Outside Christmas Lights Precautions
Getting into the holiday spirit by decorating the outside of your home is often a little more complicated than it seems. While decorating eaves, windows and shrubbery with decorative lights does bring about some holiday cheer, if it is not done carefully it could bring about a holiday catastrophe similar to that in the movie "National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation." Here's how to get the job done safely and smoothly. Does this Spark an idea?
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Mapping Out Outlets
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Before you start decorating, have a plan and make sure you know how many strings of lights you will need and where you will plug in these lights. Lights should be plugged into an outlet that is indoors or into weatherproof outlet boxes so rain or snow will not cause a fuse to blow or, worse, a fire to start.
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Choosing Lightbulbs
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Next, choose clear, white or color lights. Lights are designated C-7 or C-9. C-7 are miniature bulbs and C-9 are standard sized. Before you hang the lights, inspect them and test them to make sure they work. One faulty string of lights can cause all the lights on your home not to work. Find out about any faulty lights before you hang them up; it's easier. Look for loose connections, broken or missing bulbs, frayed wires, cracked sockets, exposed wires or strings that don't light.
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Hanging Your Lights
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If you are hanging your lights in a high place, such as the awning of your home, make sure you have a good ladder and an extra person. If your ladder is wobbly, do not use it. Accidents on ladders and falling from ladders are one of the most common injuries during the holiday season. Each year, thousands of people flood emergency rooms with life-threatening injuries. Make sure your ladder is stable. Climb slowly and always face the ladder. Do not rush yourself when climbing or hanging your lights. Accidents often happen when someone is in a hurry. Do not lean off to the side of the ladder to reach for more lights. Go up and down the ladder to get more lights. Leaning can cause the ladder to fall over, injuring you and maybe others. Never use another object to prop a ladder up higher. The ladder is more likely to be off balance or fall. Don't carry heavy or bulky items as you climb because that can also throw you off balance. Instead, carry the lights up a string at a time or have someone hand them to you. Having an extra person on hand helps. That person can help steady the bottom of the ladder and hand you lights. In addition, just in case something goes wrong, that person is there to help you out.
Attaching the Wires
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To decorate your home or shrubbery you will need something with which to attach the lights. Each electric wire in Christmas lights has its own protective coating. Usually it is made of rubber so that water won't leak in. Avoid using nails and staples, which might destroy the wire coating and cause an electrical short or fire. It is best to use adhesive tape, insulated staples or metal hooks for stringing up the wire.
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