The process of putting up the Christmas lights is not as easy as it may seem until one finds him or herself on a roof the month of November and struggling with a strand of lights that seems to have acquired a personality of its own. What seems easy on the street side requires proper planning, proper materials and a healthy respect to the gravity as well as cold weather. Find out more!
Begin With the correct Lights.
Not any strands are equal. LEDs are cooler, use a lot less power and last a lot longer than the old bulbs by several seasons. The favorite bulb is C9 that is used on rooflines, and it is bright and very noticeable and it looks amazing on a dark winter evening sky. Icicle lights are also a great idea to use along the gutters but they are a nightmare in the storage unless you wind them back before crating them away. Choose what you want to look like, and purchase it.
Shopping Before You Measure.
It may appear to be self-evident, but it is omitted almost each time. Do a walk around all your roofline, include all the overhangs and give yourself a 10% allowance to your total. The experience of finishing half of the installation and running out of lights is a rare irritating affair that will make one go back to the store and find the corresponding strand out of stock. That is not what you want to happen to you.
Take Safety Seriously
A combination of cold ladders, slippery rungs and overconfidence is a truly dangerous combination. There should always be someone there with you. Instead of leaning over to pick things higher move the ladder. Maximum extension cord chains that should be kept is three, after three connections, the heat accumulates and the danger increases. It is not paranoid or a caution about it being a common sense.
Timing Is Everything
Installation in mid-to-late November will make your display the runway it should be. It would be a rush, a corner cutting and a possible struggle in the midst of really miserable weather conditions. Allot yourself the time to do it.
Vanish with the Right Hardware.
Gutter clips and shingle clips are introduced to ensure that the strands are kept in place and they can be released easily in January without any form of damage. Staples might sound quicker, yet, it will tear surfaces, invite moisture and leave issues that will not help even after the holiday period.
Do Not Cheat on an Integrity of Vision.
The combination of warm and cool white lights in the same premise brings about visual contradiction and not beauty. Select a single palette and use it throughout the display - the whole display will be deliberate as opposed to haphazard.