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 Testimonial of the Year!

December 6, 2013/0 Comments

We really, really, really love clients who are so thorough with their testimonials! This is what we love so much about the Christmas Light season!

“Things I loved about how you conducted your business:

– responded to my original inquiry promptly

– provided an estimate quickly

– thorough invoice

– insured

– stated expectations regarding Christmas lights being checked and/or replaced

– arrived promptly and according to plan

– the installers were polite, friendly, professional and respectful

– the installers did exactly what we asked – amazing since this was our first time with your company (but NOT the last)

– had the tools and supplies that they needed

– left the storage boxes neatly

– the whole area was neat and clean when they were finished

– invoice matched the quote

– the thank you card was very thoughtful and a lovely gesture of appreciation (so is the draw for the beautiful bottle of red wine)!

Totally impressed – will refer you to anybody that is needing their Christmas lights installed.”

Catherine King, North Vancouver

Setting a Christmas Light Timer

November 27, 2013/0 Comments

Has the power gone out and one of our timers reset? Or maybe someone accidentally pulled it out and now the timer is reset. Have no fear! We created a short video on how to reprogram the timer to ensure you don’t miss a day of enjoying your Christmas Lights.

See the video here: [youtube height=”HEIGHT” width=”WIDTH”]http://youtu.be/lkx0eJbuKFY[/youtube]

Have a great day!

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.

How to Install Christmas Lights on a House

October 22, 2013/0 Comments

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 over the holiday season. 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.

Looking for inspiration? Check out our Photo Gallery.

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!

How to Install Christmas Lights on a Tree

October 16, 2013/0 Comments

So you want to install Christmas Lights on your home or business’s trees. There are a number of ways to decorate trees and we will discuss each method in detail today.

Among the most popular are what we call globe wraps. This is done by starting at the bottom of the tree and wrapping around it in a horizontal manner, resting the strands on the appropriate branches, with the required amount of slack. Using a step ladder or extension pole helps to get the strands up tall trees. Both evergreens and deciduous trees are great for globe wraps. Deciduous (leaf shedding) trees are perfect for 5mm and C6 lights and Evergreen trees are best suited to C6 lights. Large Evergreen trees should be wrapped in C7 and C9 Christmas Lights. Pro Tip: For large trees use an 18’ extension pole and a thick car washing brush to make the job easier.

Vertical wraps are popular with large evergreen trees and offer a completely different effect. Starting at the top of the tree, anchoring to a strong branch, all strands fall to the base of the tree. Be sure to space the strands evenly. These types of installations are best with large bulbs (C7/C9) Pro Tip: If you can’t get to the top, don’t worry. Simply connect the strands at the top and at night no one can see that you’re not reaching the top of the tree!

Trunk and limb wraps can bring deciduous trees to life once the sun sets. This involves tightly wrapping the trunk of the tree and certain limbs with light strings to bring out the tree’s unique shape. The best lights for this option are 5mm and C6. Pro Tip: Do not overlap strands too much or it will take an extremely long time to take down. Rather, use multiplugs at the base of branch sets and feed off them.

The sky’s the limit when it comes to color combinations and blending. Some great combinations we recommend:

– Trunk wrap (Warm White) and Globe Wrap (Red)

– Trunk wrap (Warm White) and Globe Wrap (Warm White)

– Double Globe Wrap (Purple and Pure White)

– Double Globe Wrap (Red and Green)

Light Knights also offers custom made Christmas Light balls that are hung from high points in the tree. When lit up at night they offer a very unique ‘hovering sphere’ effect! We highly suggest them!

Do you have any questions regarding installing Christmas lights? Get in touch with us through our contact page.

Happy Lighting!

LED Christmas Lights – Sizes

October 8, 2013/0 Comments

Christmas light installation season in Vancouver is around the corner and it can be confusing knowing which bulbs to use on what areas of your home. Many sizes and shapes of holiday lights are available to consumers today. They vary from 5mm wide angle strings, C6, C7, C9, globe shaped, falling snow LED tubes, all the way to bulbs shaped like icicles and various other designs. We know it can be confusing trying to make your way through all these options, that’s why Light Knights have dedicated designers and seasoned installers to help make your holidays beautifully lit and hassle free! Below, we will go into detail the different bulb sizes and their best uses.

5mm A light that is perfect for wrapping branches and trucks. They have a crisp sharp look to them. Additionally, these lights are good for deciduous trees as the lights are able to shine through the bare trees.

M5 The M5 lights are a diverse light that can be used for trunk and branch wraps, deciduous trees and small evergreens. These lights also work great on wreaths and garlands.

C6 The C6 lights are a bright light that is good for small evergreens and large deciduous trees. Additionally, double wrapping these lights can provide a great effect to one’s homes roof lines.

C7 Generally used for homes roof lines the C7 lights provide a a bright larger bulb with 3 LEDs inside. Applications include commercial buildings and large evergreens.

C9 The C9 light is a great light for home and commercial building roof lines. These lights are able to be installed in perfectly straight lines giving a crisp clean look. From time to time these lights will be used for large trees of the 30’+ variety.

Globe Shaped G12 globe shaped lights are a great light for party’s and weddings. Their round globe shape provides a perfect balance of light creating a nice ambience for any gathering. These lights can also be used for trees and bushes.

Falling Snow A great light for commercial applications in parking lots and over walkways. These lights are also a great addition to a tree lit up with 5mm lights.

Intrigued by the various options? Call us to book a consultation where we will go over your home or business and provide you with a recommended display. Additionally, for more info check out our Blogs.

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