How do you hang up your Christmas lights? The time has come again. We are stuffed with turkey. The cool breezes are putting that nip on our noses. The children are growing giddy with anticipation. Even the adults are excited. So now comes the time to join the chorus of lights for the show. Are you ready to climb up on that roof and hang those Christmas lights?
Your are looking at either a box, or boxes of lights, pictures, statues etc and thinking how are you going to get all this put up. Here is how you can do it. Start with one thing at a time.
1.Go through the lights and make sure they are all in working order. This includes untangling, changing bulbs and checking for frays in the wiring.
2.Make a plan of what you want the lights and decorations to look like when you are finished. This can be in your mind or on paper. Whichever is easier for you.
3.Then you will want to hang the base lights first. These are the lights that will go under, around and behind other objects. This way you will not be fighting to fit them in, when you have statues, floss or tinsel and other things on top. Use secure and insulated staples, hangers or nails.
4.Now make sure that all of the decorations fit together. This can be done by theme, or by the way they look good to you.
Hanging up those lights, as fun as it may seem, is no light matter. The reason is that there is a great deal of safety involved with hanging Christmas or any other lights. So to start out this plan of holiday decorating, let’s start with some safety tips.
Safety Tip #1
Make sure you are using the right lights. They need to be lights that are designed for outdoor or indoor use. If you are hanging lights outdoors, then they need to be designed for outdoor use. They are created to handle the cold and wet weather that happens in the winter.
If you are using lights indoors, then you can use either the indoor or outdoor lights. The reason is that even outdoor lights will be safe inside. The key is making sure that if you are using outdoor lighting, then you need the added water repelling technology of the wiring.
Safety Tip #2
Use the needed extension cords. It is not a good idea to overload the extension cords. This can be a very significant fire hazard. They also need to be extension cords that are designed for the outside, if you are hanging the lights outside.
Safety Tip #3
Use insulated staples or tape. That way you will not be having problems with the metal attracting electricity.
Safety Tip #4
Hang all bulbs facing downwards. This way the water does not end up sitting at the electrical sockets.
Safety Tip #5
Be sure to use stable structures to stand on when hanging lights. Also, check for hazards that are around you. This could be anything from electrical lines, to mud that the ladder would sink into.
This is how to put up your Christmas lights. The steps are simple, however with those steps, safety plays a big role. Do not push safety precautions off. This is because in the long run you will find that the better and more safely you put your lights up, there will be more enjoyment overall.