Holiday Lighting Dos and Don’ts

Silent night, holy night. All is warm, all is BRIGHT. The holiday season is here, and homeowners are draping their houses in gorgeous, bright holiday lights. If you’re one of the festive crowd, you may benefit from this list of holiday lighting dos and don’ts.

Dos

• Use light clips to avoid mishaps and make lights easier to take down. Don’t pin, hook, or staple any strands when hanging Christmas lights. If you have any weird areas that won’t accommodate clips, use zip ties instead.
• Highlight cool architectural features of your house such as the chimney, unique windows, the roof line, and ridges.
• Install receptacle outlets. Add convenience and safety to your holiday lighting scheme. Reduce accidents caused by extension cords, improve the display with fewer cords, and protect against accidental shock, burns, or electrocution.
• Use specially-designed lights. Outline features on your house or spiral wrap around a column with single strand lights. Use a net-style light strand for hedges and bushes. Icicle lights look great outlining roofs and gutters.
• Understand the difference between incandescent lights and LED lights. LED lights only use 10 percent of the energy that incandescent lights use, and they outlast them by several years. Even though LEDs are a bit more expensive, they will save you money in the long run and last at least a decade.

Don’ts

• Don’t connect too many strands of lights. If you chain more than three together, you risk a power shortage.
• Don’t brush safety precautions to the side. Let’s be honest, putting up holiday lights is no small feat, from climbing ladders to dealing with electricity. Never hang lights by yourself, don’t wear loosely fitted clothing, and wear safety glasses and gloves when necessary.
• Don’t mix LED and incandescent lights. They will have different hues and brightness, making your decorations look off.
• Don’t throw your lights into a pile after taking them down. Proper storage of light strands is important to their lifespan. Separate the strands, wrap them around cardboard or wood, and place them back in their original boxes.

Follow these holiday lighting dos and don’ts to wow your neighborhood with the best lighting display you’ve ever accomplished, all while staying safe and energy-conscious. Call Stafford Home Service Inc. today to install receptacle outlets for holiday lighting, or to schedule a residential electrical service.