DFW Christmas Lights (214) 257-8155

By Maria Bargellini, Holiday Designer for DFW Christmas Lights

Want to add something special to your holiday lighting display this year? Take a look at these new items from Holiday Bright Lights. They look great on their own or with greenery. There’s a ton to choose from but this post is dedicated to one of my favorites– stars and star burst.  These stars will make a great addition to your Christmas lights this year. They add sparkle, interest and break up the monotony of the standard C9 clear lights without looking out of place. You can still have an elegant display and be a standout.

This 3D star is looks good from any angle, it adds dimension and can look good all on its own or be added to an existing holiday lighting display. It also looks great on a wreath. Let this star spark your creativity and use it anyway you like. Over a table, or in clusters of varying sizes or even the same size. You can use this 3D star in many ways and I cannot wait for next season to start adding them to my designs. Next up are the star burst. These are also pretty versatile.

Star Burst are great to add around the house. Most holiday lighting designs will have your shrubbery lit but these star look like they are floating along and give your house a great whimsical feel. These are on stakes but don’t let that limit your creativity. You can out them in trees, on top of large shrubs or trees, on wreaths, or over garland in your entryway. They come in a variety of colors. See the full catalog for this and other great decorating ideas or call us at 214-257-8813 more details.

Want to make your star a little more striking or unusual? Try adding a comet or shooting star trail. These are separate items that can be added to stars on wreaths or homes to make your Christmas lights really stand out in the neighborhood. I have done a ton of holiday lighting designs over the years and the typical request is clear lights on the house and everywhere else. Once in a while I have the chance to add color on the shrubs but for the most part our clietns have wanted to “keep” with the rest of the neighborhood. This is a great way to do that and be a stand out at the same time. Whether you want to do a little or do a lot, adding a star, star burst or trails can really step up your holiday lighting. They look great on their own or part of your Christmas display.

DFW Christmas Lights, The Outdoor Lighting Expert, and Lawn Sprinklers Dallas are sites owned and operated by Dallas Curb Appeal Inc.

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This home has all 4 sides decorated with warm white LED C9 bulbs. It also has red berry, “Razzleberry” LED mini lights on the shrubs and “Ice Drop”  tube lights on the tree, entry way and breezeway. It’s on the Highland Park carriage trail and it is a must see this holiday season.

DFW Christmas Lights and The Outdoor Lighting Expert are owned and operated by Dallas Curb Appeal Inc.

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By Maria Bargelini of DFW Christmas Lights

When we hear the  term Christmas display or Holiday Lighting, some of us (who are old enough to remember) think of the Griswold’s. The infamous family in the National Lampoon’s vacation film series, “Christmas Vacation”. If the thought of 20+ foot ladders and touching electricity leaves you more than frazzled — consider having your Christmas Lights professional installed by DFW Christmas Lights. If you want to brave it on your own here are a few notes to help you out.

#1 Above all else—Be Safe!

At DFW Christmas Lights, we want you to have the holiday display you want–whether it be just a little or full out Griswold’s lights. The most important thing we want to remind you of is to be safe.

• Don’t skimp on things like cords, use the properly approved extension cords, timers, lights, etc., and always plug them into an electrical outlet protected by a ground fault circuit interrupter or GFCI. For more on GFCIs please click here.
• Remember that your lights will most likely get wet and will be exposed to the elements, so always use lights that are UL approved for indoor/outdoor use.
• If your lights trip a breaker or your GFCI, don’t just flip it back; reduce the load of that circuit by plugging some of your light strings into another outlet, and wait until you are sure that the devices are dry before you switch them back on.
• Ladder safety: You should never install Christmas Lights alone, especially if you are using a ladder that is more than 6′ tall. Make sure you have someone footing your ladder and watching out for your safety. It’s rare that you can open up your ladder on a level surface when you are in your landscape beds. Sometimes the ground in uneven, there are usually shrubs or plants in the way and there is a good chance that you may overextend yourself to reach things that your ladder can’t get you to.

#2 Buy the right lights in the right amount

With the exception of icicle lights, mini lights are almost never used on roofs as they simply don’t put off enough light.  For roof lines, windows, flower beds, pathways and any other architectural places I recommend using C7 or C9 bulbs with 12″ spacing. These are what you would normally see on houses. If you are buying sets from a retail store chances are the wire will be 25′ long and will have to be connected end to end. Here are a few notes on lights.

• Buy commercial grade if you can find it: Some of the box stores will have “commercial” sets available. Although these are typically inferior to what we would use in the industry it will be better than the lower quality sets.
• Read the directions: You can only connect the amount of sets together the manufacture specifies. They are not making a suggestions, you lights will not work properly if you do not follow the directions.
• Make sure your connections stay dry. Water and electricity do not mix. Be sure to cover any exposed electrical connections.
• Pay attention to wire size (gauge) and ampacity. The smaller the amount of copper the less footage you will be allowed to run.
• Consider LED lights. You can run up to 10x the amount of lights together and it’s more energy efficient.

