Snow has touched the ground, Thanksgiving has come and gone, and every department store is blasting Christmas tunes. You know what that means: It’s time to take a deep breath and tackle the Christmas lights. If you’ve accomplished this feat in years past, you know it’s no easy task. Here are a few tips for staying safe while lighting up your palace:
1. Use the Right Lights
They may all look the same, but there is a very distinct difference between indoor and outdoor lights. Outdoor lights are weatherproof and won’t short out like the indoor ones.
2. Check for Damage
Before even breaking out the ladder, examine your light strands for frays, exposed wires, broken sockets, etc. Such damaging can cause for a dangerous situation down the road.
3. Use the Buddy System
No matter how careful you are, accidents do happen, and they’re a lot rougher to deal with if you’re hanging lights alone. Besides, no one wants to be that neighbor stuck on the roof calling for help because his ladder fell over.
4. Secure the Ladder
Speaking of ladders, make sure the ladder is securely situated on level ground before climbing up. Watch out for icy patches, and place it one foot away from the house for every four feet it extends up.
5. Steer Clear of Metal
If you have a metal tree or other metal decoration, do not under any circumstances put lights on them. The metal and lights combination risks electrocution, and there’s no need to give your neighbors a fireworks display.
6. Replace Burned Out Bulbs
Not only do burned out bulbs diminish the beauty of your display, but they also waste energy and pose a hazard to children and pets if the broken pieces are still nearby.
If this post is bringing up repressed memories that look a lot like The Ghost of Christmas Lights Past, we’ve got an even better solution. Contact All Terrain today and we’ll deck out your home for you. No hassle, no danger, just a breathtaking display that will have all the neighbors talking.
