3 CHRISTMAS LIGHT SAFETY HANGING TIPS

It’s that special time of year again when everyone is working hard to make their house the most festive one on the block.

If you’re like most red-blooded Americans, you know this chore—while it produces a lovely result—can be a lot hard work. There’s long hours in the cold, precarious moments spent atop your rickety old ladder and frustrating moments of trying to troubleshoot which strand is causing all those problems.

Here are our best hanging tips for Christmas light safety this holiday season:

1. Have a Plan

We know you want to keep up with the Joneses (or maybe you ARE the Joneses), but the solution isn’t to head to your local store and buy as many boxes of lights as you can get your hands on.

Instead, have a plan. Take the time to measure how long of a distance you need the lights to cover. Once you know how many feet you need lights for, which type of lights you want and the overall look you’re going for, then go shopping. You might end up saving a little money in the long run by not impulse-buying those crazy new C-7s.

2. Grab a Buddy

We know you’ve heard this advice before and ignored it. But, for real, have someone help you with this task. Thousands of people are injured every year hanging Christmas lights and we don’t want you to be one of them.

The likelihood that you’ll stay safe and injury-free increases when you have someone who can hand you tools, keep the ladder steady and double-check connections for you.

Please, please, we beg you. Don’t hang your Christmas lights alone.

3. Be Smart

You’ve already gotten a buddy to help you hang lights this year, so we know you’re smart. We’ve got a few more ways for you to be smart below…because it doesn’t matter how beautiful your house looks if you end up on the couch with a tweaked back all season long.

Try these basic smart safety tips this year:

• Test your lights before you hang. Repair damaged strands and replace blown fuses, if possible. If wiring is faulty, however, replace the strand.
• Hang early. Pick a day that isn’t wet and miserable…which means you may need to hang your lights as close to Thanksgiving as possible before the winter weather really sets in.
• If possible, use a switch controlled outlet, or use a timer for better control of when lights are on and off.
• Follow basic ladder safety. Make sure your ladder is on a smooth, stable surface, and be wary of angles that make you reach too far or strain. If you absolutely must lean your ladder against your gutters, put a 2x4 inside the gutter to reinforce it (and don’t forget to take it out when you’re done).

If you’ve read through these tips and have decided it all sounds like too much work, let us help. If you bring us out to clean your gutters this holiday season, our pros are happy to hang your lights for you (really!). Contact us to learn more!