The most wonderful time of the year can be even merrier with festive holiday lighting.

But to catch your family and neighbor’s attention with a stunning display, you need to understand the ins and outs of lighting.

To make sure you have a bright Christmas, here are our Top 4 outdoor holiday lighting tips.

1 Put Safety First

Creating the perfect holiday lighting display won’t be worth much if you are injured in the process. So, it’s important you follow safe practices from start to finish.

One of the most dangerous parts about installing holiday lights is using a ladder. Here are ways to prevent ladder and falling injuries:

• Keep the ladder at a 75-degree climbing angle.
• Watch for overhead power lines.
• Ask someone to hold the ladder.
• Make sure the safety feet are deeply embedded in the ground, which is especially important when there’s ice or slick conditions.
• Only use a ladder that is in proper working order. There should be no failed or weak points.
• Don’t step on a roof with snow, ice or a steep pitch.
• Keep three points of contact on the ladder at all times.
• Avoid using the ladder on windy days.

You also need to be careful working with electricity to prevent overloads and electrical trips.

Keep plugs and extension cords off of the ground so they don’t come in contact with water. Also, keep them away from rain gutters, and replace any damaged or worn-out cords.

2 Don’t Mix and Match Lights

Whether you go with LED or incandescent lights is your choice. But, you should only use one, instead of using the two types together.

The lights are extremely contrasting, and they do not look good together. So, use either one or the other.

Most holiday lights used today are LEDs because of their benefits. LED lights use about 80 percent less electricity compared to incandescent lights, and they last longer. LEDs are also less likely to trip your breaker if moisture gets in them.

There are a variety of LED colors like warm white light, which can bring you that classic, traditional feel of Christmas.

3 Create Personalized Designs

There are always lighting trends you can look at and follow, but the most important thing is to find colors, styles and designs you and your family will enjoy.

If you have children (or are a child at heart), you might want to make your home more festive and fun with color combinations, like blue and amber or the classic red and green.

To create focal points, you can also add starbursts to walkways, trees and door entryways. Or, use linkable lights — like snowflakes — to add character to your outdoor space.

There are so many different lighting colors, designs and options available, so find what shows off your style the best.

4 Call a Professional

A lot more goes into installing outdoor holiday lighting than just hanging a few strands of bulbs.

You need to come up with a design plan, choose colors and lights, manage the electrical component, follow safe practices, install and take everything down once the season is over.

It requires a good bit of work and experience to successfully and safely add holiday lights, and that’s where Landscape Lighting Pro of Utah comes in.

Landscape lighting is all we do, and we’ve built our reputation on our experience, skilled installations, quality products, artful designs and customer service. We treat our client’s property like our own, so the only thing you’ll notice when we leave are the stunning lights.

Take time to relax with your family this season, and let us bring your holiday lighting ideas to life.

Contact us today for a free lighting consultation.

Landscape Lighting Pro of Utah is located in Midvale and serves customers in residential areas including Salt Lake City, Park City, Draper and Holladay.