Pro-tips for Icicle Christmas Lighting Christmas time conjures up visions of wintry landscapes, snow covered treetops, and feelings of peace and tranquility. For those of us living in Southern California, we experience cool, mild winters and a beautiful temperate climate. By integrating beautiful holiday lighting into our homes and properties, we can create the charm and cozy feeling that a frosty splendor brings our way this time of year. There’s no better way to help your house look merry and bright than with Icicle Christmas Lighting! Here’s our tips to get you started. Why Icicle Christmas Lighting? Icicle lights glimmer! They are classic and beautiful, making them a popular choice for Christmas and holiday lighting. Icicle lights use illumination to mimic falling snow and ice by creating a dripping icicle visual effect. There are many variations of Icicle Christmas Lighting you can choose from, giving you endless options when planning your design. They can easily be installed on roof awnings, overhangs, peaks, windows, and more! Icicle lights fall naturally when hung, making them versatile when hanging them straight across or at an angle. A Variety of Colors and Effects in Icicle Christmas Lighting Cool blue and white hues are the top choice for many Christmas enthusiasts. Blue or cool white lights create a soft glimmering effect. While warm hues are reminiscent of traditional Christmas lighting that we all adore. If you are adventurous, you can also find icicle lights in colors such as purple, pink, blue, red, and green. Many icicle lights feature different color combos and cascading effects. Realistic icicle lights can be a great touch because they feature graduated sizes, mimicking real melting icicles seen during the season. If you want to take your icicle light décor to the next level, try installing multiple icicle lights that feature 54 LED lights per icicle! Regardless of color or effect, icicle lights are guaranteed to add festive charm to your roofline or patio. Plan Your Design This is definitely the fun part for you creative folks. You most likely have other holiday lighting and décor as part of your overall design and the icicle lights will integrate perfectly, but resist the urge to wing it! Having a plan set in place for your icicle lights will save you energy and time. Knowing exactly where your icicle lights will hang and what light accessories you will need, is a good step towards success. Roof awnings, overhangs, peaks, and windows are all excellent locations for hanging icicle lights. When choosing a focal point, decide where you want to attract the most attention and visibility. A good approach is to cluster them together, if the icicle lights are stretched too far apart the theme is lost. Take Time to Prepare After you’ve mapped out a plan for your lights, it’s time to run a few tests. Installing lights first and then realizing you need to troubleshoot lighting issues is a huge time waster. Make sure your icicle lights are rated for outdoor use. Plug light strands into an extension cord to double-check that your lights can reach a power source. Test all lights to be sure they are working and replace any blown bulbs. Test the light patterns and if you are using smart lights, connect them to your device to ensure that the controllers are operational. Lastly, be sure you’ve got the right light clips that fit your application. Always read instructions! Don’t connect more strands together than the directions recommend as this is a fire hazard. Be Sure to Measure You’ll need to determine how much Icicle Christmas Lighting you need. The best way to do this is to measure all the straight lines you will decorate with lights and then add them together. Don’t forget to measure the distance to your power source too. Light length is measured from the first bulb to the last. Total length is measured from plug to plug. The number of lights you’ll need to decorate your home is a matter of personal preference, but our pro-tip is to buy more footage of lighting than you think you will need. A good rule of thumb is to have at least 20 feet of extra lighting, just in case you need it. When opening a new pack of icicle light strands, spend a few minutes gently straightening out and elongating the light strings so that they have more length. How to Hang Icicle Christmas Lighting? A successful Icicle Christmas Lighting display depends on using the right clips. Holiday light clips are the best option for hanging icicle lights. They are used by both professional installers and homeowners alike. There are several light clips to choose from such as In-One Plus, Omni All-In-One, and Gutter Clips. For instructions on how to install different light clips, visit out our blog on holiday light clips here. If you want to create continuous icicle lights being powered on a single outlet, you can connect anywhere from 30-60 LED icicle lights together end-to-end, for a beautiful bright display. To temporarily install icicle lights on deck or porch railings, consider using zip ties in matching colors. If you have extra length leftover, simply run the extra length back over the ends of the lines. The beauty of icicle lights is that they blend naturally together and can be layered. As a safety measure, do not attempt to install icicle lights on your roof when it’s rainy or snowy.Mobile illumination specializes in holiday lighting design and installation. If you are looking to transform your home or business this holiday season, click here and connect with us today! Want to see more deck lighting tips? Check out our photo gallery! Have Any Questions? To learn more about how Mobile Illumination can help you plan your holiday lighting click here to contact us or give us a call below. 800.840.1777
