Solar Fence Lights: How to Choose, Fix and Space Them
What makes a good solar fence light, how to fix one to timber, Colorbond, brick or sandstone, and how far apart to space them.
Solar Fence Lights: How to Choose, Fix and Space Them
Fence lighting is one of the cheapest ways to change how a backyard feels at night. A dark back fence reads as a black wall, and the garden seems to end at the edge of your patio. Put a soft warm light on every second post and the boundary appears, the space looks bigger, and you can see across the yard from the kitchen window. Solar fence lights make this a one-afternoon job with a screwdriver, because there is no cable to run.
What makes a good fence light
Fence lights live at the edge of the garden, in the weather, usually in full sun. The things that matter are therefore the same as for any outdoor solar light, with a few extras.
- A metal or thick UV-stable body. Fence lights get baked. Thin plastic yellows and cracks. Stainless steel or a thick ABS shell lasts. Our stainless solar wall and fence light uses a stainless steel and ABS body.
- IP65 or better. Fences get rained on from every angle and hit with sprinkler spray.
- A small footprint. A fence light should be modest. Ours measure about 10 × 5.5 × 8 cm and weigh around 110 g each.
- Two fixing points. A back plate with two screw holes (ours are about 83 mm apart) holds the light level and resists being knocked.
- Warm white. It flatters timber, stone and planting and avoids the cold, blue look of cheap lights.
- A stated battery. A listing that gives the battery type and capacity is more likely to be honest about everything else.
Timber, Colorbond, brick and sandstone: how to fix
Timber posts and palings
The easiest case. Hold the light against the post at the chosen height, mark the two holes, drill small pilot holes to avoid splitting, and drive coated or stainless screws. Fix to the post rather than a thin paling where possible, because it is stronger and does not shift as the paling expands and contracts.
Colorbond and metal fencing
Use self-tapping screws suited to metal and avoid over-tightening on thin sheet, which dents. Fix to a rail or post where you can. Be careful that the panel is not shaded by the fence's own corrugations or by the neighbouring sheet.
Brick and sandstone piers
Drill into the mortar joint with a masonry bit, fit a wall plug and screw the back plate in. Drilling into the joint rather than the face of the stone is easier to patch if you move the light later. If your fence has sandstone piers or a low sandstone wall, the same lights suit them: see sandstone wall cladding and sandstone blocks if you are building or extending.
Spacing and height
A good starting point is one light every 2 metres of fence, which gives a continuous soft line. Place them on posts where possible so the rhythm matches the structure. Go closer (1.5 metres) for a more defined line and further (3 metres) for a subtle hint.
- A pack of four covers about 8 metres of fence at 2 metre spacing.
- Our 8-light Fence, Deck & Step Lighting Kit covers about 16 metres, or a shorter fence plus a deck edge and a few steps.
- Height. Mount at about 1.2 to 1.5 metres, around the height of a person seated or standing nearby, rather than at the top of the fence. The light then falls down the face of the fence and does not shine into the neighbour's windows.
Sun is everything
The panel sits on top of the light and has to see the sky. Pick the sunny side of the fence first. A fence in deep shade, or one running along the south side of a house or tall hedge, will charge poorly and the lights will be dim or off by mid-evening. If one stretch is shaded, concentrate lights on the sunny stretches, or choose a light with a separate panel on a lead.
Also think about seasons. A deciduous tree that lets in winter sun and blocks summer sun, or the reverse, changes the answer. In winter the sun is lower, so a fence that was sunny in January may be shaded in July.
Neighbours and light spill
Solar fence lights are small and low output, so spill is usually minimal, but it is worth a thought. Mount the lights facing into your own yard, aim them down where the fitting allows, and avoid pointing any fitting at a neighbour's windows. It is a courtesy and it prevents complaints.
What they will and will not do
Fence lights are accent lights. They define the boundary and give a gentle warm glow. They will not light up the lawn, they will not act as security lighting, and they will not match a mains floodlight. The supplier does not publish a lumen figure for ours, and we do not quote one. The supplier rates run time at about 8 to 10 hours after a full charge, and as with every solar light, the figure is shorter in winter and in shade. If you need a bright, reliable light at the back door or the side gate, use a sensor light designed for the job and let the fence lights do the atmosphere.
Beyond the fence: other places to use the same light
- Deck edges and posts. Fix one at each corner and every few metres along the edge. See deck and stair lighting ideas.
- Steps. One on alternate risers marks each step.
- Gate pillars. One each side marks the entry.
- Garden walls. A line of lights every 1.5 to 2 metres gives a retaining wall a continuous glow. See retaining wall lighting ideas.
A simple layout for a typical backyard
- Measure the fence length and divide by 2 metres to find the number of lights.
- Walk the fence at midday and mark the sunny positions with a pencil.
- Fix the first and last lights, then fill in the gaps, adjusting spacing slightly to land on posts.
- Switch each light on, leave them to charge for a full day, and check them at dusk the next evening.
- Adjust or add lights where the line looks patchy.
Looking after them
Wipe the panels every couple of months and check the screws once a year. If a light starts to dim earlier than it used to, the rechargeable battery is the usual cause. Garden sprays and fertilisers can leave residue on the panel, so a quick wipe after any spraying is worthwhile.
Frequently asked questions
Do solar fence lights work on both sides of a fence?
The panel on top charges from whichever way it faces, so the light works on either side. What matters is the sun, not the side. Mount on your own side so the light faces your garden.
Will fence lights attract insects?
Any outdoor light attracts some. Warm white tends to attract fewer insects than cool white, and small low-output lights attract fewer than bright ones.
How do I stop them being stolen from a back fence?
Fix them with screws through the back plate rather than leaving them loose, and place them on your side of the fence. A fixed light is much harder to remove than a stake.
What if a post is in the shade?
Skip that post and add a light on a nearby sunnier one. The line will still read as a line if the gap is no more than about 3 metres.
Bottom line
A line of small, warm, weatherproof solar lights on the fence, one every 2 metres at about 1.2 to 1.5 metres high, gives the boundary a defined edge without running a single cable. Choose a metal body, IP65, a stated battery and warm white, put them where the sun is, and keep your expectations to accent lighting. See our solar fence lights page for the range and kits.