How do I Install and Put Up Exterior Christmas Lighting?
- 1). Decide where you are going to hang the lights, whether it is just around your eaves, or around the windows and bushes as well. Walk around your home with your tape measure, and use it to measure the places where you plan to hang the lights. This will give you an estimate of how many feet of lights you need.
- 2). Pull your lights out of storage, or purchase the appropriate amount. If you're using old lights, sit down and check each strand for fraying or missing bulbs. Replace any frayed strands. Plug each strand into any available outlet to make sure they still work.
- 3). Add together the amps of all the strands you will be using. The amps of power each strand uses is listed on the box. Locate an outdoor electrical outlet that is connected to a circuit that can handle that many amps. You can also plug a timer into the outlet, and then plug the lights into the timer. The timer will shut off the lights at dawn, and turn them on at sunset.
- 4). Plug the extension cord into the outdoor outlet, and plug the first strand of lights into the cord. Begin with your eaves, if you plan on decorating them.
- 5). Set up your ladder near the eaves closest to your electrical outlet. Clip plastic light clips to your gutters, slipping the strand of lights into the clips as you go. If you don't have guttering on the side of the house you're hanging lights on, use nail-in clips to hold the lights in place. One clip every foot will hold the lights up fine. Continue around the whole house, or just around the front if you don't want to decorate the back.
- 6). Hang the lights around the windows next. Install the nail-on plastic clips around the windows with a nail and hammer, installing them every foot or so. String the strand of lights into the clips around the windows. As you start a new strand, plug it into the electrical outlet of the last strand. Repeat with each window.
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