Customer project 11 Deck Lighting kit

Decking expert Phil threads the fibres through holes drilled in the deck's support framework to distribute them to where they will emerge through the decking planks. Click on the photo for a close-up view. Once the fibres were all in place, they were given a coating of a car primer spray paint. This was done so that there would be no sideglow effect from the fibres visible through the gaps between the decking planking. (Please be sure to test the paint with the fibre first - one customer used a black primer which made the fibres very brittle.) An alternative would be to encase the fibres in pvc earth sheathing, but given the size of this project, a sprayed paint coating was the easier option.

Although our decking kits are normally supplied with plastic end fittings for the fibre, in this case our customers Tina and Alan opted for bare fibre ends. This produces smaller, but very sharp and bright points of light, and has the added advantage that the fibre optic lighting is completely invisible until the light source is turned on - great for impressing first time visitors!

The halogen light source is inside one of our weatherproof enclosures which is mounted on the wall of the house, just around the corner from the decking. The electrical flex can be seen entering the enclosure on the left, while the thick black hose on the right is protecting the fibre harness. Since the light source generates heat and needs ventilation for its cooling fan, some holes are required in the enclosure, although we'd have been more inclined to put them on the bottom of the enclosure, rather than the side, so as to keep the rain out.

The Galaxy Star Ceiling