Build homemade lamp posts to reflect your style.
Home improvement stores and lamp post designers don't always offer a wide variety of lamp post choices. Imaginative homeowners may want to try their hand at creating a lamp post that reflects their personal style. A little basic wiring and a wide choice of pole and lamp materials make this possible. The first thing that springs to mind when you think of a lamp post may be Victorian-style wrought iron, but a homemade lamp post can be of any style -- modern, Americana or tropical are just a few choices. Does this Spark an idea?
Post
Homemade lamp posts can be made of brand new materials or recycled treasures. The town dump or junkyard can offer good choices for a one-of-a-kind lamp post. Look for anything that catches your eye to weigh its possibilities. Consider its condition and size. It might look great but be too flimsy to stand season after season in your yard. Plan your post before you invest in new materials or pricey reclaimed objects.
Conversion
Whatever your lamp post is made from, you will need to suit it to its new purpose. When you start with a metal pipe, your task may be as simple as cutting it to size and running the wiring up through it. If you are using a wooden post, such as an old beam or porch post, you will need to run conduit on the outside of the post to reach the lamp you will place on the top. Any post will need to be set in concrete beneath the ground.
Wiring
Electricity needs to reach any lamp post. When you create your own, you have to assemble not only the lamp and post, but also the conduit to the post. The conduit runs under the frost level and is protected by concrete or stone. The wiring runs through the conduit and up to the lamp atop the post. Installing your post means digging a trench for the conduit and safely running electricity through it to the lamp.
Lamp
The lamp you place on top your post must work with it both practically and aesthetically. You may wish to buy simple lamp components and wire your own lamp to the set-up. Another option is to purchase a lamp from a home improvement store or lighting store and mount it on the pole you have designed. If you choose to purchase a lamp, make sure the electrical components you wire through the homemade post match the lamp components.
Tags: lamp post, will need, your post, components wire, homemade lamp, lamp components