For part II of this article please click here.

Please check out our archives and recent post for more information on Holiday Lighting.

DFW Christmas Lights and The Outdoor Lighting Expert are owned and operated by Dallas Curb Appeal Inc., a full service landscape contractor.

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By Maria Bargellini, of DFW Christmas Lights

I have been an electrician for over a dozen years and the thing most home owners have issues with are their outdoor GFCI outlets. GFCI stands for ground fault circuit interrupter, in the business we say GFI for short. Those fancy letters are just a way of saying cut off device. If you overload your circuit, get a surge or short from weather, the ground fault in the device will trip, much like a breaker, and shut off the power to your device. It does so as to not  allow the surge to return to your breaker. It’s meant to protect the breaker and or electrical panel.

How to know if your device has tripped

• There’s usually one or two buttons on your device that will “pop” when there is a problem. This is something you can usually hear happening.
• Some devices will have a light that is either lit or not lit with it’s regular operation. The presence of the light or lack there of signal that the device is tripped.
• No power at the outlet is a clear sign that the device may have tripped

Reasons for tripping

• Moisture: Water or moisture entering the device will cause it to trip.
• Overloading your circuit. GFCIs typically come in 15 or 20 amp capacity. If you are trying to operate a 20 amp device on a 15 amp circuit the GFI will trip immediately and will continue to do so even if it holds for a little while.
• Shorts: Not Bermuda but electrical shorts. GFCIs are usually connected to other outlets. If there is a problem with a satellite outlet that’s connected to your GFI it will trip at the GFCI.

Problem Solvers Quick Fixes

• The wright covers: I know it’s ugly but those big bubble covers you see on the outlets are the best thing to use. They are called “In Use Covers” and they are made to shield the outlet from the elements. They have cut out so that your cords can be inserted into the holes and the cover will remain close.
• Loops: Water goes down hill. If you leave a loop before your outlet the water will generally run off at the base of the loop and not straight into the outlet.
• Changing the Device: The GFCIs are not meant to last forever. Years of tripping and weather can cause the device to malfunction. Simply replacing it is all you may need.
• Upgrading the device: If your wire is sized correctly you may be able to replace your 15 amp device to 20 amps, giving you more power to work with.

The information in this article is written as a general guide only. You should consult an electrician for any repairs, questions, or problems you may have.

DWF Christmas Lights and The Outdoor Lighting Expert are owned and operated by Dallas Curb Appeal Inc., a full service Landscape Contractor.

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By Maria Bargellini of DFW Christmas Lights

Looking for a beautiful, hassle-free lighting display this holiday season? Here’s a few tips to help you out.

Decorating Your Christmas Tree

The most recognizable symbol of the holiday season is the family tree. Whether you call it a Christmas tree or a Holiday tree, decorating  it can be a challenge. Keeping that in mind, we suggests 3 simple tips to make your tree more beautiful―and your decorating easier―than it has ever been.

Tip #1: Keep replacements on hand

Some of us like to change it up every few years by simply switching things like the lighting. Such as clear bulbs on year 1, multi colored on year 2 and maybe all red in year 3. Whether you change them or not-when you find the perfect light sets for your tree, you want to make sure that you have replacements that match. Buy a set or two more than you need in case a string goes bad sometime over the holiday season. You can also wait until the Christmas season ends and get a few on sale as back ups or to change out colors in the future. Also make sure you keep all those little packages of replacement bulbs. Unfortunately you can not “borrowing” bulbs from another set as they may cause early burnouts and can be potentially dangerous. For more on replacing bulbs click here.

Tip #2: Test your lights first

Now I hate to admit this but I too have does this before (way way way in the beginning ). So you’ve decorated the entire tree and like any good Griswold you go to light it only to notice afterward that 1 or more light strings are dead. Now you have to go in search of the culprit. But no worries, this can very easily be avoided.  Simply roll out and plug in each set of lights in to make sure they work before hand. Test for burned out bulbs, partially dead strings, any flickering, fuses etc. You can use a tester to make it easier to find which bulbs are causing the problems. Save yourself the hassle and embarrassment of having to redecorate your tree again.  For more on how to maintain your lights click here.

Tip #3: Light your tree section by section

The decorating standard is to use a 100 light strand for every 1 foot of tree. Almost all pre lit 6′ trees will have 600 lights on them. Of course if you have a narrow tree or some form of Charlie Brown Tree you will need less lights. Don’t light the entire tree all at once. To make sure your tree is evenly lit, hang the lights section by section and make corrections as you go. You might also try following an “S” or “wave” pattern instead of simply “tornado wrapping” your tree.

Please search our archives for more articles on Holiday Lighting and samples of our work. DFW Christmas Lights and The Outdoor Lighting Expert are owned and operated by Dallas Curb Appeal Inc, a full service landscape contractor.

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