Christmas Lights Year Round

Year-Round Christmas Lights

Since Christmas lights are almost universally meant for indoor and outdoor use, they’re as practical for summertime patio decorations as they are for your house during the holiday season. String them up on a deck or even an unused clothesline as a cheap way to create an inviting atmosphere.  If you are having guests over for drinks or hosting any number of events, lights on the outside area will really help to create warmth and atmosphere. Lights that twinkle are particularly attractive and solar lights are also perfect for using outdoors. There are all sorts of decorative lights you can use, such as lantern lights and those that you intertwine around the trees. Another way to decorate the outside area is to lay some Christmas lights down the pathway to lead the way to your home.

Why not weave lights through an architectural element such as a sphere.  You can then place these in your garden, at your front entry or wherever you would like to like to add a magical effect.  Or you can wind lights around a group of branches and then place them in a large pot.  This looks great by your front entrance.  If you use a dining canopy, you can string lights to give you some illumination as well as warmth and atmosphere.

An easy way to create ambiance is to simply string lights on trees.  Begin at the base of the tree and wind upwards.  It’s a good idea to have the lights plugged in so that you can see the effect you are creating.

These are just a few ways you can utilize Christmas lights year round.  We would love the opportunity to work with you to create a beautiful sanctuary…. it’s what we do!  

 

Top 4 Tips Hiring A Christmas Lights Installation Company

Hiring A Christmas Lights Installation Company

If you are considering hiring a professional light installer this holiday season, here are the top 4 things you must know:

Who are the installers at my home?  What is their training?

All of our installers go through a rigorous hiring schedule.  By the time we hire them, we know that they have the desire to make our clients happy and that they share the same values as us.  Job shadowing and apprenticing is also a key component to our successful training.

Are they insured and properly licensed?

Liability insurance protects your investment in case of the worst case scenario.  Additionally, it is imperative that all people working on your home be insured for health and safety purposes.

What payment options are available?

We offer a full array of payment options.  For your convenience, we accept cheques, phoned in Visa/Mastercard and recently the addition of payment online using Visa/MC/Paypal.  For larger jobs, we offer the convenience of paying a 25% deposit with 50% more paid half way through the job and the remaining 25% paid upon final client approval of a job well done.

What do other people say about the company?

Ask around and chances are your friends or a friend of a friend has used our services.  What are they saying?  Additionally, check out the testimonials and references.  If a company cannot produce such a request, it is likely their past clients were not happy with the results.

Plan Ahead This Christmas

Christmas Light Installation: Plan Ahead This Year

It’s seems as if the last holiday season was just here and yet the next one will soon be upon us… how time flies! But for those of us who love Christmas, it can’t come too soon!

The most memorable Christmases happen when we’ve planned ahead….when we’ve prepared ourselves, our homes and our budgets for the season. So why not get started a little early this year? Here are a few tips that can help:

Budget
Realistically plan out ahead of time what you can comfortably spend. This can greatly relieve the financial stress that so often goes hand-in-hand with Christmas. Of course you will need to tweak it as you get closer to but this is a great starting point.

Products
Be careful to choose the right products. Here at Light Knights Lighting, we use only quality lights that will guarantee your satisfaction. We carry LED lights exclusively which will go a long ways towards saving on your electrical bill. These lights come in a variety of colors and will last much longer than incandescent lights.

Getting an early start on Christmas preparation will pay big dividends by maximizing the joy of the holiday season for you and your family. By starting your planning early, you will build the anticipation of that magical time of year. You can expect this Christmas to be the best ever!

Christmas Lights FAQs

Christmas Lights FAQs

It’s hard to believe that Christmas is just over 3 months away!  If you haven’t already done so, you will want to think about booking a time to have your Christmas lights installed. It is best to have this done early so that you can get maximum enjoyment from this magical time of year.  Here are a few frequently asked questions to consider as you make preparations for the season.

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.

