Christmas Lights Installation Safety

June 10, 2014/0 Comments

Christmas Lights Safety

We all know that British Columbia’s lower mainland brings ever changing weather conditions, and Light Knights is prepared for this. Our team members are dressed for comfort and ease of use even in the worst weather. We want our clients to rest assured that their homes and businesses are decorated on schedule without adding risk to the workers.

Our equipment is routinely checked for wear and serviced to keep it in top working order. This includes multiple ladders, ladder arms, hand tools, safety shoes, harnesses, cords, staplers, vehicles, and tree installation tools. The outcome of regularly serviced equipment is safety, efficiency, happy staff and happy clients.

We cannot overemphasize the importance of safety on the job and can assure our customers that we are committed to strict adherence of BC’s Safety Standards.

FAQ’s About Christmas Lights

June 3, 2014/0 Comments

Christmas Light FAQs

Q: How do you hang Christmas Lights?

A: We have many tips and tricks to professionally hanging lights, leaving them straight and

uniform. The most commonly used methods are clips, ties, clear line and staples.

Q: How much energy do my lights use?

A: This varies per job and amount of lights used. Light Knights are proud to be environmentally

friendly and use almost strictly LEDs which use 80% less energy than incandescent bulbs.

Q: What is the difference between C6, C7, and C9 bulbs?

A: C6’s are versatile all purpose bulbs for indoor and outdoor decorating projects, measuring

slightly smaller than the C7’s and are a fixed base bulb. C7’s can be removed from the base

and changed out for custom color variations. C9’s are the biggest bulb measuring just under

3” and are also interchangeable. They are great for gutter and roof lines, being highly visible

from further distances.

Q: What’s the difference between LED and incandescent bulbs?

A: This topic gets quite extensive and is explained in further detail on our website. The quick

answer is, LEDs are much more energy efficient using up to 80% less energy than

incandescents. LEDs last longer as there is no filament to burn out and are more

durable.

Q: Will the string still work if one bulb burns out?

A: Yes, but there are exceptions. If the shunt (base) is still intact and the series hasn’t been

compromised, the string will still work. If the shunt has been broken and power flow has been

interrupted, that string will not work.

Other Uses For Christmas Lights – Party Lights

May 27, 2014/0 Comments

Other Uses For Christmas Lights

Christmas lights can easily double as party lights for social events around your home. With such a large variety in shapes, sizes and colors to choose from, the switch is easy. Many of our clients choose to leave their lights up year-round in certain areas such as trees, sheds and pergolas. You made the initial purchase, why not use your lights as much as you can! The possibilities are endless.

Not only is outdoor lighting practical, creating ambiance is perfect for summer nights. We can help you set the mood for those special events or simply for your enjoyment. Lighting your outdoor entertaining areas can open up the dining experience for your guests. Summertime is the perfect time to explore your outdoor home and make the most of it. Those beautiful warm summer nights are behind us all too soon.

We would be so pleased to be given the opportunity to work with you to create a warm and inviting atmosphere outside of your home this summer and all year round.

Powerful Words

March 3, 2014/0 Comments

Powerful Words From Our Customers

We love testimonials. They convey a message that we cannot possibly deliver… We CAN be trusted to perform exceptional lighting services to your home and business.

Here is a recent note received into the office:

Ryan,

I am writing to you because I believe in the strength of a strong testimonial in acknowledgment of services rendered over and above my expectations.

I have been using Light Knights for three consecutive years. I have been impressed with every crew you have sent to assist me with my outdoor Christmas lights. Not only are they courteous and professional, they regularly go out of their way to ensure I am more than satisfied with their work. No last minute request or task is ever an inconvenience for them.

In addition to your field crew(s), I am also impressed by the communication and follow up that originates from your office. Your newsletter is a nice touch.

I will continue to promote you personally amongst my friends and family. I also hope this letter generates new business for you and your company.

I want to thank you for making what is a daunting experience a pleasurable one.

Best regards,

Melanie Boivin

4 Steps to Prolong The Life of Your Christmas Lights

February 24, 2014/0 Comments

How To Make Your Christmas Lights Last Longer

Are you tired of throwing out what seems like year old LED Christmas lights? Are your Christmas Lights looking dim after just one season? You may have caught what we like to call the “Vancouver Christmas Light Flu”. The flu you ask? Yes, and the symptoms are bulbs not turning on, flickering lights, dimmer than normal brightness, and potentially fatal, whole strand death.

The new LED Christmas lights available in stores are not as “hardy” as the old incandescent bulbs and strings. People have been used to taking their Christmas lights down and throwing them in the box for the year not thinking about condensation or water being in the storage bin. This used to cause a bulb or two to fail to work the next season and with the cheap cost of incandescent lights it wasn’t an issue for homeowners. Herein lies the problem homeowners across Vancouver are facing. LED Christmas lights not working after a short amount of seasons because the lights are being stored improperly. Unfortunately, homeowners don’t understand this and are actually the main culprit for Vancouver Christmas Light Flu.

Mr. Light Knights, how can I relieve my Christmas lights of the flu?! That’s a great question. Here are four quick and easy steps to prolong the life of your Christmas Lights.

1) When you take down your lights wrap them in coils around your arm and place them neatly into a storage bin. (Pro tip: using a drill, drill 5-7 air holes in your storage bin to ensure adequate ventilation)

2) Take your bin inside and take off the lid.

