Have you gotten your holiday lights hung up yet? Some people like to get their holiday lights up even before Thanksgiving, and others are still working on perfecting their lighting display right up until Christmas Eve. No matter which camp you fall into, our Luminocity lighting experts are here to help. We’re rounding up some safety and design tips for creating the best outdoor lighting display for your home this holiday season.
Safety first
Staying safe is the first step to hanging up your holiday lights. Walk carefully if you are getting up on your roof, but we generally recommend using a ladder to stay safer and avoid roof damage. Invest in a high-quality ladder, and move the ladder as you need to instead of risking a fall by hanging off of it. And make sure to have someone spotting you from the ground whenever you’re using the ladder, especially if it is leaning against the building.
Using proper voltage
When it comes to working with electricity, ensuring that you are using proper voltage is another major safety concern. Make sure that the lights you use are specifically rated for outdoor use and that there are not any burnt out or damaged bulbs. Check the recommendations from the manufacturer and note how many strands of lights you can string together safely. Outdoor lights should always be plugged into GFCI-protected circuits, or you can try a portable power stake to avoid having cords and strands running all over your yard or porch.
Creating a game plan
At Luminocity, we think of crafting outdoor lighting displays as painting with light for beauty and elegance. Think about your property as a whole, and remember that you don’t just have to focus on one area like the roofline. Your lighting can draw your attention to something like your front entrance, or you can use it to draw attention away from another area of the home by enhancing a specific area. In addition to the roof, you could hang lights on the porch line, in trees or along stairs and pathways.
Using more than just light strands
You may think of the brightly colored light strands when you think of a holiday light display, but there are so many more ways to show your Christmas spirit through outdoor lighting. Although our Luminocity team does not hang traditional Christmas lights, we do have colored lamps that we can place in your existing features, or we have colored cups we put on some of our other LED fixtures.
Decorating for the weather
Speaking of LED fixtures, did you know that they can still melt snow? If we end up having a white Christmas, you may be concerned about the lights shining through the snow covering your lighting fixtures. In the past, when we had quartz halogen lights, it was a rare event to have a dark house because the heat of these lights quickly melted the snow.
One of the major advantages to LED fixtures is that they are more efficient and do not run as hot as quartz halogen. However, LED lights do still generate heat and will melt snow – just not as fast.If you are looking to light up your home after the holiday season, Luminocity would be happy to perform a consultation and help you determine the best lighting design for your home. Call us today at 317-537-8055 or reach out online to schedule your appointment.
