Adding lights to an existing retaining wall is possible, but it is easier while being constructed. For both of our wall areas, we were fortunate enough to have areas where the ground rose up to meet the wall caps. After searching online and seeing what the landscape supply stores carried, I selected some powder coated paver wall lights. The process for install is fairly simple as I had already installed the landscape lighting transformer with some moon rays. Here are some of our adventures in landscape lighting.
Remove the Tops Caps (If Needed)
There were sections of my retaining wall that have inadvertently glued before lighting. This required prying up the top cap. We went in from the back so that if it was chipped it wouldn’t be super visible. Once you get one off using something like a rock chisel, you can work at the others from the side. The bonus here is that if they chip from the bottom it won’t be seen. The risk, cracking or causing a significant chip in a brick.
Cut a Channel for your Wires Along the Wall
For a retaining wall that is backfilled: I cut a channel from the back of the wall to where the light was positioned. I drew a guide line. Make sure to provide ample cut for the cord to bend and move away from the light. Put a pencil mark on the brick face to make sure you don’t cut lower than the light.
This approach works when the grass rises to meet the top of brick. I cut a channel in the back of the brick and will fill it to protect the cord from the weed whacker.
For a Free Standing Wall. Our second wall will have part of the back exposed. We cut a channel through the brick to get below the grass line. We used an angle grinder with a diamond blade and it worked great. It’s dusty work, so eye and ear protection are recommended. Carefully score a channel down the center of your bricks. When you get to where you’re putting your lights, you’ll need to carefully cut a channel for the light cord to lay in.
Here’s the glue used for gluing down the caps. It was for use in wet conditions as it was raining during wall construction. Read the instructions as I had to wet the bricks to make sure the glue would work.
Apply Any Finishing Touches
If you don’t love the color, paint them. Flat black looked great (see on Amazon). A little Goo Gone (the stuff is magic) to the surface, let dry, and hit it with paint. It was a pretty fast process to paint 10 of them.
Low Voltage Wire and Connections
There are handy wire nuts you can use in wet areas. I like these ones that filled with silicone sealant. You can also use regular ones but I like to wrap with electrical tape. I typically use a regular wire nut, with electrical tape, and some zip ties. For wire runs, there are some handy guides for the distance that you’re running. I have a mixture of 12/2, 14/2, and 16/2 – the first number is the gauge. Amazon was cheapest for landscape wire when I did my project. The lower the number the bigger the wire. The second number is the number of wires. I run the 12/2 from my transformer to the primary connections. Near the end of the run, I use 14/2 and 16/2 depending how far away I am.
Just remember to leave some extra slack at your existing lights to tie in and connect future lights.
Check Your Design at Night
Before you secure the top caps, make sure that you’re happy with the lighting configuration. As shown below, we thought 3 lights along the top would look good. Turns out it was too bright at night and we ended up going with 2 up and 2 down.
Also, keep track of your watts – I installed a 300 watt transformer so another 40 watts (10 lights x 4 watts) won’t be a problem. Happy lighting up your yard. Fair warning, it can be fun and you might start wanting to add a lot of lights!
