Last-Minute Holiday Lighting Tips: Advice from an Expert

With Christmas knocking at the door, you must be busy with the preparations. Lighting is indeed an integral part of the holiday decorations. If you haven’t planned your holiday lighting yet and are looking for some help on it, this post offers some guidance from one of our expert holiday lighting professionals. The following are some questions on Christmas lighting that have been answered by our lighting expert, to help you make your home stand out of the crowd.

Holiday Lighting Guide by an Expert

What colors should be used for the lighting?

If you use white bulbs only, your home can get a soft and elegant look. However, go for multiple colors of lights if you want an interesting holiday lighting display. You can try an all-green, or a combination of green, white, and red. A unique combination to try is green and blue, which makes heads turn.

How to increase the visual appeal of my home with lighting?

Using more and more lights isn’t the only way of adding visual appeal to your home. To give a distinguished look to your home, the holiday lights need to be placed strategically. Consider placing lighting on the fascia (the area where the gutter and roof attach).

Can I use regular light bulbs also in my lighting?

Yes, you can include even the regular lamps in your holiday lighting display. Swap the plain light bulbs around your home for colored ones. Warm colors can give a charming soft glow to the rooms, and the cool colors can help create an ambiance for themed occasions.

How to ensure safety in Christmas light decorations?

Safety must be ensured while lighting up your home and the surrounding area. As reported by the National Fire Protection Association, lighting and electric equipment are involved in around 35% of fires on home Christmas trees.

To prevent any mishap, get string lights with a UL label on them, which shows that their safety has been tested by a third party. The lights can be used outside in case the label is red, while a green label indicates that the lights should only be used indoors.

How to illuminate the shrubs outside?

You don’t need to string lights between the individual branches to light up your shrubs. The process is much easier with net lights. You simply need to drape a light-studded net on a bush. The whole plant will soon be twinkling.

What type of lights can be used for holiday lights? What about LED lights and other lights that are energy-efficient?

LED lights come with the advantage that they consume less energy, as well as the bulbs, which are more durable compared to conventional mini lights. However, they are more expensive initially, and their color may not be perfect. White LED lights are available in cool white or warm white. The cool white lights emit a bluish hue and the warm white lights give out a light closest to the white lights we are used to seeing, but they are still not as yellowish or warm as the old incandescent lights.

How many lights can be stringed together and plugged into one plug?

Always read the label over the package carefully and follow the directions properly about the number of light strings to plug in – end to end – and then to an extension cord or plug.

How to ensure that the circuits are not overloaded with all the lights installed?

It’s important to always install holiday lighting with all the lights of your home on, so that you come to know when a circuit trips because of something, and never go for installing lights that are not plugged in. Ensure that the directions given on the box are followed well, and lights are plugged end to end. Fuses can blow in case there are too many lights connected, so ensure that you follow the directions related to the tolerable capacity.

It’s also essential to protect outdoor plugs from wet weather and rain. Rain can lead to tripping of a GFI outlet that can shut off the power. You may wrap the plug connectors with electrical tape or use a small protective case for it.

However, overall, it depends on what all have been plugged into a circuit. Most of the circuits can withstand up to 10 devices plugged in, however, the demand of power is more in some cases, such as a microwave, thereby limiting what you can use on a given plug.

Wrap Up

If you are looking for help with holiday lighting installation, choose us! All American Turf Beauty is one of the leading holiday lighting companies in Iowa. Our Christmas lighting professionals can expertly install Christmas tree lights, home Christmas lights, and outdoor holiday lights. Rely on us for your Christmas light decorations this year!