Outdoor Kitchen Build - Part 6 - Lighting

Welcome back! This is Part 6 of our Outdoor Kitchen Build. Links to all previous posts are at the end of this one.

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When it came to lighting, we wanted something that was rugged for outdoor use, gave a good amount of lighting without being too harsh, and was affordable. We found these outdoor lights (similar to Christmas lights, but brown) at Wal-Mart. The price was good at $10 per box. We purchased three boxes and a few packs of wire staples.

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Installation was pretty straightforward. I started at one end and nailed the lights along the outer most purlin. I used one staple per light to keep everything tight and fixed to the purlin. This was more for my quest for perfection than necessity. I just wanted to avoid droopy lights.

We lucked out that these lights were pretty much the exact length of our roof. In the areas where the lights met the trusses, I passed them over the top of the truss and removed any bulbs in that section. They would have been hidden anyway, and this gave us some spare bulbs.

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The center light string was slightly trickier to decide how to run it, but easier to do when decided... if that makes sense. Since there was no center purlin, I had the option of attaching it to one of the upper most purlins (making the strand off centered), buying another strand and putting two in that location, or doing what I ended up doing in the end.

I ended up running the center light strand over the top of the trusses, right at the peaks. This meant I only had three points of attachment for the entire run, but I made it work. I used three or four staples per truss to ensure the strand was secure and to alleviate any single area of the strand from taking the entire load. It worked surprisingly well and (most importantly) was centered!

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The last part was to connect the three light strands to each other and to the power. I used three outdoor extension cords to connect them. One from side 1 to center, center to side 2, and side 2 down the corner post and to the power supply. The power supply from the home to the outdoor kitchen is pretty low key right now. I ran an outdoor extension cord from an outlet at our back door, across our little bridge, and to the corner post. The two extension cords connect to each other and act as a rudimentary light switch for now.

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Ta Da!!! Just as dusk set in we plugged up the lights and wow, they're awesome! They give off just the right amount of light--not too bright, not too dim. If later we find we want more light, I can add in a few more strands and put them on another circuit to turn on as needed, but I don't think we'll run into that. Our plan with the outdoor kitchen is to use it for "doing things" during the day when there is plenty of ambient light.

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Most all nighttime uses will be of the entertaining sorts, like a cookout or campfire. We have a firepit beside the Outdoor Kitchen with plans to do a better built-in one this summer. For now, it's great to be out there and have an outdoor entertainment space. And for my boys... a place to roast marshmallows!

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Getting a workspace setup inside is on the list. Something like counter tops that we can use for cooking, canning, etc. Also something for a more permanent setup of our grill and propane burner we use for canning veggies. The garden is starting to really ramp up! After that, I'll probably work on getting "real" electrical run out there and wire in some switches and outlets. And a water line is on the list, too. Either way, be sure to follow us to see what happens!

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Links to previous Outdoor Kitchen Build posts:

Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, and Part 5

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Until next time, see you in the comments, and see you on the next post!

@greenacrehome

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