Lighting of a site in a country or private house is an important element in the comfortable pastime of the owners here. With a thoughtful arrangement and choice of lamps, it becomes comfortable to move around your possessions at night. In addition to its important functional role, the lighting of the site allows you to create an indescribable atmosphere, emphasize the beauty of plants. It will be comfortable for the owners and their guests to be here.
By creating streetlights with your own hands , residents of a private house can save a lot. In stores, finished devices are quite expensive. Therefore, having certain skills in working with electricity, as well as having enough free time, the owners will be able to conduct lighting on their site independently.
Basic principles
Studying the question of how to make a street lamp with your own hands , property owners should start with the basic principles of this process. This will help you complete all the steps correctly.
Lighting must comply with some recognized requirements. During the day, the lamps should not disturb the natural appearance of the site. At night, quality lighting is required to avoid dark areas.
In addition to functionality, lighting plays a decorative role. The general impression of the site depends on the correct choice of all elements of the system, as well as their proper location. Popular today are fixtures made of natural materials. Also, natural lines, plots when creating such products allow you to maintain the overall aesthetics of the site.
Types and location of fixtures
Deciding to illuminate your site with homemade appliances, you need to consider their main types. Depending on the location zone, several main types of devices are distinguished. There are devices that illuminate the house itself, paths and stairs. There is also an accent and festive, security lights.
For each light source, different types of devices are used. Do-it-yourself pendant street lamps are most often mounted on the veranda. They can also be mounted on trees. This is a long chain of high grade strength. It ends with a decorative ceiling.
Wall lights are used to illuminate the entrance to the house and the grounds in front of it.
Also, such devices are installed next to the gate or gate.
Floor lamps are installed on the ground or on the veranda. In the classic version, this device has a flat stand with a round ceiling on top. Ground lamps differ from floor lamps in height. They are also mounted in the ground, but similar devices are designed to illuminate paths or individual plants, flower beds.
Light source
As lighting devices, you can choose several common options. The light source at night can be ordinary incandescent lamps. These are the simplest and most inexpensive devices. Their disadvantage is the high energy consumption.
One of the most sought after devices is LED lamps. They are economical to operate. A self-made street LED lamp can qualitatively illuminate the area. At the same time, its life is as long as possible. Such lamps are hard to break. You can select any shade of glow.
Halogen lamps for street lighting are rarely used. They are too sensitive to voltage drops, contamination of the flask.
Solar-powered lights are gaining popularity today. They can be installed even in those areas where it is difficult to bring electric wires. During the day, the battery is charged from the energy of the sun. Then the lantern emits a glow that can last up to 12 hours. The only requirement of such devices is a sufficient amount of sunlight during the day. Otherwise, the battery will not be able to charge.
Decorative effects
Creating a street lamp with his own hands from improvised materials , the master can be creative in his work. The choice of design for the ceiling depends on the imagination of the owners of a private house.
Popular are considered natural motifs. For example, a lawn decorated with decorative butterflies or dragonflies will look harmonious during the day. At night, such luminous elements can illuminate the lawn, giving the entire plot a unique beauty. Gnomes looking out of the bush with lanterns in their hands will look fabulous and interesting.
You can also choose any shape for the ceiling. Various old floor lamps, kitchen utensils and other things that are now idle will go into business. Using various materials, you can realize any fantasies by originally decorating your site.
Materials
You can create a street lamp with your own hands at the cottage from different materials. Many owners choose plastic for these purposes. It’s easier to work with. However, this material is known for its fragility. He will not be able to stay out of the house for a long time, being exposed to natural conditions.
It is better to use metal products. Moreover, brass in this case is considered one of the best materials. It does not darken, does not oxidize. Copper and bronze are not recommended in this case.
Any glass or ceramic containers, utensils are also suitable.
Natural materials, such as wood, with proper processing will last quite a long time. In this case, creating a lamp will be easier than processing metal workpieces. Wooden lanterns will fit into almost any decor style.
Wiring Requirements
Creating streetlights with your own hands , you must responsibly treat the requirements of electrical safety. Wiring will be created outdoors. To avoid unforeseen troubles, it is necessary to provide high-quality protection of all elements of the system from various adverse effects.
To create lighting on the site, you need a VVG cable. Terminal blocks are used to fix the connections. To protect the wire, it is necessary to use a corrugated pipe (metal hose).
You will need to purchase a two-wire copper wire with a cross section of at least 1.5 mm. Cable length should be calculated based on the area of the plot. Usually requires at least 100 m of wire. The diameter of the corrugated pipe should be 18-20 mm. This will protect the wire in the ground from attacks on its integrity of rodents or accidental mechanical shock (for example, a shovel).
Wiring
To connect the lamps for street lighting with your own hands , you will need to correctly install the wiring. First, dig trenches for the cable. Their depth should be about 70 cm. Their distance to the house should not be less than 60 cm.
If you plan to install floor lamps, first pull the cable through their legs. The design is mounted in the ground. The cable in the trench passes through the corrugated pipe. The wire runs through all the elements of the system. Then it is cut off, leaving a tail about 15 cm long. The second length of cable is pulled through the lamp in the same way. They are connected at the top of the flashlight using the terminals.
If the shades are on the wall, their junction boxes should be properly insulated. The wires are best connected by clamping nuts. Twisting the contacts in this case is not recommended.
Wiring diagram
After the installation of the conductors, it is required to connect the streetlights with their own hands to the electrical circuit. As you know, there are two wires in it ("phase" and "zero"). The switch must open the phase wire. A special device will help you find it.
You can turn on the lamp directly into the outlet. A plug is mounted on the end of the wire. This option is suitable for connecting one small lamp to the network. If the system consists of several lamps, it is better to connect the cables to the terminals in the electrical panel. In the event of an accident, a special fuse will automatically open the circuit. The total load of the lighting system must match the wiring capabilities.
Before burying the trenches, it is necessary to check the operability of the system. It is recommended to strengthen floor lamps by adding crushed stone or pouring clay and concrete into the base.
Lanterns made of wood
A self-made street lamp made of wood will harmoniously fit into the exterior. To create it, you can use various twigs, planks, bark and other similar materials.
First you need to inflate a balloon. Then you need to collect enough dry twigs. In a chaotic manner, they are glued to the lap ball. When the structure dries a little, you need to disconnect it from the surface of the sphere. The ball is deflated. A light bulb is installed inside.
Using imagination and the simplest materials at hand, you can create any version of the ceiling made of wood. It is not necessary to have the skills to work with similar material. By twisting, for example, a birch bark, you can get the original ceiling. It will look elegant and stylish.
By applying fluorescent paints to the hemp, you can create a very beautiful backlight. There are many options for lamps made of wood.
Glass lanterns
Do-it- yourself street lights can be made of glass. For this, bottles, jars and other containers are suitable. At the bottom, you can pour various glass balls, glass, decorative sand. The light bulb is inserted through the neck and fixed with silicone.
You can hang several of these bottles or cans from the ceiling of the gazebo or veranda. They will be able to fully illuminate the space. Instead of a single bulb, you can put a garland inside a glass container. Such a flashlight will look very impressive.
Cans and bottles can be decorated with paints, rope, lace, wire and other improvised materials. In this case, the bulb will not be so transparent, the light will be better scattered. If you apply luminescent paints in the form of uneven spots on the inner surface of the can, the lamp will turn out to be very original. Fantasy and creativity will help create the best ceiling or flashlight.
Having considered the options for creating lighting on a plot of a private house, you can independently do all the work.