Hanging Christmas lights is a lot harder than most people think. They imagine a morning maybe with a cup of coffee and they will be done before lunch. Then they get out the ladder and find out that some of the lights do not work and before they know it it is dark outside and they have not gotten much done. Let us be realistic and talk about what it takes to get the job done. Find here!

First you should walk around your property before you even touch the Christmas lights. Measure the roof decide which trees you want to light up and think about whether you want to decorate the bushes this year. If you do not do this you will probably have to go to the hardware store a few times. You might run out of lights when you need them the most. December is already a month so you do not want to make it harder on yourself.

The kind of Christmas lights you choose is important. LED lights are the choice because they do not get too hot they last a long time and they do not cost too much to run. Warm white lights give you that cozy glow that feels like Christmas. Cool white lights look modern and sleek. Multicolor lights can be fun. They can also be too much. It is better to pick one kind of light and stick with it. When all the lights are the same it looks nicer than when they’re all different.

People often forget about how electricity their Christmas lights use until the power goes out at the worst possible time like on Christmas Eve when they have guests over. Most homes have circuits that can handle 15 amps so you should be careful not to overload them. Do not plug many cords into one outlet and make sure you use extension cords that are safe to use outside. Using a cord outside can be a fire hazard so you should avoid that.

When you are hanging the lights use gutter clips and shingle tabs of nails. Nails can damage your roof. Cause problems over time. Clips are cheap easy to use and do not leave any marks when you take them down in January.

Timers are an idea because they can help you save energy and money. You can set your lights to turn on at sunset and off, at midnight. This way your lights will last longer. You will not waste energy when no one is outside to see them.