Learn an easy and inexpensive way to hang beautiful string lights under a covered patio and deck. Find inspiration as well as full instructions and the best lights and tools to hang string light and globe lights under a covered outdoor living space.

Our vision for our patio has always been to make it an extension of our indoor living space. Whether it was a screened-in or open, covered area, we've had plenty of success adding ambient lighting to make the space warm and cozy at night. With the right tools, installing string lights can be very easy to do. Here are a few tips and tricks I learned along the way.

How to Hang String Lights on Covered Patio or Deck featured by top US DIY blogger, Sengerson: Considerations when hanging stright lighting outside as an extension to your living space

Below are string lights under our patio that has screens all around the space.

How to Hang String Lights on Covered Patio or Deck featured by top US DIY blogger, Sengerson: how to hang string lighting outdoors

We wanted to open up the space so that we could have a better view, but the lights also remained.

You can learn more about our outdoor covered living space, affordable tips on decorating your patio, and how to wash teak furniture.

In This Post

Choosing Outdoor Lighting for Covered Patio

For outdoor lighting, you'll want some industrial lights especially if you live in harsher climates. Industrial lights don't have to be expensive. Below are some options we've found, including this one that I personally have up. What you want to look for in string lights is ensuring that the wire has a hole that you can use to hang the string lights. There are also even solar powered ones if you don't want to hang an extension like I did below.

To get an idea of what your space can look like with string lights, here is a tour of the covered patio with edison bulbs installed.

Simple, economical, yet elegant string lights is an easy way to spruce up any outdoor living space, making it more cozy and inviting.

Here are some considerations you'll want before choosing the type of string lights for your space:

Choose the design for your outdoor living aesthetic by deciding if you want edison bulbs or regular bulbs.
Choose the string color; there are plenty of options other than black.
Decide whether you want electric or solar powered lights.

Best String Lights for Covered Patio

Below is a list of some of the best

Supplies to Hang String Lights Under Covered Patio, Deck, or Porch

String Lights

These Brightech shop string lights are amazing. They are heavy duty and very cost effective with their low power. They are also super easy to hang, as each light drop has a small loophole in it. You simply cannot go wrong with these. They are so durable. I love how you can see the "filament" of the lights even though they are LED, gives more of the vintage vibe.

Here are some additional options for string lights:

Drill with Drill Bit

You will be drilling a hole into your outdoor wall in order to install the eye hooks.

Eye Hooks

Eye hooks will be used to hang the lights. You'll want to use the eye hooks that have a gap that allows you to thread the string light space for hanging.

Caulking and Caulk Gun

After drilling a hole into your outdoor wall, you'll want to use a caulking to prevent water damage by having water leak into your wall.

Zip Ties

This is a hack we used in order to create "space" by adding the zip tie into the eye hook prior to threading in the string lights. This allowed the bulbs to sit further away from the outdoor wall.

Extension for Energy Source (Outlet or Solar)

In order to supply energy for the string lights, you will want an extension cord for your string lights.

Tips and Tricks for Hanging String Lights Under Covered Patio Deck

Clean design. Initially, I had wanted the lights to be angled from one corner to the next. Since we had a fan installed, it would be too much for the space.For our space, I wanted to stay clear of a cluttered ceiling, so we opted for the perimeter to be lighted.

However, if you have a fairly open space, I would recommend looking up various ways you can hang the lights (for example lights strung out only from one corner, but spreads like a fan to the sides).

How to Hang String Lights on Covered Patio or Deck featured by top US DIY blogger, Sengerson: how to hang up string lighting

Measure Your Space. Before you even think about ordering your lights, measure your space and your design. It's important to think about how you'll get the light to the outlet, especially if you want to hang the long leading end. Measure your space and your initial design so that you get enough length.

Anchor Ports. Make sure you have anchor ports for the light strands. In our space, since we were securing it around the perimeter, it wasn't that big of a deal.

Use hooks and silicone caulking. If you plan on adding holes to the outside walks, I would recommend using caulking silicone around the hooks to keep the hole from wearing with the weather as well as keeping the bugs out.

Keep the lights away from the wall. While the lights don't emit that much power, we wanted to avoid any heat to the structures surrounding it as much as possible. As a hack, we added zip ties to the hooks and cut them. The zip ties effectively worked as spacers on the hooks to keep the lights away from the wall. It was cheap and worked.

How to Hang String Lights on Covered Patio or Deck featured by top US DIY blogger, Sengerson: outdoor seating string lighting

Yield: 1

How to Hang String Lights Outdoors Under Covered Deck or Patio

Learn how to hang and mount your string lights outdoors on your covered patio, deck, or porch with simple instructions.

Prep Time 15 minutes

Active Time 30 minutes

Additional Time 30 minutes

Total Time 1 hour 15 minutes

Difficulty Medium

Estimated Cost $20

Materials

Tools

Drill
Drill Bit

Instructions

Measure out anchor points. You'll want to determine where you want each string light strand to hang. Depending on whether you want the lines to overlap or if you want it around the perimeter, you'll want to make sure you measure out where the corners will be as well.
Prepare the lights be removing the light bulbs from the string prior to installation.
Measure out the distance between one bulb and the next bulb. Next, determine whether you want the string lights to be taut around the covered patio, porch, or deck or whether you want it to hang with one bulb hanging down in the middle between every other light.
Mark the locations on where to drill the holes for the screw eyes or hook. Screw in the screw eyes and hook. Use silicon around the hook to prevent any water damage to the holes that you drilled.
Use the zip ties to create a barrier between the top part of the light and the covered deck wall in between the hook and the string light. This will allow you to keep the lights away from the wall.
Place the string lights on the hooks. Install the light bulbs.
Attach the string lights to the extension cord (if needed). Install a timer as needed to prevent having to manually turn it on and off.

Notes

I would recommend putting the wires up close to the ceiling to prevent any birds sitting on the wires.

Summary of Hanging String Lights Under Covered Patio or Deck

Seriously, this is the easiest project ever. Adding string lights to our deck makes our evening more magical. The lights look glorious during sunset hours. I just love to get away from the noise of what a big family offers and just sit and relax with a cup of hot chocolate. The glow is charming and provides a surprising amount of light.

While it is true that bugs are less attracted to these LED lights as compared to my regular fan lighting, I now had a new appreciation for what my screened in patio could do for me. Check out our project on restoring our deck patio furniture here!

Frequently Asked Questions About Hanging String Lights Under Covered Patio and Deck

Can you hang string lights with a staple gun?

Staple guns should not be used to hang string lights. Not only will staples damage your home's walls, but it could also completely damage the lights. The recommendation is to just use a drill to install hooks and/or screw eyes or potentially find plastic clips and hooks that are strong enough to hold up your string lights.

How do you hang Edison lights under covered patio deck?

To hang Edison lights under a covered patio, you'll need to have hooks or screw eyes that are drilled underneath the ceiling of the covered patio or deck. Next, use silicon to do preventative shielding for water damage. Hang the string lights without the bulbs. Once the string lights are hung up, add the bulbs on along with an extension cord and automatic timer.