Today, our Houston Christmas light installation team is going to share with our readers how to hang Christmas lights like a professional, regardless of your skill level or experience. With the proper tools and guidance, you will be way on your way to becoming a Houston Christmas light installation pro.
It goes without saying that to hang Christmas lights, you must first have enough bulbs for the size of your home. We recommend C9 as they are large bulbs that put out a tremendous amount of light. We also recommend using commercial grade bulbs rather than those you would find inside of a local hardware store as one of the tricks to looking as if you hired a Houston Christmas light installation company is custom cutting each strand so that it fits your home. However, this is only one of the advantages of using commercial-grade products. Some of the other supplies you will need for your house include:
Timers: Rather than forgetting when to turn on and off your holiday display, we set everything on a dusk to dawn timer. This allows you to spread Christmas cheer to all those passing by, regardless of whether you are home or not.
Christmas Light Clips: Light clips provide convenient Houston Christmas light installation for hanging lights on gutters, shingles, walkways, windows, railings, and more, resulting in a professional quality finish every time. Be sure that if you have a metal roof to get magnetic clips.
Other Helpful Tools For Houston Christmas Light Installation
A few other items you may find helpful in hanging your Christmas lights are...
Ladder
Adhesive Hooks
Light-Hanging Pole
Socket Wire
Lamp Cord
Step 2 - Take Measure
Our Houston Christmas light installation pros always try to measure your roofline using Google Earth, or we visit the site with a tape measure handy. There is no other way to accurately determine how many lights will be needed and what lengths of string lights to use. Start by measuring at the house's base, going along the peaks, turns, and corners. Measure doors and door frames, window frames, and any columns where you want to add holiday lighting.
Step 3 - Evaluate Hanging Surfaces
Begin by studying the roofline, gutters, and shingles. Christmas lights can be installed on any surface, but specific light clips exist for each surface type. Inspect how thick the gutter lip is and how loose or tight the shingles on the roof are. Do the gutters get in the way of the shingles?
Next, locate power sources. Most new homes are equipped with outdoor power sources, but older homes may need an indoor power source with the power cord coming through a window. Measure how many feet of power cord will be required to extend from the power source to the beginning of the roofline.
The steps above are vital. This is where design begins and limitations are found. Another word of advice from our Houston Christmas light installation pros is always ready for a few unexpected and often unpleasant surprises. One way to ensure you can overcome these obstacles is with proper planning.
Find ideas for decorating your roofline like a Houston Christmas Light Installation crew.
Use clips to hang Christmas lights on gutters.
Christmas light installation is most straightforward on gutters once you learn what clips work best with all channels, including the thick-lipped ones. We suggest using a cordless glue gun for windows and archways and Gorilla hit glue sticks to secure the bulb in place. Add just a few drops to the socket wire and then press down for a few seconds to give the glue time to dry.
Step 4- Best Christmas Lights For Your Job
Popular Christmas lights for Houston Christmas light installation include icicle lights and C7 and C9 bulbs, and stringers can be purchased separately as convenient holiday lighting sets where the bulb and stringer are included or as revamped light strings with bulbs that are not removable.
Purchasing bulbs and stringers separately or as a set with removable bulbs has many advantages, including a better selection of wire colors, easy replacements of bad bulbs, and the ability to change bulb colors each season. Purchase a light spool and cut wire as needed for large or custom lighting projects.
Step 5 - Calculate Wattage
Houston Christmas, light installation pros must calculate power wattage to prevent overloading the circuit or blowing a fuse. To determine wattage, multiply the bulbs by the number of sockets to get the total wattage of a string light, then divide the total watts by 120 to reach the real amps.
Quick Reminder: When Calculating for Watts and Amps...
Most household circuits are 15 or 20 amps.
Circuits shouldn't exceed 80% of their max wattage capacity.
15-amp circuits support 1,800 watts (80% capacity is 1,440 max watts)
20-amp circuits support 2,400 watts (80% capacity is 1,920 max watts)
Step 6 - Choose the Right Christmas Light Clips
Choosing the best Christmas light materials for the project is critical. Study which hooks will work best with the roofline, shingles, or gutters, and determine which bulb sockets will fit in each pin. All-in-one clips are great because they work with various applications.
It's usually better to attach Christmas lights to the clips on the ground and then climb carefully up the ladder with only one string of lights at a time in order to avoid accidents while climbing up and down the ladder and to prevent breaking your holiday lighting during installation.
Step 7 - Turn On The Lights!
The final step in Houston Christmas light installation and certainly the most exciting is to turn the power on and admire the view. Look for any bulbs that may not be lit, and ensure they are screwed in tightly, replacing any if necessary.
Set an outdoor timer to turn the lights on daily at dusk and either turn them off at midnight (a popular time) or the following day. Most timers shut off outdoor lights between 11 pm and midnight to save energy yet stay on late enough for everyone who drives by to enjoy. Don't forget to take pictures to share with family and friends!
And If All Else Fails….
Hire A Houston Christmas Light Installation Pro
Christmas Wonder Lights is always here to serve you. Our Houston Christmas, light installation company, has more than 24 years of knowledge and experience to lean on. Our estimates are free, and we offer full-service packages with all materials provided. So, if doing it yourself leaves you in a frenzy, or you are short on time this holiday season, reach out to our
Houston Christmas light installation team for assistance by calling (281) 545-7740 or contacting us online. Either way, we wish you all a very merry Christmas!
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