deck lighting

[EricU]

I have some waterproof led strips that I intended to mount under the handails of our deck.  Only problem is that I need to figure out how to mount the power supply and get it controlled by a switch.  HD is selling a strip of leds that run off of 120v directly, and they promote the idea of simply leaving them on all the time.  They are rated to outlive me by a decade.

Thinking that isn't a bad idea.  I thought the price was a bit high, so I didn't buy them.  I want to put them on the stairs, we have 2 flights of 4 stairs each, and I'm not sure you can split the strip of leds. I don't see how I could run a 12' long strip.

[EricU]

this looks pretty interesting from LED supply: https://www.ledsupply.com/blog/120v-led-...s-and-out/
you can cut and jumper, 45 feet for about $200.  Product page https://www.ledsupply.com/led-strips/ac-...led-strips

[Foggy]

Under the handrails is an excellent location for stair lights. That puts the light with no shadows on the steps where you need it and not in your eyes. 
More details needed such as deck layout, location of  power source ect.
Can the wiring be run under the deck and up the balusters?

[EricU]

if you look at the end of the first LED supply link, there is a deck that looks somewhat like ours.  Top rail of the railing is the deck planking laid flat, so mounting a strip underneath would be no problem.  Going up and down the balusters wouldn't be much of a problem, I don't think. There is plenty of room under the deck. The issue was always getting power.  We have a light on the deck and an outlet.  It would be tricky to have a light switch controlled outlet, I would have to dig into the walls.  There is a light under the deck, but it is only controlled from hear the basement door. I'm thinking with these outdoor 120v lights, I can just plug it into the outlet. But maybe it would be worth adding an outlet to the light circuit somehow.  Maybe at the light itself. Now I see there are outdoor lights with gfci and outlets built in, have to see if I can make that work.

[JosephP]

Why not put them on a timer rather than leave them on all the time?  Of course, it might take 3 years of electrical savings to pay for the timer...so maybe just leaving them on does make more sense.

[Gary G™]

https://greenlightdepot.com/
They photovoltaic LEDs

[Roly]

Use a remote control like for Christmas lights or if you want to get fancy use an receptacle that is controlled by a phone app.   Roly

[carwashguy]

Can the wiring be run under the deck and up the balusters?

Is there a way to do this that meets code and looks good?   I have been thinking about adding under railing LED lights for a couple of years along with adding some outlets on the outer edge of the deck.  While getting the wiring from the main panel to the deck is an all day job for me the real hurdle is trying to make the outlets and lighting connections look good.  I can't put the outlets in the decking because I don't think I can make them waterproof and I can't counter sink the outlet boxes into the posts because They will lose all structural integrity.  
If Eric U cuts the LED strips to fit how does he make the splices waterproof and keep little kids from yanking at the wires?  I couldn't get a satisfactory answer from my electrician friend nor the electric supply house so I haven't done anything yet.   I'm VERY interested in how you do this project.  Please post some photos when you do it, thanks.

[EricU]

I know this is not technically true, but the advantage to plugging them in is that they don't have to meet code.  I probably should have put in an outlet under the deck when I had the basement walls open. 

I was thinking about using silicone seal to glue the jumpers and led strips together.  The LED supply product page mentions using epoxy, but not for the jumpers. They look like the contacts might have some mechanical resistance to separation and I would fasten them to the rails just like the led strips.  I would probably only run the wiring up the balusters twice.

[Foggy]

The modern weatherproof outlet covers that meet code will look ugly no matter what you do with them. I would probably use rigid or IMC conduit up to the bottom of the handrail and mount a cast wp box to the underside of the rail,[ or run up the face of a post.] I would probably violate code

by drilling holes in the box to screw it to the rail, then seal around the screws to wp.