How to Safely String Your Holiday Lights
Nothing kick-starts the holiday season quite like flipping the switch on your Christmas decorations, standing back, and enjoying the final, finished display. Whether they’re strung from the eaves or woven around branches, holiday lights are the easiest way to foster a festive feeling around your Ottawa home or business.
But don’t let that warm and fuzzy feeling fool you. While aesthetically pleasing, some Ottawa holiday lighting displays can also be quite dangerous. From installation to maintenance, you want to make sure that simple safety precautions are taken when it comes to tackling your holiday lighting design.
Holiday Heads-up: Safety Tips from Lighting Experts
1. Make sure that your holiday lights are actually designed for outdoor use. Outdoor rated lights are manufactured to handle harsh winter weather. While using indoor lights as part of your outdoor design might seem like an economical option, it could ultimately cause a system malfunction, which could cause a significant amount of damage to your property.
2. Don’t depend entirely on extension cords. Whenever possible, plug lights directly into electrical sockets rather than into extenders. If you only have a few outlets to work with, invest in surge protector strips in order to avoid sudden electrical pulses. Finally, remember to consult your fuse box before firing anything up for the first time to ensure that each circuit can handle what’s been hooked up.
3. Dispose of damaged lighting sets. Sort through your light strings and discard anything with frayed wires, unstable connections, or broken or cracked sockets.
4. Invest in proper clips and fasteners. Wind, snow and rain can cause significant damage to bulbs, even causing strings to be torn lose from their lodgings. As a precaution, our Ottawa holiday lighting design experts recommend attaching all lights firmly to walls or any other stable surface – anything that won’t blow away if a stiff wind were to come up.
5. Educate your kids on the dangers of lighting displays. Children can easily become hypnotized by Ottawa outdoor lighting designs and their natural inclination will be to reach out and touch the lights. Avoid potential accidents by keeping lights well beyond the reach of children and by making sure that children known the dangers associated with touching hot lights.
6. Be careful around cords. Make sure that all cords are visible (our Ottawa outdoor holiday lighting professionals will often us landscaping flags as markers). What’s more, it doesn’t hurt to check the temperature of all electrical cords. If you notice that a cord feels unnaturally hot, it could be because it’s been plugged in for too long. You may want to contact Christmas Décor to request a replacement cord.
7. Never hang lights alone. All it takes is a stiff wind or an unstable ladder to knock you off balance. Working with a partner ensures that someone is there to help if ever an accident were to occur.
The safest way to hang holiday lights around your Ottawa home? Having a professional handle the task, of course! Contact Christmas Décor today to reserve your professional Ottawa outdoor holiday lighting service now, before the December rush.
