DIY street lamp

Street lighting plays a rather important role in our life, because when it is dark in the yard, going there and spending time is not as pleasant as with high-quality and comfortable lighting. Thanks to a well-designed and installed lighting system, we have the opportunity to enjoy talking with friends, enjoy reading your favorite books or just dreaming under the starry sky. To achieve a cozy and comfortable atmosphere, it is necessary to choose the right lighting for the street, since not every lamp is able to cope with the conditions that nature has prepared for it. In this article we will talk about the varieties of street lamps, as well as how to make a street lamp with your own hands.

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Varieties of street lights

A street lamp can easily cope and withstand such weather conditions as snowfall, heavy rain, hail, low and high temperatures, various kinds of physical effects.

There are the following types of lights for open space:

• Wall mounted. One of the most popular types of street lamps is wall mounted in gazebos, near doors, on buildings near paths. Such lighting is good because the lantern practically does not take up space, and its location absolutely does not interfere with movement around the yard. Thanks to the ceiling, the light is remarkably scattered and well illuminates a fairly large area. By placing several such lights on the porch, you can organize summer dinners on the street or immerse yourself in reading your favorite book.
• Floor lamp street lights. Well suited for lighting flower beds, paths, all kinds of decorative bushes or installation in gazebos near benches. Such devices look almost the same as home floor lamps, but their lampshade is made of plastic or glass, and should completely cover the light bulb, all wires from moisture.
• Do-it-yourself dirt street lamp has quite wide possibilities. Using such lighting, you will get the opportunity to illuminate the facade of the building, focus on the main objects in the courtyard, zoning the courtyard area, creating various interesting effects and more.
• Pendant lights for the street. As a rule, they are used under various coverings, for example, a porch or an arbor. They have a structure similar to a conventional chandelier, and can accommodate several lamps. They can serve as both the main and additional source of light on the site.

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Light sources for street lamps

For country lamps, different light sources can be used, for example:

• Classic incandescent lamps - their cost is low, but for outdoor lighting they are not always economical, because they consume a lot of electricity and are too bright.
• Halogen lamps - these light sources are more economical and can last much longer than classic ones. Also, they differ from ordinary incandescent lamps in a reasonable light intensity.

Important! Too much heat is considered to be their drawback, as well as sensitivity to dirt in the flask and sudden power surges.

• LED bulbs.This is a more economical option than even halogen lamps. The price for them is quite high, however, such lamps will last as long as possible. In addition, they do not have mercury or other harmful constituents. And the rugged housing of such a lamp is very difficult to break.
• Solar panels - a street lamp with their own hands on their basis can be installed even where there is no way to bring electrical wiring. They are powered by a battery that absorbs solar energy. When fully charged, such a lamp will work for 12 hours. However, they need to be installed only where the sun warms for most of the day.

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What can a lamp be made of?

Very often, home-made street lamps are made of plastic, but this solution is not the most successful, because a plastic product can easily break or break.

It is best to make a street lamp from:

• Copper.
• Brass.
• Bronze

Important! The steel model will be the most resistant to precipitation and other external influences, however, its appearance leaves much to be desired. But the lanterns made of copper, made with one's own hand, will be able to harmoniously complement the retro-style exterior. But do not forget that over time, copper in the street oxidizes and acquires an unaesthetic greenish tint. A bronze product has the property of darkening, so it will need to be cleaned regularly.

The most optimal material for a street lamp will be brass, which is distinguished by external attractiveness and durability.

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DIY flashlight

To make a street lamp with your own hands on the basis of metal raw materials, you will have to prepare the following:

• Drills.
• Drill.
• Screws and stuff.

Often, lights are made from improvised materials, for example, they use:

• Wood chips.
• Tin and glass jars.
• Plastic bottles and cups that serve as shades for garlands.
• PVC pipes.
• Cardboard bags for drinks.
• Old kitchen utensils.
• Unused building materials and more.

Such products will have a particularly original look, and to make them yourself will not be difficult. But at the same time they will be distinguished by fragility and short service life.

