Mixing solar and wired lights actually worked out okay for me, but I had to be picky about the solar spots. The cheap ones really do look dim next to the wired path lights, especially after a few cloudy days. If you’re on a budget, it’s tempting to go all solar, but I ended up replacing half of them anyway. Learned to run conduit under the edging before setting stones—saved me a ton of hassle later. As for tarps, I use landscape staples, but wind still gets under there sometimes... not sure there’s a perfect fix.
Running conduit before laying stones is a game changer—totally agree there. I’ve had the same issue with solar lights losing brightness after a stretch of cloudy days. Sometimes mixing in a couple higher-end solar units helps, but they still can’t match wired output.
About the tarps:
“wind still gets under there sometimes... not sure there’s a perfect fix.”
One thing that’s helped me is doubling up the landscape staples along the windward edge and overlapping the tarp by a few inches if possible. Not foolproof, but it does cut down on flapping. If you’re dealing with really strong gusts, sandbags at the corners might be worth a try—just a bit more hassle to move around.
Curious if anyone’s tried those reusable tarp clips? I’ve had mixed results—sometimes they hold, sometimes they just slide off when the wind picks up. The sandbag trick works, but I always end up tripping over them when I’m not paying attention. For solar lights, has anyone experimented with hybrid setups—solar with a wired backup? Wondering if that’s overkill or actually worth the hassle.
Tarp clips are hit or miss for me too—sometimes they grip, sometimes I find the tarp halfway across the yard after a windy night. I tried doubling up with bungee cords, but that just made a mess. On the solar lights, I actually wired in a backup after one too many cloudy weeks. It’s a bit of extra work, but honestly, not having to stumble around in the dark is worth it for me. Maybe overkill for some, but I like the peace of mind.
Wiring in a backup for the solar lights isn’t overkill at all—if anything, it’s smart. I’ve learned the hard way that cutting corners on stuff like lighting or security just ends up costing more in the long run. As for tarp clips, I gave up after losing a tarp to the neighbor’s pool during a storm. Sometimes, investing in heavier tarps or even a semi-permanent solution pays off. Peace of mind’s worth a lot, especially when you’re protecting your property.