Nothing beats outdoor lighting when it comes to creating a captivating atmosphere or livening up a party. They’re an excellent choice as they will spice up your outdoor space without having to spend too much money.
It’s quite easy to hang string lights yourself. You would be needing a few things before you start: tape measure, ladder, clips, extension cord and of course, patio string lights.
How to do it:
Step 1. Measure the length of the area where you want to hang the lights with a tape measure. With your light pattern also considered, this will tell you the length of light strand you would need. Like if you’re making a pathway, you may add four inches per loop if you want the lights to swag.
Step 2. Buy enough outdoor patio string lights to cover the area you intend to light. Ensure they are “outdoor-resistant” as indicated by the package.
Step 3. Test the lights first on the ground by plugging them. Thoroughly check each strand for any dead bulbs for replacement. Unplug the light strand.
Step 4. Mount the ladder securely at the first section where you want your lights. To attach the clips (this should be included with the string lights when you buy them), you can hang them on your gutter or on shingles or you may screw them to window ledges. To securely hold the lights, fasten the clip at regular intervals. Move the ladder to different sections as you follow the design of your lighting pattern.
Step 5. Go back to the beginning of your lighting pattern. Leave enough length of your light strand or use an outdoor rated extension cord to reach the outlet where you will plug in the lights. Make sure that the outlet is well protected from the weather.
Step 6. Before you start attaching the lights to the clips, ask somebody to assist you in holding the light strand and feeding it up to you on the ladder. This will save you a lot of time and energy in going up and down the ladder. Hang the lights securely in the clips, but leave a bit of allowance to account for wind motion.
Step 7. Plug in the light to the power outlet to test if the result is everything that you hoped it to be. If you need to make a few adjustments to your design, always remember unplug the light first before you proceed.