One of the most endearing parts of the holiday season is the explosion of light in our yards and neighborhoods. Decorating homes with Christmas lights has become an art form all its own.
And thanks to the availability of low wattage lights now available, decorating with lights doesn’t have to be the electric bill breaker it once was. At Eric Krise Electrical Contractors, we love lights and the skill that goes into a truly creative holiday display.
Many Christmas light displays involve lining the house, roof, and windows. But for the truly adventurous light designer, the yard is also a great canvass for Christmas lighting. Evergreens in the yard make for great Christmas trees and even the trunks and branches of bare hardwood trees can be used to create a holiday feel.
So here’s some help for new homeowners, first-time decorators, and even old hands at Christmas lights to help you bring your outdoor trees and shrubs into your lighting scheme.
First, consider the type of holiday lights you want to use. Traditional incandescent Christmas lights come in many different shapes and sizes, from mini-lights (looking like small tubes with a pointy tip) to small bulbs, usually sized as C7 or C9. Old-fashioned outdoor light bulbs usually give off a large amount of heat.
Today’s LED (light emitting diodes) lights also come in various shapes and sizes including mini lights, round shapes, and large pointed varieties, They can be a more expensive than traditional bulbs, but use much less electricity. Also, LED Christmas lights do not get hot and thus pose less fire danger than do regular mini-lights, but give off a slightly dimmer light than regular bulbs.
Once you’ve made your choice, it’s time to decorate the yard. Here are tips on lighting up trees and landscaping from ChristmasLightsEtc.com..
And remember, if your plans include using outdoor power outlets, always call a trained professional to install outlets and lines.
Trunks and Branches
First, get a good idea of the size of the tree. Measure the circumference of the tree trunk, as well as the circumference and count of any branches you wish to wrap with lights. Then, when choosing light strings, determine how much spacing you want between bulbs as well as how far apart you plan to wrap the light strings.
Normally, a six-inch spacing between bulbs is used on outdoor trees with the strings wrapped two to three inches apart. To figure out how much length you need, divide height by desired string spacing, multiply total by circumference to calculate total string length needed.
For example, if you have a four foot high trunk that measures two feet in circumference then use this formula:
4′ high trunk / 3″ spacing = 16 x 2′ circumference = 32′ of lighting
Total power available should also be taken into consideration when wrapping. If using commercial mini light strings, up to 10 100-bulb count strings can be connected, or 420 watts. If using premium, up to six
100-bulb count strings can be connected. LED lights typically allow up to 43 light strings, or 210 watts, to be connected, so there is rarely a concern of plugging to many LED strands together.
Tips for Wrapping Evergreens
- Calculate how much power is needed for lights to ensure maximum thresholds are not exceeded
- C7 and C9 bulbs are the most popular on larger Evergreen and pine trees
- Wrap lights in a random pattern to allow for the occasional light to burn out without notice or disruption in appeal
- Wrapping the canopy of larger trees allows for bright lighting without the need to wrap to the top of the tree
- Utilize extending poles to reach highest parts of the tree
Lights for Bushes and Hedges
For the fastest, cleanest method, choose Christmas net lights for bushes and hedges. If you prefer to wrap your bushes and hedges with outdoor tree lights:
- Use random patterns throughout
- For long sections of hedges, bring the source of power to the center of the hedges and string lights to the left and right
- Secure strings into the outer region of bushes, covering the top and 3/4 length down the sides
- Leave 1′ clearance from the ground to ensure lights don’t sit in water or snow
Are you ready to put on a spectacular holiday light display that will rival the Griswold’s? Call Eric Krise Electric to ensure that your outdoor lighting is safe and secure, or to install new outdoor sockets. We can be reached at 856.769.3932 or online.