In the manufacture of a street lamp for a summer residence, many do not hesitate to use their imagination to the maximum. At the same time, modifications can be very different. Let's look at several options for how to make a lamp in the country.

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Glass bottle light

A plafond based on a glass jar or bottle is very simple to make, while transparent glass will allow light to pass through the walls and create wonderful special effects.

To make a street lamp with your own hands, you will need:

• Glass jar or bottle.
• Cartridge.
• Pliers.
• Knife for stripping insulation.
• Insulating tape.
• Indicator.
• Decor Elements.

Sequencing:

1. Install the wiring - connect the wires in the cartridge and screw in the bulb.
2. Take a bottle with a narrow neck (preferably of interesting color and shape), put decor elements on its bottom, for example, transparent balls, small beads or sanded glass.
3. Screw a thin colored wire onto your finger so that it gets a spiral shape, and also put it in the bottle.
4. Lower the bulb holder into the lampshade and fix it with silicone.

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DIY forged lamp

DIY forged street light is a more durable and reliable option. To make it, you will need:

• The corner.
• Steel bars.
• Stripes.
• Welding machine.

Sequencing:

1. From 4 steel frames, make the body in the form of a trapezoid or rectangle.
2. Outside the frame, close the bars. They should be cooked from steel rods.
3. Cover the housing from above with an iron cap.
4. From a square steel bar, make a bracket that will serve as a wall mount.
5. From thin steel strips make the lower curls.
6. Weld the ends of the curls and connect them with intercepts.

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Features of connecting the lamp to the network

When you do street lighting in the country with your own hands, you should pay due attention to the procedure for connecting wiring. To connect the flashlight to the network, you will need:

• Electric cable VVG.
• Terminal blocks for fixing connections.
• Corrugated pipe or metal hose for protection.

Useful tips for choosing components:

1. For devices made with their own hands, most often use a cable with two conductors 1.5 mm thick.
2. It is better to buy a bay immediately, where the length of the wire will be 100 m.
3. The diameter of the corrugated pipe should be approximately 18-25 mm. It will be needed to protect the cable from rodents and damage during digging.
4. The diameter of the hole in the terminal blocks should be 2.5-4.4, consist of one or two strips - everything will depend on the number of connections and shades.
5. Pads should be selected based on a current of 5-10 A.

Installation work

Installation involves the following steps:

• Dig a trench to lay the cable, the depth of which is 80 cm, and the distance from the house to the ditch is a maximum of 60 cm.
• In the process of installing floor lamps, it is first necessary to put metal knives, then, in turn, pull the cable through them. At its location in the trench, lay it in the corrugated sleeve. After passing through all the devices, the cable should be cut so that the length of its tail is no more than 15 cm.
• Prepare the second piece of wire and also pass it through the pipe, connect two cables with the terminals on top of the device.
• If the luminaires are located on a facade or wall, you need to reliably insulate the communication boxes. It is advisable to make sure that the wires in the boxes are connected by clamping nuts. Wrap twisting places with electrical tape.

Important! You can also use pliers, but in this case you will have to solder each connection.

• Install the wiring diagram. Since it has two wires, one “phase”, and the second “zero”, it is necessary to see that the switch can open the phase wire. Then in it in the off position when changing a blown lamp, the risk of electric shock will be eliminated. The phase wire is determined by a special indicator.
• A simple outlet is also suitable as a connection point - in this case, you can turn off the entire system by simply pulling out the plug. Also, the cables can be connected directly to the terminals on the switchboard, equipped with an automatic fuse, which disconnects the voltage in an emergency.

Important! When installing the switch, it is necessary to check whether its power corresponds to the load of this network.

• Before digging in the trench, you should make sure that all the lamps are working, and then strengthen around the poles by tamping small gravel and clay. If the soil is very light, then it is advisable to fill the support for devices with concrete.

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Stock footage

There are many ideas for decorating street lighting in the country with your own hands. Like many options for the lights themselves, which can be made independently from improvised materials, saving on an expensive designer lamp. If you have imagination and a bit of free time, you can easily come up with interesting and original lighting for your site without the high cost.