Lighting up the backyard fence: solar, wired, or something else?

Metal definitely wins for longevity, but yeah, it’s a pain to cut and mount - especially if you’re working solo. I’ve had PVC crack on me too, usually after a couple of summers. The sun just eats it up, no matter what the packaging claims.

On the lighting front, I actually switched from LED tape to rope lights last year. The tape looked awesome for about six months, then started peeling and dimming in spots. Rope lights aren’t as sleek, but they’ve survived two winters and a hailstorm so far. Not bad for something I zip-tied to the fence in a hurry.

If you’re after something that lasts and don’t mind a little extra bulk, rope lights seem like a solid compromise. Just make sure you get the outdoor-rated ones - learned that the hard way when my first set fizzled out after one rainstorm...

“Rope lights aren’t as sleek, but they’ve survived two winters and a hailstorm so far.”

I’ve had similar luck with rope lights - less fuss than tape, for sure. If you want something even tougher, low-voltage landscape lights on stakes work well. Bit more install work, but you won’t be swapping them every year. Solar’s hit or miss unless you get the pricier stuff.

I’ll be blunt - solar’s never lasted more than a season for me, even the “good” ones. I get the appeal, but if you’ve got an old house like mine, running low-voltage wire isn’t that big a deal, and it’s way more reliable. Rope lights are fine for a quick fix, but they always look a bit cheap against brick or old wood. Hardwired landscape lights just hold up better, especially if you’re dealing with real weather.

I get what you’re saying about solar - mine crapped out after one winter, even though I followed all the “best practices.” I’m new to this whole renovation thing, but running wire honestly wasn’t as scary as I thought. The only thing that tripped me up was figuring out where to hide the transformer. Did you just mount yours outside, or find a spot inside? I’m worried about it looking clunky on the old brick.

I hear you on the transformer dilemma - old brick can be tough to work with if you care about aesthetics. I ended up tucking mine into a weatherproof box just inside the basement, then ran conduit out through a mortar joint. It’s not invisible, but it doesn’t jump out at you either. Have you looked into low-profile enclosures or painting the box to match the brick? Curious if anyone’s tried hiding it in landscaping instead... seems like it could work if you’ve got dense shrubs nearby.