How to Install Low-Voltage Landscape Lighting Part 3

Installing low voltage landscape lighting on your own is a very satisfying project that can be done by any level of DIY enthusiast. There are no special tools required for the installation, nor any type of electrical knowledge. We have seen that most of the landscape lighting kits that are available have a very convenient system of connecting each of the lights together with the power wire. A system of clips is used to clamp around the wire causing metal contacts to cut through the insulation and make a loop for power to be delivered to the light bulb. In this final installment of the series you will learn how to finish the installation.

Step 1: Finalize Light Layout

In the first part of this series you should have taken the time to position your lights in the areas where you wanted to place them. In the meantime you may have changed your mind, or needed to move them because of the length of the wire. Take some time go over the placement of your low voltage landscaping lighting to ensure that you have them in the correct positions. Once you make the final installment you will need to dig up the wire to move them. 

Step 2: Dig Trench for Wire

From the very first light in the string, that you already installed, you can continue to dig a trench for the rest of the lights. Use the flat bladed shovel and simply pry the ground up. You are not really digging a hole, but digging a seam. This small trench should be about 6 inches down (or the depth of the stake that you are using for your lights) and only as wide as the shovel. Dig the entire trench now so you do not have to stop and do it after each light. 

Step 3: Push Lights into Ground

After all of the connections have been made you will need to line up the stakes of the lights, as well as the wire, with the trench that you have cut into the ground. Stand the lights up on the tip of the stake and push them into position. If the ground is a little hard, or rocky, you will need to use a rubber mallet. Remove the cover, light shade, and light fixture from the stake of the light. Use a rubber mallet and gently tap the stake into the ground. Replace the other components and make sure the light is standing straight. Repeat this process along the entire line of lights.

Step 4: Bury the Wire

Once all of the light are standing up, you can then bury the wire that is left on the ground. To do so you only need to push the wire into the trench that you cut into the ground. Make sure it is as far down as you can get it. Once you have all of the wire buried into the trench, you simply stamp the ground back into position. You should have a seamless look to your yard. 

Step 5: Finishing Touches

To complete the process you can add flowers, mulch, or other items around the low voltage landscape lighting.