the chisel to scrape any excess glue away. This will help set an even surface for re-installing the block.
Marking the Stone: Using the light fixture and your marker, precisely mark where the fixture will fit either inside the stone block or on the side of it. Mark the spot where the wire will enter the block and draw a line straight backwards to the other side. This is where you’ll need to cut a channel for the wiring.
Cutting the Channel: Using your angle grinder, cut a channel along the line drawn earlier. Make sure that it’s deep enough for the wire and its casing to sit inside so the stone block will sit flush on top of it. Make sure to wear eye and ear protection while using masonry power tools.
Applying AdhesiveUsing the caulking gun, place some small dots of adhesive along the inside of the lines drawn earlier. Carefully place the wiring in the channel and set the light fixture in place. Apply more adhesive on top of the lower block. Carefully push the upper block into place so that it sits flush and in the right place.
Strip the wire ends to make a waterproof connection, then bury the wiring at the end of the wall.
Finally, keep in mind where the source of electricity is in relation to the retaining wall. You may need to dig a trench in the soil; or install wiring along the edge of a patio or driveway which can add to the length of wiring you’ll need but will prevent having to disturb the paved surface.