3) Put the bin in a warm location in your home for 3-4 days.

4) After 3-4 days check to see that the lights are all dry. If dry, close the lid. If damp, let sit with lid open for a couple more days. Once dried, store the bin in a cool, dry location until October/November/December or whenever you would like to put your lights up. (Pro tip: take a few sheets of old newspaper and put them on the top of the lights. The newspaper will act as an absorbent and ensure your bin stays perfectly dry all year long)

That’s it! Such simple steps to prolong the life of your Christmas lights. Remember, Vancouver can be a harsh winter climate and the lights like a little pampering before going in to hibernate for the year.

Best,

LK

Christmas Light Safety

December 18, 2013/0 Comments

Our friends at eClean Magazine have put together a great infographic on Christmas Light safety. Check it out: http://www.ecleanmag.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/holiday-lights.pdf

Keep safe this Christmas season! Find out more on our safety procedures and how critical safety is to us here: https://lightknights.ca/safety/

Lots of love,

Light Knights Lighting

Christmas Light Installation – Customization

December 3, 2013/0 Comments

Light Knights knows that every Christmas Light installation is different, and we’re prepared for that. We offer customized lengths of lights and extension cords to fit your home perfectly with no bulky leftovers.

How do we do this? We bring in spools of light strand that hold 1000’. Prior to arriving at your home the crew is given a detailed work order map with the approximate amount of lights required for the job. Once on site, the crew will start putting the strands together (screwing each light bulb into a socket) and when a gutter line or peak has finished they simply cut the end and if needed put an attachment on the end so that an extension cord can be plugged in and another strand connected.

Each crew also carries spools of extension cords so that when needed the extension cords are a perfect match to the distance required. No more messy bundles of extension cords left hanging or lying in the garden!

Our last piece of customization offered is the colour of our extension cords, C9 socket strands and our 5mm & C6 strands.

For extension cords we carry the colours White, Green, and Black.

For C9 Christmas light strands we carry White, Green, and Black. With these colours we can match most client gutters and fascia to hide unsightly cords during the day.

For 5mm and C6 strands we carry White, Green, and Brown. Why brown? People love wrapping lights around trunks and brown strands are a perfect complement to this.

Do you have your own design ideas that you would like us to implement into your home’s installation? We love sitting down with our clients to work together and achieve that creative desired outcome. Picture your family’s name written with Christmas lights on your hedge! Whether it be random or specific light patterns, the Light Knights team can deliver results. Need a little inspiration? Click here for our Christmas Light photo gallery.

Christmas Light Installation Safety

November 26, 2013/0 Comments

At Light Knights, safety is our number one priority. We have taken extensive steps to ensure teams have the proper equipment and our designers and installers are thoroughly trained. The result is a safe, timely and professional Christmas Light install.

Proper care and careful planning in regards to power sources and electrical flow must be taken for a safe Christmas lighting install. Improper circuit loads can cause overheating and in extreme cases, fires. That’s why our team has been trained in electrical flow and know how many lights can be run off a single power source, and when to use multiple sources.

Additionally, we have trained our staff extensively on the safe and proper use of ladders, ladder arms, fall protection (harnesses, anchor points, etc…) and extension poles.

Some common safety issues to be aware of when having us work on your home or business:

– If power lines are present we must work at a safe working distance of greater than 9’ and for higher power lines, 20’-30’.

– If your home has high peaks and unstable/uneven ground that eliminate the ability to use a ladder, we will have to use fall protection which will increase the cost of installation. Often times we can make use of trees/shrubs rather than high peaks and still have a fantastic installation.

– For high traffic locations we will use reflective vests, cones, and caution tape to block off working areas. This will be a slight nuisance for your patrons but a much better option than having liability issues with people walking under working ladders, poles, and lifts.

Have a question regarding our safety procedures? Click here or call us 1-888-255-4666.

Christmas Light Colour Combinations

November 7, 2013/0 Comments

Christmas Light colour combinations are one of our designers’ favourite tasks. The sky’s the limit when it comes to creativity here! With countless options of symmetrical or ‘the beauty of randomness’ designs, we can come up with colour combinations that will warm your heart and make your neighbours rethink who they hire to design and install their Christmas lights. When working with you to build your custom lighting system, we take into account the existing colours around your property, such as the colour of your home, trees, shrubs, rocks, statues, etc.. Choosing just the right colour will make them pop like you’ve never seen before!

Some favourite colours combos to get you inspired:

Warm White & Red

Warm White, Red, Green

Pure White and Red

Multiple Colours

Commercial Christmas Light Installation

October 29, 2013/0 Comments

Light Knights is proud to offer Commercial Christmas light installation services. We work with Churches, Schools, Colleges, Universities, Malls and businesses of all shapes and sizes to brighten up their holidays and special events.

Did you know adding lighting to a store front can make a significant impact on holiday business? Drawing customers into your place of business can be difficult during the holiday season as the competition for shoppers increases. By adding a light display you can dramatically increase the likelihood of people seeing your business and therefore taking a look at what you have for sale.

Let us work with you to create a unique display whether it is lighting up exterior trees, roof lines, windows, or the inside rafters. No job is too big or too small and our design team will work with your company to provide a basic, less-is-more setup all the way to an extravagant, impossible-to-miss lighting system.

Check out Commercial Christmas Light Installations we have done for Save On Foods, Blenz, and UBC in our picture gallery.