Safer Holiday Light Displays for Indianapolis Homes
Holiday lighting can enhance the look of your home, and lift everyone’s spirits during the season. But decorating your home’s exterior takes planning and the right supplies.
What Should Stand Out First?
Stand across the street from your home (or step back to your curb) and look at it as others will. Notice lines created by architectural details and landscaping. Where would your eyes naturally move across the house?
The peaks and dormers, eaves, railings and other trim on your house may all create lines that suggest a path for holiday lights. Windows and other landscape or lighting can emphasize them.
Choose one or two key areas that could become focal points, or decide whether you want a balanced look with several equally lit areas. Depending on your house and landscaping, that focal point might be the roofline, porch columns, the entry, walkway or a large tree. Choosing focal points can help you plan electrical connections, and a focused look can be easier on those connections than lighting everything. It’s also easier for the eye, as a balanced, focused display won’t feel as crowded.
Here’s one path to follow:
Light the main roofline or front gable.
Illuminate the entry or the entire porch.
Highlight one or two landscape elements.
Accent other areas as needed to mark driveways, walkways or entry points.
Add unique décor or elements as your imagination (and outlets) allow.
For smaller lots or more subtle looks, skip steps 3-5 and keep it to a pared-down roofline and a lit doorway.
Outdoor Products and a Measured Plan
Holiday lights, clips, timers, extension cords and more must all function outdoors in fluctuating temperatures, and ideally withstand Indiana wind, snow and ice.
LEDs are an easy choice. They use less power and stay cooler, so you’ll be less likely to overload circuits or outlets with multiple strands.
Lights also come in different bulb sizes. Smaller, wide-angle lights create sparkle and shine best when densely placed (shrubs and trees), but may be harder to see from the street. Larger or faceted lights may be easier to see from a distance.
Some people drape strands from the gutter for a quick solution, but evenly spaced lights secured with clips along the roofline create a cleaner, more polished look. A successful Christmas light installation starts with proper placement and the right materials.
Before you begin, inspect every strand to ensure bulbs and sockets aren’t cracked and plugs and cords are in good condition. Keep extra clips, replacement bulbs, weatherproof electrical tape, and landscape stakes on hand so you can handle unexpected issues without making an extra trip to the store.
Make a Plan Before Installation
Choose products before installation.
Measure rooflines or other areas, so you buy the correct length strands.
Check outlets and make sure they work.
Electrical Connections and Installation Safety
Decide where you will plug in before you clip on holiday lights. Draw a map of where extension cords will run, outlets will be used, timers will be placed, etc.
Use GFCI-protected outlets and keep plugs above puddles and melting snow banks. If two cords will plug into each other, consider a weatherproof connector cover. Keep cords out of walkways and driveways and away from snow blowing paths. Avoid running cords through doors or windows that close tightly, as this can pinch bulbs or the window seals.
Keep decorations 10 feet from overhead power lines. If you need to trim branches close to power lines to install holiday lights, contact your utility provider or a qualified professional for help. They have the training and equipment to work safely around power lines.
Refine the Appearance
As you install each section of holiday lights, plug it in and see how it looks, and revisit the installation after dark to make sure it shines the way you want. View your display from different vantage points at night; it’s easier to see crooked strands or other issues under the right nighttime viewing conditions.
For a refined look:
Line bulbs up neatly along a roofline
Choose a color theme and follow it
Limit light sizes/colors when illuminating a particular architectural feature
Hide extension cords behind shrubs, behind eaves and other trim
Automate on/off with timers
Prepare for Installation Day
For working at heights, extend the foot of your ladder about one foot for every four feet of working height, known as the 4-to-1 rule, and be sure to plant it on stable, level footing. This can be tricky after a round of freezing rain or snowfall. Save decorating for a day with favorable conditions and skip icy walkways or slick shingles, or days with high winds.
Takedown and Storage for Next Year
Plan to take down holiday lights before inclement weather makes it hazardous to climb a ladder. Waiting too long can leave you battling brittle mounting clips, extension cords frozen into beds or tangled in shrubs, which is not a way to treat your lighting investment.
To save untangling projects next year, sort holiday lights before storage and label them with the areas they decorated (front shrub - L, porch rail, entry, front peak). Coil lights neatly on reels, cardboard or spools. Keep plugs dry and store mounting clips separately.
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