Tips For Decorating Your Home Exterior & Garage For The Holidays

Posted on December 7th, 2017

There is no better way to get in the holiday spirit than by decorating your home both inside and out. While it is easy to fill the interior of your home with holiday décor, lights, candles, etc., the exterior can be a bit trickier. You usually need several extension cords, outlets, a ladder, and not to mention many strings of easily-tangled lights. Whether you decide to use little LED lights or the bigger bulbs, here are some tips to make your holiday decorations last all season.

Be Cautious

Often times, a ladder is required to hang lights along the higher edges of your roof, the top of your garage, and in tall trees. If this is the case for you, be sure to use a sturdy ladder and have someone else around to hold the later or spot you if you feel it necessary. Additionally, secure the lights with specific holders rather than tacks or nails and use outlets that come from a ground fault circuit.

Use Waterproof Lights

It is very important that you use waterproof (UL) lights when you are hanging them on the outside of your home and garage. Many strings of lights you buy at the store now work for both indoors and outdoors, but double checking before you purchase them doesn’t hurt!

Mini Bulbs vs. C7/C9 Blubs

When choosing the type of lights you want to hang this season, you have a few options. For a more traditional holiday look, C7 and C9 bulbs are the way to go. These are the bigger bulbs that come in many different colors and are easier to see from a distance on both your home or your trees. The C7 and C9 bulbs are sometimes beneficial because each bulb is only reliant on itself, so if one goes out it doesn’t affect the rest. The more common mini light strings are less expensive and consume less power, but they don’t always last. If one light goes out it may impact a whole section of the strand.

Keep Extensions Cords Out of the Way

When hanging up lights along the exterior of your home, try to keep the extension cords out of the way. To eliminate the possibility of someone tripping and hurting themselves or ruining your light display, keep the cords out of high-traffic walking areas and tape them down along the house or ground when necessary.

Courtesy of DIY Network