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How I hang Christmas lights without a ladder

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21–30 of 82 posts

Re: How I hang Christmas lights without a ladder

#21
post #12

You can get led strips of lights designed for outdoors that when off are just a clearish rope. Install those permanently and when they’re not on they’re basically invisible.

As an added bonus, many have an array of color options, which makes it easy to change the lights to suit Halloween, Easter, Independence Day, or any other holiday you want your house to observe.

Re: How I hang Christmas lights without a ladder

#22
post #12

You can get led strips of lights designed for outdoors that when off are just a clearish rope. Install those permanently and when they’re not on they’re basically invisible.

Individually addressable, waterproof LEDs are super cheap. Most expensive part is the power supply.

Re: How I hang Christmas lights without a ladder

#23

"The carefully split the wire part" in many places has me concerned about electric shock. Is this wiring upto code in the U.S? Also, the comment at the end to use "hooks" beats the whole point of using magnets.

Haha, code. IIRC, Christmas lights have their own exception in the NEC, as the things are wildly unsafe by general NEC standards. For example, nothing stops you from plugging a space heater into the outlet at the end of a string. But relax, it's Christmas! Having said that, OP's lights are built a bit more solid because they look like the 120V parallel-wired style, rather than the series wired tiny lights. I'd be com…

>Although part of me wants to permanently hang WS2812 strips and be decorated for every holiday.

I have a bunch of ESP-01 LED controllers, I'm totally gonna do that now. Just gotta figure out how to weatherproof it.

Re: How I hang Christmas lights without a ladder

#24
post #12

You can get led strips of lights designed for outdoors that when off are just a clearish rope. Install those permanently and when they’re not on they’re basically invisible.

The clear plastic in which they are housed (think rope light) will turn yellow and brittle after a season of sun. Places like Florida, might have to replace due to sun degradation.

Re: How I hang Christmas lights without a ladder

#25

"The carefully split the wire part" in many places has me concerned about electric shock. Is this wiring upto code in the U.S? Also, the comment at the end to use "hooks" beats the whole point of using magnets.

Yeah why not use the eyelet and a 1cent cable tie?

I really don't get the lack of calling this out. I'm ok with a little fudging with outdoor lights but this here doesn't make sense.

Re: How I hang Christmas lights without a ladder

#26

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Haha, code. IIRC, Christmas lights have their own exception in the NEC, as the things are wildly unsafe by general NEC standards. For example, nothing stops you from plugging a space heater into the outlet at the end of a string. But relax, it's Christmas! Having said that, OP's lights are built a bit more solid because they look like the 120V parallel-wired style, rather than the series wired tiny lights. I'd be com…

Despite the electrical risks, it's crazy how much Christmas safety has improved. I remember https://i.imgur.com/vKbfzEs.jpg from my childhood. Small metal clips to attach real candles to the Christmas tree. 20-50 open flame candles on a dried out Spruce, one of the best fire starters possible.

Could be worse: use last-year's spruce/fir preserved using glycerine and/or formaldehyde. Try eco-friendly or self-made decoration from real hay, paper, and wood instead of metal or plastic. Use combustible adhesive to bend into form. Also, use candles from bee's wax instead of parrafin or stearin for extra temperature, flame height, and CO. No risk, no fun ;)

Re: How I hang Christmas lights without a ladder

#27

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Haha, code. IIRC, Christmas lights have their own exception in the NEC, as the things are wildly unsafe by general NEC standards. For example, nothing stops you from plugging a space heater into the outlet at the end of a string. But relax, it's Christmas! Having said that, OP's lights are built a bit more solid because they look like the 120V parallel-wired style, rather than the series wired tiny lights. I'd be com…

Despite the electrical risks, it's crazy how much Christmas safety has improved. I remember https://i.imgur.com/vKbfzEs.jpg from my childhood. Small metal clips to attach real candles to the Christmas tree. 20-50 open flame candles on a dried out Spruce, one of the best fire starters possible.

It somehow never occurred to me that - obviously the traditional Christmas lights were candles. Unless the original method was to cut at tree, decorate a still wet one for a day, and then toss it - how did anyone ever consider that a good idea?

Re: How I hang Christmas lights without a ladder

#28

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Despite the electrical risks, it's crazy how much Christmas safety has improved. I remember https://i.imgur.com/vKbfzEs.jpg from my childhood. Small metal clips to attach real candles to the Christmas tree. 20-50 open flame candles on a dried out Spruce, one of the best fire starters possible.

I still use those.

Why? That looks like a guaranteed way to result in an accident for a pretty minor novelty. If nothing else, using leds that look like candles would be less maintenance with the huge upside that they are incredibly unlikely to be able to start a fire.

Re: How I hang Christmas lights without a ladder

#29

Magnet attaches to the roof edge flashing which is metal. In the US, there is a substantial probability the flashing is non-magnetic aluminum. So test first.

Most places in the world with metal flashing, metal gutters, or other metal on an exterior will have aluminum. It’s old houses that might have steel. If you have a new house, I guarantee this won’t work. If you have an old house it’s worth checking, though.

And you can tell from the style that OP's house is old. It could easily predate the great depression

Re: How I hang Christmas lights without a ladder

#30

Magnet attaches to the roof edge flashing which is metal. In the US, there is a substantial probability the flashing is non-magnetic aluminum. So test first.

Most places in the world with metal flashing, metal gutters, or other metal on an exterior will have aluminum. It’s old houses that might have steel. If you have a new house, I guarantee this won’t work. If you have an old house it’s worth checking, though.

I wonder which places still use any metal at all. I haven't seen those in decades. It's all plastic here.
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