Outdoor Christmas Lighting Installation Guide

Plan From the Power Point Outward

Decide where the supply is before deciding where the lights go. Every extra connection in an outdoor run is a point that can be pulled apart or sit in water, so a layout that starts at the outlet and works outward needs fewer joins than one drawn from the roofline back.

Fix to the Structure Not the Cable

Clips belong on the fascia board, the fence post or the rail, and the cable should carry no weight between them. A run hanging on its own cable will sag within a week and pull at the connectors in the first storm.

See the Outdoor Waterfall Icicle Light →

Let Drops Hang Free

Icicle and curtain products create their effect through varied drop length. Pulling the run taut to make it look tidy removes the effect the product was bought for. Fix the horizontal line, then let the drops fall.

Keep Connections Out of Water

Keep every connection above ground level, and never leave one lying in a border, a gutter or on a flat roof. Where a join has to sit outdoors, put it under an overhang and point it downward.

Outline the Boundary Not Only the Building

A display that lights only the house reads as half finished from the road. A fence or border run gives the outline that makes the whole plot look decorated, and it is usually the cheapest visible metre in the display.

See the Garden Fence and Facade Light →

Take It Down Properly or Buy It Again

Most outdoor lighting is destroyed in January, not December. Take the run down in the order it went up, coil it on a board or a spool rather than bundling it, and store it dry and loose. A run stored properly comes back out next season; a bundled one comes out as a knot.