Can you add step lights to a patio that is already finished?

Yes. There are retrofit fixtures designed to be cored into finished stone and stucco, and under-cap options that mount to the underside of an existing cap with no visible wire.

Is deck lighting bright enough to cook and eat under?

Yes, when it is zoned properly. We put task-level light over grills and counters on its own circuit, and keep the ambient patio light low so the two do not fight each other.

Will pool chemicals and salt damage the fixtures?

They will destroy cheap ones. On pool decks we use marine-grade stainless and brass with sealed housings, which is the same spec we use on beachfront properties.

Specialty

Deck & Patio Lighting

Decks, patios and outdoor kitchens are the parts of the property you actually use after dark. They need light you can eat and talk under — low, warm, glare-free and coming from the structure itself.

Lighting an outdoor room

The rule is simple: light the surfaces, not the people. Steps, seat walls, rails and counters carry the light, and the space feels bright without a single fixture in anyone's eyes.

Under-cap and under-rail fixtures that wash treads and seat walls
Recessed step lights for every grade change, sized to the tread
Task lighting over grills, counters and prep areas at usable brightness
Warm dimming so the patio can drop to a low glow after dinner

Lighting an outdoor room — Orange County Night Lights

Built into the hardscape

The best patio lighting is invisible during the day. Where we can coordinate with a mason or builder before the caps go on, fixtures and wire disappear entirely into the structure.

Wire chases coordinated with masons before caps and veneer are set
Retrofit options for finished hardscape with no visible surface conduit
Marine-grade stainless and brass for pool decks and coastal patios
Separate zoning so the patio can run without lighting the whole yard

Built into the hardscape — Orange County Night Lights

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