How to hang outdoor Christmas lights
Hanging your Christmas lights – you either love it or hate it. If you’re unprepared it can be a time-consuming and tricky task, and won’t show off your decorations at their best.
We’ll guide you through the best way to hang string lights outside your home, to help make decorating your home a festive and hassle-free experience this Christmas.
Before you Begin
Most outdoor Christmas decorations are powered by mains electricity. You’ll need access to a safe outdoor power supply to plug your lights in, so check that you have a suitable outdoor socket that will protect the electrics against the elements. Measure the distance from the socket to where you want to hang your lights, and check whether the cable on the lights will be long enough. If it isn’t, consider a different location or opt for a weatherproof extension lead that is safe to leave out of doors.
If you don’t have access to an outdoor socket, or have a larger garden, then battery powered lights are ideal. You won’t need to worry about trailing cables, and they offered greater flexibility if you’re going for a more creative display. Don’t forget to stock up on batteries or keep a charger and rechargeable ones to hand.
Be sure to only use lights which are suitable for outdoor use – these will be weatherproof, ensuring safety and that your display will last the festive season.
Before you start work, plug in your lights at ground level to make sure that everything is working correctly. It will be much harder to replace bulbs or fix problems once the lights are hung, so tackle this first. If you’re bringing lights out of storage check the cables – if these look worn or damaged then replace your decorations, as this could be a sign they are unsafe.
Don’t forget that if you’re working at height, on a ladder, to hang your lights, there are a few simple precautions to take. Make sure that you place your ladder on a solid, level piece of ground and ask another adult to hold the ladder still whilst you’re working. Why not team up with a neighbour to help each other decorate your homes? You’ll also want to make sure that you can reach the highest point you’re hanging lights from without standing on the top step of the ladder.