Easy Ways to Hang Holiday Lights

Holiday lights

Are you looking for an easy way to hang Christmas lights? You’re in the right place. Christmas lights help bring joy to the season and are one of the best ways to help people celebrate.

Luckily, there are many ways to hang your Christmas lights without much hassle. If you can envision it, AirNow Home Services can help you make it a reality.

Christmas Light Hanging Prep

Things you’ll want to consider before starting your decorating project include:

  • Light placement. Are you looking to hang lights everywhere or keep it minimal?
  • Type of lights. Ensure that the lights you select are rated for outdoor use.
  • The right application. In a lot of ways, hanging Christmas lights with nails can be dangerous. One of the best ways to apply lights to your home is with lighting clips. Adhesive clips are best suited for railings and columns while universal clips are best for rooflines and overhangs.
  • Decide how many light strands you need. Measure the area you want to hang your lights, adding all the straight lines together and the distance from the start to a power source. Add up all the inches and divide that number by the length in inches of each light strand.
  • Remember to consider connection limitations on light strands. Do not connect more than the recommended number of lights to one strand, as this can cause a serious fire hazard.
  • Test the lights by plugging in each strand before starting to hang them!

How to Hang Christmas Lights Around a Window

The best way to hang Christmas lights around a window is with wall clips. Follow these steps to install the clips and hang your lights:

  1. Clean the area with an all-purpose cleaner or rubbing alcohol.
  2. Once dried, apply the application hooks by firmly pressing down for 30 seconds. Be sure they’re all facing the appropriate direction to hold the light strand.
  3. Wait about an hour for the clip glue to settle and dry.
  4. Slide the lights into the clip and work around the window until all the lights are clipped and tight.

Be sure to purchase clips that are rated for outdoor use.

How to Hang Christmas Lights on Gutters 

If you have a ladder and feel comfortable using it that’s one way you can hang lights from your gutters. If you’d rather not use a ladder, there are tools available to easily hang your lights from the comfort of the ground.

These tools can come with clips, or the clips can be bought separately.

  1. Install the clips (by hand if using a ladder or with a telescoping pole)
  2. Install the lights by hanging them from the clips.
  3. Space and tighten slack where needed.

For the best look, be sure to grab clips that match your gutter color. If you have white gutters, go with white or clear clips to help them blend in.

How to Hang Christmas Lights on Stucco and Brick

Now, what do you do if your home’s exterior is made of stucco or brick? You need to safely install your lights without damaging your home. The two main ways to apply holiday lights to these types of homes are by using a hot glue gun or permanent clips.

Hot Glue Technique

This technique may be the easiest way to install lights temporarily. Simply apply a small dab of glue to the wall and press the light strand into the warm glue. Hold the strand in place for 20 to 30 seconds until the glue sets. Repeat this process every fourteen inches along the light strand until you reach the end.

If the glue isn’t adhering to the wall, you may need to clean it with rubbing alcohol first. This is also an easy way to remove glue when you’re ready to take your lights down. This method isn’t recommended for northern climates, since frigid temperatures make the glue brittle, so it doesn’t stick as well.

Clip Technique 

One of the most straightforward ways to hang outdoor Christmas lights on brick or stucco is with permanent clips.

Brick clips can be used on bricks that aren’t completely flush with their mortar. Simply place the clip on top of the brick, and gently press down until the springs wrap around the bottom of the brick. You can then string the lights you’d like to hang through the installed clips.

Clips work a little differently on stucco. These clips are more permanent in nature as they are installed with a construction adhesive.

You’ll need:

  • Construction adhesive (this is permanent once installed, so use with caution)
  • Caulk gun
  • Light clips
  • Ladder
  • Measuring tape

Here’s how to hang your lights with the clip method on exterior stucco walls:

  1. Start by measuring the space between lights on the strand you wish to decorate with. This will determine proper spacing for the clips.
  2. Load the construction adhesive into the caulk gun.
  3. Start in the location where you’d like your lights to stop.
  4. Climb the ladder so you can reach the area where the lights will go.
  5. Add a quarter-sized dab of adhesive directly to the stucco.
  6. Firmly press the flat edge of your clip into the adhesive.
  7. Repeat these steps spacing the clips to match the bulb spacing of your light strand found in step one.
  8. Attach the bulbs to the mounting clips

Electricians in Montgomery, AL 

If you’re looking for assistance in making your holiday vision come true or need a hand to hang some year-round outdoor lights, the AirNow team is here to help! Call us at (334) 384-6050 or request a quote online.