Tips For Safely Hanging Your String Lights

Nothing screams ‘holiday season’ like Christmas advertisements in mid-October, be it in-store or on television. While the most ardent Halloween supporters huff and stomp about their holiday limelight being stolen out from under them, we at Christmas Décor love every moment of anticipation. Even now, the world begins to prepare for the most wonderful season of all!

Part of what makes early holiday preparation so great is the time it affords us to review our equipment before the season is on. While aesthetically pleasing, some Ottawa holiday lighting displays can also be quite dangerous if proper safety precautions are not followed. From installation to maintenance, you want to make sure that simple safety precautions are taken when it comes to tackling your holiday lighting design. Here are some of our branded tips:

Ensure that your lights are designed for outdoor use.

Thankfully, outdoor rated lights are manufactured to handle harsh Canadian winters. 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. It’s just not worth the risk.

Dispose of damaged lighting sets.

This is a no-brainer! Before the first snow fall of the year, you should sort through your light strings and discard anything with frayed wires, unstable connections, or broken or cracked sockets.

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.

Invest in proper fasteners and clips.

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.

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.

Be safe 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.

Never hang lights without a partner.

Safety first! All it takes is a stiff wind or an unstable ladder to knock you off balance and ruin your holiday bliss. 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!