I’ve had squirrels chew through exposed sections, so I usually run conduit or at least use weatherproof boxes at connection points.
Man, the squirrel thing is too real. Had one chew through my landscape lighting last summer—felt like I was running a wildlife snack bar instead of a backyard. I’m with you on the conduit. Low-voltage kits are a sweet spot though, especially if you’re indecisive like me and want to move stuff around after seeing how it looks at night. Solar’s great until you get a week of clouds and suddenly your “lit” fence is just... a fence.
Squirrels are relentless, right? I’ve seen them chew through just about anything that isn’t armored. For folks who want flexibility but also some durability, I usually suggest running low-voltage wire inside flexible conduit—lets you move things around but keeps the critters out. Solar’s tempting, but yeah, it’s hit or miss if you get a lot of shade or cloudy days. Sometimes a mix works: wired for the main spots, solar for accent lighting where you don’t want to trench.
Honestly, I get the whole “wired for the main spots, solar for accent lighting” thing, but I’ve actually had better luck going all-in on solar—just with higher quality fixtures.
True, but if you play around with placement and go for those adjustable panels, you can usually find enough sun. Plus, no wires to hide or conduit to fuss with... and it’s way easier to swap things out when you want a new look.“Solar’s tempting, but yeah, it’s hit or miss if you get a lot of shade or cloudy days.”
“Plus, no wires to hide or conduit to fuss with... and it’s way easier to swap things out when you want a new look.”
Couldn’t agree more about the no-wires thing—after wrestling with buried cable for an afternoon, solar starts looking pretty sweet. I’ve found some of the newer adjustable solar fixtures are surprisingly bright, even after a few cloudy days. I will say, though, if you’re in a spot that’s shaded most of the day, you might still end up with some “mood lighting” instead of anything super functional. But for swapping styles or moving things around, solar’s hard to beat.
Yeah, I’ve noticed the same thing—solar’s a breeze to move around, but if you’ve got a lot of shade, you’re pretty much stuck with accent lighting. I do wish they’d figure out a way to store more juice for those cloudy stretches. Maybe one day?
