Holiday Light Installation Tips for Professional Installers
Well, it’s about that time. It’s starting to get cooler outside, the leaves are falling, and pumpkin spice products are flooding the shelves. People want to get their houses ready for the holidays. Don’t worry – 1000Bulbs has got your back this year! Hopefully, we can help ease your mind by offering solutions and recommendations for your customers.
What you’ll need:
A ladder or step-ladder
Measuring tape/ruler
A colleague or two (an extra pair of hands is always welcome)
STEP 1: Planning your array.
The first step toward getting Christmas lights hung up is to plan out what is expected from your customer’s house or business. Where should the focus be? Should the customer draw attention to the entryway, foliage, or window display? It is important to take measurements of the building’s geometry to get a proper estimate on how many lights will be needed. For foliage and plants, expect to use roughly 100 to 200 lights per every 1.5 feet, or use net lights to drape over the plant or bush.
STEP 2: What products should you use?
Selecting Christmas lights will vary widely depending on how the customer wants the building to look.
The common argument is incandescent lights versus LED lights. Both have their own list of pros. Incandescent lights usually yield a warmer look, whereas LEDs offer a truer color profile with a wider range of color. The main draw for incandescent lights is the price tag. LEDs tend to be more expensive, so if you’re looking to offer decoration on a budget, use incandescent lights instead. The main benefits for LEDs are in their ease of use. They consume less energy and have a longer life span, living up to 10 times longer. LEDs also give you the option of combining more strands together, which yields a much longer chain of lights perfect for roofs or gutters. Finally, keep an eye out for lights that use a spool for storage. They will be a life changer when it comes to quick clean-up at the end of the season.
STEP 3: Mounting your Christmas lights.
You have gathered the material, and you have planned out how to decorate your customer’s building. Grab that ladder and a colleague, and let’s get started installing those Christmas lights. Go ahead and lay out your extension cords so that you can test the lights as you go. Keep the lights unplugged while you’re hanging them to avoid any snags. Start off by installing your preferred mounting clips. 1000Bulbs offers traditional and magnetic clips for any kind of surface. Once you have those, take your time and install the rest of your lights. Keep the strands taut so they stay in place and avoid sliding around if it gets windy. Be patient and fix any errors as you're going; save yourself from going up and down the ladder more than needed. Any excess bulbs can be tucked away or around a corner and out of sight to avoid having a lopsided look. Hang your net lights over any foliage. Pull them taut over the leaves or branches, and avoid leaving too much slack at the bottom.
STEP 4: Admire the results!
Finally, the moment of truth. Once everything is set up, plug each strand into your extension cord, and watch them light up! Make any adjustments as needed, and hide any cords to get them out of the way. Stand back and admire your work knowing you’ve helped make a customer happy this holiday season with products from 1000Bulbs.
Hopefully these tips will give your business a head start this holiday season. Questions, comments, concerns? Let us know on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, or Pinterest, or give us a call at 1-800-624-4488 to talk to a lighting expert!
