Posted on 17th Jul 2020
Commercial grade patio lighting! What does that actually mean? First of all there are many types of patio lighting including landscape lighting used to light your patio at night but let’s talk about strand lights.
What makes a good commercial grade patio light? First of all they are made to withstand the onslaught of UV rays. Over the years I have seen commercial buildings, especially in small towns with their roof tops lined with Christmas light strands that have been put up and left up. Bad idea! Christmas lights are actually biodegradable. They were never made for permanent installation and they lose their petroleum content in the sun and become brittle and a fire hazard.A good commercial grade light strand will usually have UV inhibitors in the strand to block the harmful rays of the sun.This issue includes the wiring as well as the sockets.
A good commercial grade light strand, whether it is used to line a rooftop or in an open patio, will have a commercial grade socket. These sockets are similar to the Edison socket yet they are produced to withstand the elements and most of the sockets will possess a built-in rubber lip to make the socket waterproof.The sockets will be molded onto the strand in a quality commercial grade strand. They aren’t coming off unless you cut them off.
The wiring on a quality commercial grade light strand is going to be thicker than a Christmas light strand or a cheaper light strand. Normally they will be 16-2 gauge. There are commercial grade stands being made with 18-2 wire (thinner). I think with the use of LED bulbs manufacturers do not feel the need for the heavy gauge wire. It is also less expensive for the manufacturer to produce because it contains less copper and less coating.Amperage, watts and length of runs all are factors in what size strand you might need. That is another discussion that should be covered in a discussion about installation.
I hope you find this information on commercial grade patio, permanent light strands helpful.
Dean Nida