How to Hang Outdoor Christmas Lights

How to Hang Outdoor Christmas Lights on Your Home

Subtle and simple, or big and bold. No matter your style choice, Speedy can guide you through the best ways to put your outdoor stringing lights up on your house safely and securely.

We have various working-from-height equipment available to hire from Speedy, such as towers, to help you safely reach your guttering and eaves.

You will need:

• Christmas lights – ensure lights are suitable for outdoor use and easy to turn off at night
• Tape measure
• Hooks or clips – a variety are available, which can either be clipped on your guttering or stuck to PVC or wood surfaces. Outdoor decorating clips can be bought for this use and are weather-resistant
• Extension lead – this should be safe for use outdoors. You may want to secure the extension cord to the wall with additional hooks
• Working at height equipment – you can hire towers, low-level access or ladders from Speedy.

 

Hire Working at Height Equipment from Speedy

 

How do you choose the correct working at-height equipment?

You should roughly know how high your lights will go before starting work. Hire a ladder or tower that will be tall enough to reach this height safely without stretching.

A MI Tower will be much safer if you have a large area to cover for hanging Christmas lights, such as guttering. You can safely move the tower into the correct position, cover a larger area, and stand with your feet secure on the ground.

Only hanging lights from your porch, or front door frame, or do you have a bungalow? Low-level access should be tall enough.

Ladders should be used for swift jobs only. If you opt for a ladder, always ensure you aren’t alone when using it. A stabiliser bar will help make the ladder more steady, and always make sure your working at-height equipment is on a firm, stable base.

It will likely be cold, too, so wrap up warm and wear the relevant PPE, such as grip shoes and gloves.

 

Check the lights

Lights should be weatherproof. They will say on the packaging that they’re suitable for outdoor use.

Plug them in to check they’re working before installing them at height. Check the cables for fraying or any sign of wear, even if they’re brand new, especially if they’ve been in storage for the past year.

If using an outdoor socket, check the power cord is long enough to reach. If using an indoor socket, you may need an extension lead. Again, this should be suitable for outdoor use and check the cords before using.

 

How to hang outdoor lights and decorations

Step 1: Measure

How long is the area you will be covering? Work out the spacing of the hooks. Do you want the lights to hang in intervals? If so, work out where and conveniently place the hooks for the right effect.

If using icicle lights or similar, you may want the lights to hang straight. You will still need to place the hooks spaced enough to run the whole length of the eaves but use enough hooks to ensure the weight of the lights is supported.

 

Step 2: Attach the hooks

If you haven’t already, now is the time to position your tower or platform properly. Depending on your hooks, you may need to space them anywhere between 30cm and 50cm. The heavier the lights (or smaller the hooks), the closer they should be.

To work out how many hooks you will need, divide the length of the lighting cable by how spaced apart the hooks will be. So, a 10m cable with hooks every 30cm apart will need 33 hooks (1000 divided by 30 is 33.3).

 

Step 3: Hang the lights

Plug the lights in (but don’t turn them on yet). Work backwards from the first lights near the plug.

Don’t pull the lights too tight. You want it to be secured yet not too loose, either. Only attach one line of cable to each hook.

Once you reach the end of your lights, securely fasten with another hook to hold the end.

Remember never to stretch when working at height. If you have to reach further, instead get to ground level safely and then move the working at height equipment, ensuring it is stable and secure before use again.

 

Step 4: Make adjustments

When working at height, you should always have someone working with you. They can let you know about any adjustments required while you’re working.

But you will also want to safely get to ground level and admire your work to spot any adjustments. Move the tower or access platform into position and adjust as required.

Once you’re happy, it is ready to switch on!

 

 

READY FOR MORE FESTIVE TIPS?

Want to deep clean your home before Christmas? Or get your guest room ready? Or are you already dreaming of returning your house to normal after the new year? We have loads of tips on our blog for you to look through.

You’ll find all the power tools and hire equipment you need here. Why not start planning your next DIY project and open a Speedy account online or on the app for all your tool hire needs?

Speedy has more than 200 local service centres nationwide, hire counters in selected B&Qs and nationwide 4-hour delivery. It has never been easier to hire the tools and equipment you need.

 

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