How to Hang Christmas Lights on Your Two Story House

Knowing how to hang Christmas lights is a must for any holiday enthusiast. Home Christmas decorations liven up the exterior, and if it snows during the holidays, the lights illuminate the blanket of white and make for a picturesque setting. The actual pattern you decide to decorate is solely up to you. There are, however, a number of helpful tips to keep in mind before and while hanging the lights.

Light and Strand Types

Modern strands of Christmas lights are comprised of mini bulbs that may flash, fade or shine in another pattern. They are smaller, therefore they are easier to hang, and you are able to put more up in a given area. The downside is that they are wired in a continuous circuit, so if one goes out, the whole strand goes out. Old fashioned Christmas lights are larger and come with fewer per strand, but if one goes out, the whole strand does not suffer. Which type you use will depend on what you have available, what kind of look you want for your decorations and how much you are willing to deal with dead bulbs.

Another choice to make is strand length. Mini bulb Christmas lights come in lengths of 50ft, 100ft, 200ft ad 300ft. Although you get more lights per strand with the longer types, should a bulb go out, it will leave you with a large unlit portion. If you choose the 50ft strands, more will be required, but they will be easier to replace.

Measuring for Approximate Length

First, measure the length of every plane to which you will attach lights. This includes gutters, all around the windows, rooftops, corners, around doors and anywhere else the lights will go. Take a tape measure and measure the approximate number of feet and sum it all together. This will let you calculate roughly how many strands you need for the job whether you are using the 50ft variety or longer.

Starting Out

Have an extension cord at the ready and a properly grounded outlet. Run the extension cord from the outlet to where the first strand begins. Don’t plug in the extension cord, though. Wait until the lights are hung before you do that. In many places along your decoration route you will not need to fasten the light strands to a clip. If strands can wrap around poles, columns or bushes, do that. When you begin to hang the lights from the house is when you will need the aid of clips.

Hanging the Strands

Do not use staples to attach the strands to the house. You could too easily stick the light cable itself and short out the entire string of lights. The best way to hang lights, whether it’s from the second story of your home or the first, is to use small finish nails with plastic clips attached. Gently tap in the nail to the edge of the window or door frames with a small hammer. If the holes you make will be exposed to the weather, try making them where water won’t seep in.

For hanging Christmas lights on the second story, use a stable ladder with a spotter on the ground. Work from the point nearest to the outlet and extension cord and move out from there.

Choosing the right kind of lights for the job, figuring out how many 50ft (or longer) strands you will need and hanging them properly and safely from various points on your home are the steps involved with the hanging of Christmas lights. Once you do it the first time, the next Christmas will be easier. If you leave the nails with clips in place, you simply have to reattach the strands to them.