At Even Brighter Holiday Lights, we know that hanging your Christmas lights can be a taxing endeavour. Follow these tips for a safe and easy installation this year!
Choose a Theme
To achieve a more professional-looking display, establish a theme for your lights. For a more traditional look, consider using warm tone LED lights. For a more modern look, use cool-toned LED lights. Add pops of colour to personalize your theme. Red and green are holiday favourites, while other colours give a more unique look.
Pick a Focal Point
Find an interesting roofline, door frame, tree, or other architectural aspects of your property to be the focal point of your display. Then, make sure to light it well! When lighting your home, keep in mind that small areas with plenty of string lights will often look better than large areas that are thinly lit.
Make a Plan
Before hanging your lights, plan out which lights will go where. Once you have determined which areas you would like to light, grab a tape measure and measure the length of each area, as well as the distance to the nearest power outlet. Then, determine the length of lights you currently have. This will save you multiple trips to the hardware store for more lights.
Calculate Christmas Light Wattage
Ensure that you will not blow a fuse by measuring the amount of wattage your lighting plan will require. To determine the required wattage for your Christmas lights, multiply the wattage of the bulb by the number of sockets to get the total wattage of a string light, then divide the total watts by 120 to reach the total amps.
Test Lights Before You Begin
Before you begin hanging your lights, plug them in on the ground to ensure all bulbs are working and don’t need replacing. It is much easier to replace bulbs before the lights are hung, and testing lights can help you identify any damaged strings.
Use Christmas Light Clips
Avoid using screws and nails to hang your lights, as these can easily puncture the wiring on the lights creating a fire hazard. Instead, purchase Christmas light clips from your local hardware store to safely and effectively attach the lights to gutters, shingles, and rooflines. Attach the clips to the lights before hanging for a quick and easy installation.
Use Timers
Instead of plugging in dozens of strands of lights each night, sit back, relax, and let Christmas light timers do the work. Using timers will also help to reserve energy, as your lights will turn on and off at the same time each evening.
Hire a Professional
Hanging Christmas lights on your own can be time-consuming and even dangerous. Avoid icy rooftops and unstable ladders and give Even Brighter Holiday Lights a call for your Vancouver Christmas light installation. Our professionals will help you create a beautiful display that compliments your personality and the architecture of your property. We will take care of set up and take down while you enjoy the holidays.