Outdoor Christmas Lights

08th Aug 2009

Installing Outdoor Christmas Lights

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When you are single, you don’t think about how dangerous some of the things you do really are.  When you have small children that interact in your home, you soon learn that nothing is safe!  If you have children already, you may have given up on outdoor Christmas lights altogether.  However, the problems associated with outdoor Christmas lights being safe are easy to overcome.

Of course, the outside of your home is up for grabs.  Everyone has heard of people being sued because someone else drowned in their pool.  You don’t have to be a home for your property to be a potential lawsuit.  That’s why it’s important to keep it as safe as possible.

Outdoor Christmas lights can pose a threat to children and pets.  We may not intend it to be that way, but it is something to keep in mind if you do not have a fence around your property.  You may not know of any children in your neighborhood, but what do you really know about what happens when you’re not at home?  In order to keep your family and friends safe, a few basic points need to be discussed.  Some safety issues to keep in mind are:

  • electrocution by outdoor power source
  • entanglement in outdoor Christmas lights
  • strangulation from hanging outdoor Christmas lights in trees and bushes

Safe Outdoor Christmas Light Decorating

Strategize as you plan your outdoor Christmas light decorating.  Note the areas where children or animals tend to play when they come over to your house.  Also, consider what they’re playing with.  You may have some decorations hanging up along the roofline.  These are perfectly safe until the child throws their basketball at them and knocks them loose.  A good idea would be too use extra fasteners.  That way, one child cannot make a simple mistake that may endanger a much younger child that is also playing.  You might also want to cover any lights close to the ground that may be chewed by pets or toddlers.

Plugging In Your Outdoor Christmas Lights Safely

Most of the year, our outdoor electrical sockets are furnished with metal covers.  Smaller children are usually not in danger of electrocution because those metal covers are difficult to open.  However, when you install outdoor Christmas lights, you need to remember that those sockets are no longer closed.  Also keep in mind that animals may move close to the socket in colder temperatures and be tempted to chew on the wires.  Many problems can be avoided by constructing a small box to shelter the socket for the outdoor Christmas lights.

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08th Aug 2009

Styles of Outdoor Christmas Lights

snowflake lights

If you’ve been passed the house that looks particularly garish, you may be interested in advice to prevent your home from being an eyesore.  It’s a common feeling of panic amongst the less artistically inclined of our population.  Some people can just look at a bunch of close, furniture, or outdoor Christmas lights and know exactly what to do.  For the rest of the 95% of the population, a little guidance is more than needed!

Where Do Ugly Christmas Lights Come From?

This is a question on a lot of American’s minds.  Some people have outdoor Christmas lights that are so ugly that driving past their home can result in a traffic accident.  It’s not just about how they use too many, there is also something about them that is just unsightly.  Fortunately, the main way that you can avoid having ugly Christmas lights is to avoid using too many colors.  If you learn one thing from this article, keep that in mind.  If you pick one color and stick to it, you are bound to make the right decision.

Fancy Outdoor Christmas Lights

If you want to make your home look a little nicer than basic, there is more that you need to know then using just one color.  You might want something that stands out just a little bit more.  Or, you might feel that your decorations just look too sparse.  Here are some good ideas for using outdoor Christmas lights:

  • Making a snowflake shape
  • Making a wreath for the door
  • Lining the edge of the roof with blinking lights
  • Using net lights for the bushes

Applications of Outdoor Christmas Lights

Of course, the first thing people think of when they think of outdoor Christmas lights is decorating bushes and trees.  However, there are many areas that are overlooked for decorating.  Some clever ideas that other people have tried are:

  • Building outlines
  • Applying under handrails
  • Outlying displays
  • Simulation of icicles from roof lines

Outdoor Christmas Lights to Avoid

Of course, there are plenty of mistakes that you can make with outdoor Christmas lights.  Most Americans find strands of outdated Christmas lights that only light up here and there most unattractive.  Before you install your outdoor Christmas lights, you should test them and get replacements if necessary.  One final tip is to not use novelty outdoor Christmas lights excessively.  While everyone appreciates your favor basketball team, they may not appreciate your entire house decorated in outdoor Christmas lights that have that theme.  Good luck and happy holidays!

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08th Aug 2009

Outdoor Christmas Lights Tips

Solar Powered Outdoor Christmas Lights

Chances are, you love your neighbors.  However, if you live in a neighborhood with a fiercely competitive outdoor Christmas Lights competition, you want to have the edge on what outdoor Christmas lights are the best.  With so much to choose from, it’s hard to know where to get started.  This guide discusses the top 5 strategies for putting your neighbors to shame with this year’s outdoor Christmas lights.  Instead of focusing on products, we will focus on technique.

  1. Keep it Plugged in. – The number one mistake most people make is not having enough juice to keep everything lit up.
  2. Not Having it Bright Enough. – Some bulbs need to be changed every year.  Sometimes, outdoor Christmas lights can handle having a few extra watts.  Be careful!  Too much wattage can melt plastic outdoor Christmas displays.
  3. No Weather Prevention – Too many displays are disabled or partially impaired because they are not actually for outdoor use.  Make sure your outdoor Christmas lights really are for the outdoors!
  4. No Wind Prevention – When you put up outdoor Christmas lights, you have to keep in mind that wintertime can be very windy.  No sense in putting something up that will only come back down again.  Use proper outdoor Christmas lights fasteners to roof lines.
  5. Outdated Themes – Unless you have a large vintage collection, outdated outdoor Christmas lights can look out of place next to more modern pieces.  Part of this is due to the increase of luminosity over the past 5 years.  This means outdoor Christmas lights exceed performance of older models.  Intermingling older outdoor Christmas lights and newer ones potentially creates an eyesore.

Use Your Creativity

There are some people who cannot be given a license to create without totally going insane.  That is why we suggest that you use your creativity within the boundaries of sensibility.  It may be fun to create a giant flashing display, but flashing lights can be a health risk.

Although tempting, it’s probably not a good idea to turn the entire roof into 1000 upon 1000 set of flashing lights.  Even if several people in the neighborhood do that, you can set an example by creating something that knocks their socks off without rotting their neurons.  Outdoor Christmas lights are to be used responsibly.

Some creative ideas for outdoor Christmas lights are:

  • Using them to illuminate decorative glass
  • Outlining windows
  • On handrails and fences

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