How to Hang Exterior Christmas Lights Safely and Easily: Pro Tips!

Merry Christmas! Time to wow your neighbors with your outdoor lights display! Before you climb the ladder, watch my tips for how to hang exterior Christmas lights safely and easily.

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Hi, I’m John Schultz, owner of JDS Home Inspection Services in Denver, Colorado. Happy holidays! One of the best parts of the holiday season is decorating with outdoor lights. There are plenty of contractors who specialize in hanging lights, but if you’re like me, you like to hang your own lights. In this case, there are a few things to consider before pulling out the ladder. Start with a plan. Know where your exterior outlets are located. If your outlets aren’t GFCI protected, it’s a good idea to upgrade them for safety. Do not use interior outlets. This is a fire hazard and allows cold air into the home. Plan your display. Be creative but be safe. Once you have a design in mind, take measurements to determine how many lights you’ll need. Be sure you know which circuit breakers control which outdoor outlets. If you’re not sure, flip the breakers until the outlets turn off. Keep an eye out for breakers connected to multiple outlets. To avoid the risk of overload, make sure your lighting display is the only thing running on that breaker. You’ll have to calculate how many strings of lights you can plug in. This depends on a few factors, such as type of bulb and length of each string. The most common lights are incandescent or LED lights. Incandescent lights are cheaper and don’t last as long. They also use eighty percent more energy than LED lights. In the main panel, most homes have fifteen amp breakers on their exterior outlets; some have twenty. The breaker will be labeled on the handle in the breaker box. Fifteen amp breakers can safely handle 1,440 watts. Each string of lights will have the wattage on the box. For example, a single string of fifty LED lights is about ten feet long and uses 4.8 watts. So if the breaker can handle 1,440 watts, simply divide that by 4.8 watts to get 300 strings of lights. Meaning you can safely connect 300 strings of LED lights on this circuit, which is about 3000 feet of lights; more than enough for most displays. Incandescent lights use 125 watts per thirty-foot string. In this case you can only connect eleven and a half strings on that same circuit, which is 340 feet of lights. Some strings use more watts than others so be sure to factor this into your calculations. It’s also important to make sure your lights are rated for outdoor use. Interior lights should never be strung outdoors as they pose a fire hazard. Test your lights before you climb the ladder. Discard any strings with frayed or worn cords, as these pose a shock hazard. When purchasing lights, pay attention to the lighted length rather than total length or you’ll end up with gaps in your display. Take note of the amps on each box. Most importantly, make sure your lights are rated for outdoor use. Pro tip, if you are purchasing white lights, make sure they’re all the same shade of white. When you’re ready to hang the lights, things will go much faster and safer if you have a helper. Be sure the ladder is on stable ground. Up to 200 people die every year setting up holiday decorations mainly due to falling off ladders. Try your best to stay off the roof. Asphalt shingles become brittle and damage easily in cold weather. Most roofing materials should never be walked on at all. Some websites suggest starting at the top of the house and working your way down; however, I suggest starting at the outlet and working from there. Plastic clips that mount to the gutters are the safest option. Never use staples or nails, as you risk damaging the wire and turning the whole gutter into a shock hazard or damaging the home. When connecting lights, be sure to tape the connection, this keeps moisture out and prevents them from disconnecting in the wind. Never hang lights on the main service mast. All of the electricity for the home enters through this mast. Don’t even go near it while hanging lights. Be sure to avoid tripping hazards. Never run extension cords over walkways or driveways. A timer will keep you from wasting electricity during the day and is great for security if you travel during the holidays. Be festive but be safe. Thanks for listening and check out our other videos for helpful tips on other home-related subjects.