Christmastime is fast approaching, and lights are starting to go up all over Indianapolis—Monument Circle, the Zoo, and the Children’s Museum all have impressive holiday light displays. Homeowners are starting to decorate, too. In this blog, we’ve highlighted a few tips you should follow to make your Christmas light installation as painless as possible.
- Make sure you have enough lights. It’s frustrating to discover that a string of Christmas lights will only cover half of your roofline, especially if you’re already in the process of hanging them. Before you start, try measuring the area you want your lights to cover; then, buy enough strings to cover the whole length. You’ll probably also need a heavy-duty extension cord to connect your lights to your home wiring; this is a good time to measure that distance, as well.
- Check your lights before you start hanging them. Strings of holiday lights have a terrible inclination toward bulb and fuse failure. Don’t spend hours hanging lights from your roof, only to discover that your careful handiwork was all for nothing. Christmas light bulb testers are available at many home improvement stores, or you can just plug your lights into an outlet.
- Be safe! Use proper ladder safety techniques. Make sure the ground underneath the ladder is flat and level, and try to lean it against the eaves themselves. If you have no choice but to lean your ladder against a gutter, put a piece of 2 by 4 inside the gutter to stabilize it. Snow can cause an extension ladder’s feet to slip—if you must use a ladder directly after a snowfall, clear away the snow and place the ladder’s feet directly on the ground itself. Make sure you also dress appropriately—if it’s below freezing, you’ll want to make sure you have gloves, a hat, and appropriate outerwear.
- Consider a professional Christmas light installation. Christmas should be a time for relaxing with family and friends, not fighting with your electrical wiring. Electrical contractors have the right tools, knowledge, and experience to install holiday lights in half the time, and you’ll be able to enjoy a beautifully decorated house without any frustration.
When you’re looking for an electrician to install your Christmas lights, try calling RU Electrical Services. We are an electrical company that serves Indianapolisand the surrounding areas, and we have twenty-five years of experience installing Christmas lights, home wiring, and commercial electrical systems. Contact us today at (317) 348-5047, and you’ll be well on your way to a beautifully decorated home.
