How to Hang String Lights on Brick or Stucco
String lights look great strung along a brick wall or stucco exterior, but most people give up before they start because they don't want to drill into the house. The good news is you don't have to.
Brick clips, adhesive hooks, and tension wire systems have all gotten significantly better in recent years. The right approach depends on your surface type, how far the lights need to span, and whether you want a permanent or seasonal setup.
This guide covers five products that actually work for masonry surfaces, along with the best use case for each one. No drilling required for any of them.
Best Brick Clips for Mortar Joint Hanging
Broadfix flat brick clips are the most elegant no-drill solution for standard brick walls. Instead of adhesive, they snap onto the horizontal mortar joint between bricks and hold a hook that supports several pounds. They work on any brick wall with recessed mortar joints, which describes the vast majority of residential brick.
For a 30-foot run of string lights along a covered porch, place one clip every 3 to 4 feet along the top mortar line. They go on in seconds with no tools and come off just as easily at the end of the season. The flat profile sits flush enough that you barely notice them during the day.
One thing to check before you buy: run your fingernail across the mortar joint. If the mortar is flush or rounded outward, the clip won't grip. These need at least a slight recess to bite into. Most older brick walls are fine. Brand-new construction sometimes is not.
Broadfix Flat Medium Brick Clips, 25-Pack
$17
6,800+ reviews
Snap-on clips that grip mortar joints without adhesive or drilling, removable and reusable season after season.
Shop on Amazon →Best Adhesive Hook for Stucco Walls
Stucco is trickier than brick because the surface is irregular and slightly porous. Command Outdoor Large Hooks use a weather-resistant adhesive strip that bonds surprisingly well to painted or sealed stucco. They handle up to 4 lbs each, which is plenty for a run of LED string lights.
The trick with stucco is surface prep. Wipe the area down with isopropyl alcohol and let it dry completely before applying. Press the hook firmly for 30 seconds, then wait the full 24 hours before loading any weight. Skipping that wait is how most people end up pulling chunks of paint off the wall.
These work best for shorter spans, around 15 to 20 feet, where you need a handful of guide points along a roofline or fence cap. Four or five hooks on a small courtyard or section of covered patio on a stucco house get the job done without any hardware store trips.
Command Outdoor Large Hook with Outdoor Strips, 4 Hooks
$9
22,400+ reviews
Weather-resistant adhesive hooks rated for 4 lbs each, designed specifically for outdoor surfaces including sealed stucco.
Shop on Amazon →Best Tension Wire System for Long Spans
If you need to cross more than 20 feet, especially across an open patio with no overhead attachment points, a steel cable wire kit is the right move. You anchor each end to the wall with a hook or eye screw, run the coated cable between them, and hang your string lights from the cable itself. The tension keeps everything taut even in wind.
A 1/8-inch vinyl-coated steel cable rated at 340 lbs is overkill for string lights, but that strength is what prevents sagging in the middle on a 40-foot span. These hardware kits typically include the cable, turnbuckles to adjust tension, and cable clamps. You set the cable height, hang the lights, and dial out any sag with the turnbuckle after installation.
This is the right approach for a pergola-style setup where you want parallel runs of lights across a 12x16 patio. Three or four cables running wall to wall, lights draped over them, and the whole thing looks intentional and clean. The coated cable nearly disappears against light stucco.
Muzata 1/8 inch Vinyl Coated Steel Wire Rope Kit with Hardware
$24
3,400+ reviews
Complete tension wire kit with turnbuckles and cable clamps, rated for outdoor use and strong enough to keep a 40-foot light run level.
Shop on Amazon →Best Heavy-Duty Mounting Tape for Smooth Stucco
On smooth, sealed, or painted stucco, Gorilla Heavy-Duty Mounting Tape is one of the most underrated tools for light hanging. It's a double-sided foam tape with an aggressive outdoor adhesive that handles temperature swings from cold winters to hot summers without losing grip. The foam layer conforms slightly to irregular surfaces, which helps on stucco that isn't perfectly flat.
Cut a 2-inch piece, press your hook or eyelet against it, and hold for 60 seconds. It's rated to hold 30 lbs per square foot, so a short piece holds a string light anchor point with plenty of margin. The tape is clear, so any visible edge around the hook stays discreet.