The Christmas Enthusiast

The Christmas Enthusiast

What is a Christmas Enthusiast you ask?  Simply put, this is someone who spends all year looking forward to the holiday season, with ongoing thoughts of how they can take their lighting and decorating to the next level.  For some, this passion has turned into a year round activity.  They find themselves searching out those year round Christmas stores and picking up lights, decorations and accessories in anticipation of an even more stunning display throughout the holiday season. Not everyone is quite that obsessed.  For most of us, we simply love Christmas and can’t wait to light up our homes.  It’s all about anticipation and the joy of the season.  

Either way, it’s always a good idea to begin planning early.  We can come by anytime and assist you in planning a great outdoor display for the holiday season.  It’s a good idea to begin taking steps to have your lights put up before the winter rainy season is upon us.  There are many aspects of your display that you could be enjoying prior to the onset of the season such as lights on your trees, pergolas, hanging balls, etc.

Why not give us a call and beat the holiday rush?

Help Designing Your Light Display

Help Designing Your Christmas Light Display

Every house is different and has it’s own architectural features that can be emphasized. Christmas lights installed in the correct ways can be extremely impactful for your home not only over the holiday season, but year round.  Our design team works with our clients to fulfill their visions as well as be there to offer seasoned suggestions. Do you have a beautiful archway entrance to your home? Do you have stylish pillars that could be dressed in Red and White lights to look like giant candy canes? We guarantee your home’s holiday lighting curb appeal will impress any eyes that gaze upon it.

Some common lingo/areas that we install on:

Fascia – the wood trim below the roof line.  Fascia is great for stapling Christmas lights and allows for a straight, clean look.

Gutter line – the gutter lines of a home.  We use clips to attach the lights to the gutters and this also allows us to have professional looking installations.

Windows – we often recommend clients use C9 Christmas lights around window frames as this provides a clean look and we can cut the lines to the exact length needed.

Roof line – we can install lights directly on the roof using clips.  This is a great way to highlight grand roof lines or to just add more Christmas spirit to a home.

Have an idea that you would like to run by us?  Contact us today and we would be happy to discuss any questions or suggestions you may have!

 

Year Round Christmas Lighting

Christmas Lighting Year-Round

If you choose to keep your lights up year-round, there are a few important notes than should be taken into account first.

1 – Fading. The weather we experience throughout our 4 seasons takes a toll on holiday lightingand can fade your lights, clips and wire, leaving it appearing old, even when it’s not.

2 – Pests. Leaving lighting up year-round gives that much more chance for those pesky little critters to chew or pull at your lighting. This will incur more costs to you in the long run.

3 – Oxidation. This is a big one. Snow, rain, sun, wind, dry, wet, repeat. You can imagine what this does to electronics and metal. It causes rust. The less time in the West Coast elements the better. Leaving lights up all year drastically reduces their lifespan.

4 – Plastic discoloration. Similar to above, plastics don’t stand up well to constant weather abuse. Over time with rain and sun, plastics (especially clear) will begin to discolor and leave your lights looking prematurely worn.

If you still want to go ahead with leaving your Christmas lights up, consider a few specific areas such as trees, sheds and pergolas.  This will create a nice ambiance for those warm summer evenings.

 

Recycle Your Christmas Lights

Recycling Your Christmas Lights

Let’s go green! Did you know the holiday lighting we use is 100% recyclable? It’s true, and we care about our environment just as much as you. The last thing we all want is more reusable materials in our landfills. So, if it’s time for new lights for your home, we will take away the old ones to be properly broken down and recycled. The copper gets salvaged and reused, plastic is melted and reused and the glass is as well. Everybody wins!

Storing Your Christmas Lights

Storing Your Christmas Lights

Our team uses a very specific labeling and layout system to keep your lights in good working order and to stay organized from one season to the next. If you are a first time client, we will make a detailed map of your property and respective labels go with it so that the following year, there is no question as to what goes where.  Organization equals efficiency as well as savings passed on to our valued clients.

We offer storage bins that promote airflow to keep your lights from corroding while being stored. The winter season brings much rain and snow and, more often than not, the lights are wet upon removal.  We understand what that does to lights. This is why we have taken the right steps to ensure your lights work to their full capacity.

We want you to know that all you need to do is book an appointment.  Whether it’s to put up your lights or to take them down, there’s not a thing for you to worry about.  We’ve got all the details covered to ensure the best result time and time again.

Christmas Lights Installation Safety

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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.