It’s finally time to bust out the Christmas lights and decorate your home’s exterior. Whether your display inspiration is the Griswold house or Charlie Brown’s Christmas tree, there are a few tips and tricks we’ve compiled over the years that everyone can take advantage of!
Make a plan.
Don’t go in there with 10,000 twinkling lights and no plan. You’ll need to know a general idea of where you’re planning to decorate, how many outlets are accessible, and what type of display you want to create. The plan may change along the way, but at least you’ll have a good starting point!
Check your lights.
Now that you know what you need, make sure you have the lights necessary at the lengths required to get from outlet to outlet. There are many kinds available on the market, from LED to globe, transparent to ceramic—you’ve got a lot of choice. With any light, however, make sure you check that they work before you go through all the trouble of putting them up.
Form a team.
Christmas decor may seem innocent, but anything that involves heights and electricity will involve some element of risk. Don’t go out there alone, make sure you have a helper to hold the ladder and be an extra set of hands.
Keep under 1,400 watts per circuit.
Just because the lights are tiny doesn’t mean that they won’t have a significant effect on the power usage. If your house lights flicker every time you switch on the outside decor, you’ve overloaded the circuit.
Expand your reach.
Looking for some extra oomph in your holiday display? Consider adding some extra dimension by installing floodlights or decorating the trees. Net lights are an easy way to cover the foliage without spending hours stringing lights between boughs.
Follow these tips to reduce frustration, electrical hazards, and wasted time. If you’re unsure that your home will be able to handle the extra power load, make sure to call an electrician before you get started. And from all of us here at 4-Star Electric, have a very happy holiday season!