EZ Decorating Know-How: 4 Essential Safety Tips When Installing Christmas Lights

Christmas lights are always nice to look at, but they are also quite difficult to set up. In fact, stringing up your lights on the roof of your house can be quite dangerous if you're not careful. So before you start putting up this year's Christmas decorations, you may want to look at the following checklist first.

Christmas Lights

CHRISTMAS LIGHTS

Check for Fire Hazards

Christmas trees and Christmas lights cause hundreds of fires each year. The presence of short circuit wires, when combined with dry wood or other flammable ornaments, can lead to a very tragic Christmas Eve. So as you put up your lights, make sure that they are far away from flammable materials. Not only will this help you avoid unnecessary fires, it will also help prevent damage to your Christmas lights.

Christmas Lights

Better Buy a New Set of Christmas Lights

Although it's good to recycle and preserve certain Christmas ornaments, this particular rule doesn't apply to your Christmas lights. This is because, in general, new models of Christmas lights have more safety features (e.g. fuse plugs) than older models, which basically means that they are less likely to catch fire or cause sparks.

Christmas Lights

CHRISTMAS LIGHTS

Avoid Using Nails or Tacks When Putting Up Your Christmas Lights

Nails, tacks and other similar objects can potentially cut open the cable of your Christmas lights, so avoid using them. Instead, try using tapes or insulated hooks. They won't pierce through your light's cables, and you won't have to worry about short circuits either.

Christmas Lights

Only Use Heavily Insulated Christmas Lights for Your Outdoor Decorations

Some Christmas lights are meant to be installed outside the house, while others are specifically designed as interior decorations. The difference between these two types of lights is that the former has more insulation, and can withstand the elements without getting damaged. So if you plan to install Christmas lights on your roof or some exposed part of the home, be sure to get the right kind of lights for it.