Helpful Hints to Hang Lights Outdoors for Christmas

With Christmas on the way, thoughts are turning to great food, presents, and decorations. With so many people feeling stress this past year, now’s a good time to spread additional holiday cheer around the neighborhood by hanging Christmas lights outside your home. Having a home that’s all lit up can be really satisfying, but to do it right, you’ll need to plan ahead. Here are some things to consider before you hang lights this Christmas.

Create a Design

Once you’ve made the commitment to hang lights, you’re probably really excited to get going. The temptation to just “wing it” and start putting up lights all over the place may be tempting, but don’t do it! You want your holiday lights to be special — to make an impact. The only way you’re going to get the neighbors to “ooh” and “aah” is by taking the time to work a good design.

Choose a Focal Point

Your first consideration is to pick a focal point for your lighting design. Installing lights around the doorway is a natural choice for a lot of homeowners, but you can choose whichever spot you like. The important thing is to have some kind of focal point, or the entire effort is going to look messy and disorganized.

Examine All Surfaces

Different kinds of surfaces will work better for different types of lights and designs. Before making your plan, take a look at the available places to hang lights. Inspect the thickness of your gutters and the flexibility of the shingles before hanging lights there. Other locations outside your home to consider include window frames, along the tops of bushes and hedges, throughout trees, around pillars and porch railings, and up and down the driveway and walkways. When you decide where you plan on placing your lights, measure them so you’ll know you’ve got enough strands for the job.

The Lights

You can’t hang lights without the lights themselves. To get it right, you’ll want to determine how many you’ll need. It’s usually recommended that you have 100 lights for every 12 to 18 inches of shrub or tree you plan to cover. A fully lit 6-foot Christmas tree, for instance, should have approximately 400 lights. You can always add more, but this is a good number to get started.

Of course, the most important rule for lighting your home’s exterior is to have fun! Get creative! Christmas only comes once a year, so put on your favorite holiday tunes and get in the spirit!

If you would like help hanging up your holiday lights, contact Handyman Connection of Charleston, SC for assistance hanging lights or with any other home maintenance project.