How to Install Pathway Lights: A Complete Guide

So, you’re on a journey to brighten up your landscaping. If you’ve already chosen which fixtures you’d like to add to your landscape lighting plan, it’s time to start thinking about installation. DIY installation may seem overwhelming at first glance, but we have put together a guide with simple steps to install some of DEKOR’s most popular path lights.

Note that there are some basic materials you will need for any lighting installation job, including a low-voltage transformer, cables, connectors, and the lights themselves. DEKOR’s lighting kits come with all of the materials required to get the job done. You may also need tools to ensure your lights are securely installed and your wires are sufficiently buried, like a mallet, a drill, or a shovel. We break down exactly what is needed for each type of light below.

Finally, before you get started, identify where the power sources and outlets are located in your yard and where you wish to place your lights. You’ll need to make sure that your wires are the correct length, so you can make the appropriate electrical connections to set up your lights.

Installing EZ Yard Dot LED Path Lights

Yard Dots add ground effect lighting in three easy steps: push it in, plug it in and turn it on. This may be a slight oversimplification, but these really are some of the easiest-install offerings from DEKOR.

Yard Dots are available in several different styles and packages, including kits and colored dot lights, and these installation instructions will work for any of them. It may be a good idea to purchase these lights in a kit, especially if you have not installed outdoor lights before, because they come with cables and a transformer.

DEKOR’s team has produced a video installation tutorial for Yard Dots:

Follow these steps to install your EZ Yard Dot LED Path Lights:

1. Assemble all of the items you need for installation (included in our light kits): your Yard Dots, HD cables, an EZ Max Transformer, and a rubber mallet.
2. Decide where you want your lights to go, and place each Dot in your desired pattern.
3. Tap the dots halfway down into the surface – whether it’s your lawn or ground cover – so they are covered up to the wire connections. The light fixture will tolerate gentle taps from a rubber mallet if needed.
4. Attach cables to the remaining connections to get power to the next light.
5. When connections are completed, cover with mulch, gravel, grass, etc. There is no required bury depth.
6. Tap lights into desired depth.

And there you go! It really is that easy to bring your outdoor lighting to the next level. Now your driveway or path will be beautifully and safely lit. You will be amazed at the huge difference these small lighting Dots make.

How to Install Mushroom or Empress Path Lighting

DEKOR offers several other path lighting options, including the Mushroom Pathway Light, the Stepped Mushroom Pathway Light, and the Empress Path Light, all available individually or as kits. While each of these light fixtures is unique, they all have the same installation instructions. You may even want to mix and match combinations of these landscape lights to make the lighting for each walkway its own.

For this installation, you may need some tools if you plan to bury wire or place lights in a hardscape surface, including a drill with a 3/4-inch auger bit and a shovel. You will also need HD wire, Plug-N-Play connectors and/or splitters, and a transformer, all included if you purchase a light kit.

Here are the steps to install these three low-voltage landscape lighting options:

1. Locate the desired placement of lights and wiring. If you choose to bury the wire, under concrete or other permanent structures, plan accordingly.
2. Place all lights in your preferred location. If necessary, use a 3/4″ (1.9 cm) auger within a drill to ensure the fixture is firmly in place.
3. Run all wires from the power source locations to the lights on top of the soil, leaving them slack. If using separate circuits with independent dimmers, we recommend grouping the lights by light type.
4. Connect all lights. Make sure connections, fixtures, and power sources (including splitters) are all working.
5. Connect the opposite end of the male connector wire to a port on the multi-port splitter that is connected to the transformer or dimmer. You can mix and combine all lights on the same circuit but make sure you do not exceed the maximum number of lights per transformer. If running separate circuits with dimmers on each circuit, using a separate transformer for each circuit can simplify installation. However, the use of a 5-way splitter will allow for separate circuits on the same transformer.
6. Preview light placement in the dark to make sure the effect you want is achieved. Test the lights to ensure power supply, connections, and light fixtures all work properly and placement is appropriate.
7. Once the light, wire, and splitter placement is finalized, work from the light fixtures toward the power source to bury the wire to the desired depth. Ensure that lights are all working with all wiring attached prior to burying any wire. No more than 1 “-3” (2.5 cm – 7.6 cm) is required.

For more information about how to include dimmers in your installation and full product specs, see our installation guide. This guide also includes important safety information about installing around main lines if digging to bury cables.

These installation instructions apply to a wide variety of DEKOR lights. For example, our Telescoping LED Spotlight, the Well Uplight, and the Radiance Directional Landscape Light all use the same installation steps. So, if you plan on lighting up other parts of your yard, like a garden, you’ll become an installation master in no time.