This works especially well for anchoring the ends of a light run where you need a strong fixed point rather than a spaced guide hook. A brick clip or Command hook can handle the middle sections, and the mounting tape can secure the anchor points where the string light plugs in or terminates.
Gorilla Heavy Duty Mounting Tape, Outdoor, 1 Inch x 60 Inches
$11
14,200+ reviews
Outdoor-rated double-sided foam tape that bonds to smooth and textured stucco, holding up to 30 lbs per square foot.
Shop on Amazon →Best Freestanding Hook for Patio Corners
Sometimes a wall just isn't in the right place. If one end of your light run needs to anchor at a corner of the patio where there's no wall nearby, a shepherd's hook stake driven into a planter or lawn gives you a freestanding attachment point. Ashman shepherd's hooks are heavy-gauge steel with a powder-coated finish that handles outdoor weather without rusting out after one season.
The 60-inch height clears most patio furniture, so your lights hang at a comfortable 7 to 8 feet when the base is at ground level. You can also set them inside a large planter filled with rocks or potting mix if you don't want to stake into grass. Two of these at the far corners of a 14x14 patio, with brick clips along the house wall, creates a full perimeter light layout with no drilling anywhere.
These are especially useful on rental properties or new construction where you don't want any marks on the wall. They go in and out with zero trace, and the set of four gives you enough to anchor a multi-strand setup.
Ashman Shepherd Hooks 60-Inch Heavy Duty, Set of 4
$28
9,500+ reviews
Heavy-gauge powder-coated steel hooks that provide freestanding anchor points for string lights where walls are not available.
Shop on Amazon →Quick Tips for Hanging String Lights on Masonry
- Test your surface before committing. Run a fingernail across the mortar joint or stucco surface to check for recess and adhesion quality. Chalky or crumbling surfaces will not hold adhesive hooks reliably no matter what brand you use.
- Plan your plug location first. Figure out where the outdoor outlet is before you start hanging anything. Working backward from the power source saves you from re-routing the whole run after it's already up.
- Space hooks 4 to 5 feet apart maximum. More than 5 feet between anchor points and most residential string lights will start to visibly sag, especially when wet from rain or heavy with morning dew.
- Use a helper for runs longer than 20 feet. One person holds the light string at tension while the other clips or tapes each anchor point. Doing it solo usually results in uneven sag between hooks that's hard to correct without pulling everything down.
- Clean the surface even for snap-style brick clips. Dust and algae on old brick reduce the grip on mortar-joint clips. A quick wipe with a dry rag before installing makes a real difference in how securely they hold through windy weather.
- Remove lights and adhesive strips before winter if you're in a cold climate. Freeze-thaw cycles are rough on adhesive strips. Taking lights down for winter and applying fresh strips in spring is far easier than dealing with failed adhesive or pulled paint mid-season.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you hang string lights on brick without drilling?
Yes. Brick clips like the Broadfix flat clips snap into the mortar joint between bricks and hold several pounds without any adhesive or drilling. They're removable and reusable. The only requirement is a slightly recessed mortar line, which most older brick walls have.
What is the best way to hang string lights on stucco without damaging it?
Command Outdoor Large Hooks work well on sealed or painted stucco. Clean the surface with isopropyl alcohol first, press the hook for 30 seconds, and wait 24 hours before loading any weight. For the anchor endpoints where you need extra hold, Gorilla Outdoor Mounting Tape adds security without drilling.
How do I keep outdoor string lights from sagging?
Space your hooks or clips no more than 4 to 5 feet apart. For spans over 20 feet, run a steel tension cable as a guide wire and drape or clip the string lights to the cable. This transfers the load to the cable rather than relying on each hook to hold tension independently.
Will Command hooks hold string lights outside?
The Command Outdoor line is rated for outdoor use and holds up to 4 lbs per hook, which covers most LED string lights. Standard indoor Command hooks are not outdoor-rated and will fail in humidity or rain. Make sure you're buying the version labeled Outdoor specifically.
How many hooks do I need to hang string lights around a patio?
Plan for one anchor point every 4 to 5 feet along the run, plus two fixed endpoints. A 40-foot perimeter would need roughly 10 to 12 hooks total. Add one extra at any corner where the line changes direction.