Tips for Outdoor Christmas Lighting

Hang Exterior Lights with Caution

When installing your lights, ensure you use a secure ladder and insulated holders instead of nails or tacks. Another suggestion is to plug them in before hanging just to make sure they all work correctly. Once correctly hung up, make sure to always turn them off before leaving the house or going to bed.

Proper Outlet

Your source of power should come from a GFCI outlet. If you do not have one currently installed, Handyman Connection can provide a certified electrician to install one. This is important because if there is ever overcurrent, the GFCI will shut the circuit down.

Safety with Extension Cords

Keep all your extensions above ground and out of snow and water. Try to get the proper length without excess cord but if you do have too much, tape down any loose cords to ensure no one trips on a walkway.

Ensure Lights are Waterproof

Look for a tag marked “UL” which means that the lights are met by the National Industry Standard. Never use indoor lights for outdoors and ensure they are waterproof or water resistant.

The Best Bulbs

Both C7 and C9 bulbs are the traditional Christmas lights and the difference between the two are size and wattage. Depending how bright you want your lights to shine, is how you will pick which bulb. Both come in 25 or 100 bulb strands. The 100 strand bulbs will burn out if you connect them with each other, but you can prevent this by buying the strands with inner fuses or just only having one strand on your house.

Are Miniature Bulbs a Good Idea?

While mini bulbs are cheaper and draw less power then the classic string, the negative is that they run in series. This means that if one bulb fails, the whole strand is lost. If you quickly replace the bulb, the others will remain lit but the voltage increases which then reduces lifetime. If you want quality lights, don’t worry about wasting your time with mini lights.

Landscape Net Lighting

If you have lots of shrubs or bushes around your house, net lighting is the best way to decorate. Since they are interconnected mesh lights, you can drape them over instead of spending time hooking them around trees.

Animated Lighting

To create an easy “Santa and his reindeer” scene, buy animated lighting as they are a wired frame with many different colors or shapes.

Shimmer Spheres

To make sure your house is the brightest on the block, use shimmer spheres to create different shapes of light on your lawn.