Tips for Hanging Christmas Lights Indoors and Outdoors

So it is almost that time of year where you will be hanging up your Christmas lights, some inside and some outside. If you are planning to hang up Christmas lights this year, there are some great tips you need to keep in mind.

The first thing you should do if you are going to hang Christmas lights outside is to make sure you have the outdoor Christmas lights. There are indoor and outdoor Christmas lights and they should only be used in the areas they are intended for. This is an important tip for hanging them because you do not want to hang your indoor lights outside and then wind up having to take them down.

You also should check all of your Christmas lights inside to make sure they all work properly. This is to ensure that when you are hanging your Christmas lights both inside and outside that you have a properly working set of Christmas lights. If a bulb is blown you should not use those lights and replace the blown bulb.

It is also important to check your Christmas lights before you hang them to ensure the ends are okay and not damaged. Run your hand over the whole Christmas light set to make sure there are no damaged ends or any frayed areas which can end up causing a fire. Running your hands through the Christmas lights to make sure they do not have damaged ends or frayed ends is a good idea for both inside and outside Christmas lights and should be done inside to ensure you can see and feel every inch of the cords.

Another great tip for hanging Christmas lights is to make sure you have GFCI outlets to plug your Christmas lights into. You want to use only those outlets because they will protect you against a fire and also electrical malfunctions related to the Christmas lights. Most houses now only come with these types of outlets but if you are not sure you should contact an electrician to make sure.

If you are hanging Christmas lights outside you should get a 30 foot or longer tape measure to measure the areas you want to hang the lights. For example, if you want to hang Christmas lights along the gutter then you need to measure how long the gutter is and where the nearest outlet is so you can accurately measure how many lights you will need. It is best to use 50 foot light sets that you can just add together because if something happens to a set they are easier to replace.

You should also measure around other things such as bushes or trees that you want to hang the lights from. Even inside it is best to measure out the length of the area you want to cover so you can go out and buy exactly how many light sets you will need. If you do not measure then you might either buy too many light sets or not enough and then you will have to stop what you are doing just to go out and buy more lights.

If you are hanging Christmas lights up near your roof or some where high, make sure you have a ladder. A great tip for hanging Christmas lights outside is do not underestimate having a reliable ladder because accidents can happen. When you are hanging Christmas lights, it is best to have someone else outside with you so that they can move the ladder every few feet and make sure it is balanced for you. It might also be a good idea to have some extra help when hanging Christmas lights outside to ensure the lights do not get wrapped up in each other and stay untangled.

It is also important when you are hanging Christmas lights outside to not use nails to hang the lights. Most outdoor Christmas light sets will come with certain clamps you are supposed to use, and only use these clamps. These are little plastic clips that are especially designed for outside Christmas light hanging and will clip onto places such as your gutter with very little effort. If you use nails or other hard attaching tools, then you are risking damaging the cords as well as damaging your house and the appearance of your house.

If you are attaching the Christmas lights to a window or another vertical surface you should use tube light clips. Tube light clips are plastic and will not damage your windows or the lights and will hold up in indoor and outdoor environments. You can get these little tube light clips at most home improvement stores for a few dollars, and you should space them about a foot apart for optimal performance.

And finally, something else to keep in mind when hanging Christmas lights both indoors and outdoors is it might be best if you hang your Christmas lights in the month of October or November. Waiting until December when it is cold is not the best idea, because you can create many safety hazards. Getting your Christmas lights up earlier than in December will ensure you have better weather to help you safely hang all of your Christmas lights as well as allow you time to make adjustments. Along with hanging your Christmas lights in the better weather, you should also remember to hang your Christmas lights outside when it is light out. You should start mid-morning hanging your outside Christmas lights that way you have plenty of time before it gets dark. You should allow yourself enough time to hang the lights outside as well as check all cords, outlets, and plugs to make sure your Christmas lights outside are in good working order.