Tips for Hanging Outdoor Christmas Lights

At Christmas, it’s traditional to cover the inside and the outside of your home with lights. It helps to bring the festive cheer to everyone in your home and to everyone in the neighborhood.

But, before you drag out the boxes from storage, here are a few tips to make sure you get the outdoor Christmas lights hung right, the first time.

Check Your Electrics

This is one thing that many people don’t think of. Plugging in lots of extra electrical lights is going to place a strain on your electrical circuits. Each circuit will only be rated for a set amount of power, you need to be aware of what that is and make sure that all the things you’re plugging in don’t exceed that power rating. 

If you do, the wires are going to get hot, you can simply overload the circuit and the breaker will trip. Or, you may find that the heat causes sockets to melt. In the worst cases, it can even start a fire.

That’s why it’s a good idea to use your local thermal imaging services as part of your annual electrical inspection/maintenance. It will make sure there are no current issues with your electrical system.

Safety First

To hang lights you’re going to need to get high on the sides of your house and even onto the roof. That means you’ll be climbing ladders and you need to take the right precautions. 

Always make sure the ladder is securely placed, two feet on the ground and leaning against the wall, it should be 1ft away from the wall for every 4ft you go up. Don’t forget to have someone stood at the bottom to prevent the ladder from moving.

If you need to go on the roof make sure you are tethered properly and you should wear a hard hat.

Check Your Lights

You know the drill, you’ve put the lights away carefully in their original box and yet, when you take them out again, they’re suddenly not working.

Check all the lights you intend to use to make sure they work. If they don’t you’ll have to decide if you can fix them or simply replace them. You may even be able to manage without them.

Focal Point

Having got your lights and equipment ready it’s time to decide what your focal feature will be and where it will be. The lights will then work their way out from this point. Ideally, you want to keep a symmetrical look.

It may help to draw an image of what you’re trying to achieve before you start.

Hanging Points

The easiest way to hang your lights is to secure them to the eaves with small hooks, these won’t damage your walls or be noticeable for the rest of the year. 

Alternatively, if you’re opting for similar decorations every year, you can put hardware into your walls to support the lights, this will make t easier to put them up again in the future.

Don’t forget that you’ll want lights around your gateposts, along your walls and hedges, and potentially around your windows. All of them need to be secured properly.

Once you’ve hung them all step back and enjoy the display!