Decorating outside of house!

Guys can anyone shed some light on how you can completely cover the front (fascia) of my house with lights and decoration please?

In "Christmas Vacation" Chevy just gets a staple gun I think. Don't know how this would work with my red bricked house.

Also how would you power the lights without leaving a gaping hole in the windows or front door for the ac adapters?

Thanks guys!

Alicat

In regards to power, the only way to do it I think is to get an electrician to run a line outside, with a power point. You cant have windows open all winter for lights. You can get outdoor ones that are covered and safe to plug in (outdoor) lights.

(Wish it was as easy as a staple gun! I'd have the whole house covered like in the movie)

Ah I see! That makes sense. Thanks Ali!

paddy147

Get an outdoor Timer plug socket installed on the wall by an electrician.

Get a 4 gang 2 meter long extension lead and an outdoor cable tidy box...(available in Woodies and B&Q).


Plug extension lead into outdoor socket.


Place 4 gang socket part into outdoor box.

Then run all your external Xmass light to the extension lead.

Set the outdoor timer socket to come on at 4:40pm (darkness) and go off at 1am in the morning.


All lights come on and go off at the exact same time.

Then sit or stand back outside in the garden and enjoy the outside of your house.




PS-Use LED Xmass lights,as these will keep your leccy bill low.

Cunning Stunt

You can buy solar powered lights - even in winter they will work. Amazon have some for cheap enough and they got great reviews - was just looking at these ones yesterday myself

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Solar-Brite-Decorative-effect-Gardens/dp/B0035FET7C/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_nC?ie=UTF8&colid=OF95849FCO63&coliid=I11NQ7W00562GR


Then no electricity bill!

Cunning Stunt you are a wonderful human being!

But wait ...solar powered lights in December? Hmmmm

Cunning Stunt

Deleted User wrote: »

But wait ...solar powered lights in December? Hmmmm

read the reviews on Amazon - they work fine in Winter. You don't need blazing sun for them to work

I have my friend. Quite a lot (60+) of one star reviews. Amazon US have even more mixed reviews. I suppose it's worth a punt for a tenner though.

paddy147

Deleted User wrote: »

Cunning Stunt you are a wonderful human being!

No problem.:)

I posted 1 or 2 pics here last Xmas...have a look for them and you will see what I mean.







Heres is an outdoor IP65 24/7timer socket....25-30 euro will get you one of them.

You can then use it for outdoor/diy/gardening equipement during the rest of the year....and you dont need to have windows or doors open and power leads run out through them.

You install a fused spur switch on the inside of the the house so that you can switch of the outdoor socket,when the power is not needed.

Stops anyone robbing power on you,when you are not in the house or off on holidays.;)

That just seems like wayyyyy too much hassle paddy. I feel bad saying that after all the work you put into your posts. I'm currently looking for some decent battery/solar operated lights....but there doesn't seem to be any decent ones surprisingly.

paddy147

Deleted User wrote: »

That just seems like wayyyyy too much hassle paddy. I feel bad saying that after all the work you put into your posts. I'm currently looking for some decent battery/solar operated lights....but there doesn't seem to be any decent ones surprisingly.

Locate a double socket that is on one of the external walls (walls with windows) of the house.

If you have a porch with a wall socket in it,then even better.

TURN OFF POWER TO THE SOCKET 1ST



Drill a 12-15mm hole through the wall

Tee some 2.5 T&E cable off the back of the existing socket.

Install outdoor socket on to the outside wall and wire it up.


If you want a fused spur switch,then you install that beside the indoor socket 1st,and then you wire the outdoor socket off the fused spur switch.

Its not that much work to do,and any competant DIYer or electrician will do it in a matter of minutes.

If you dont know what you are at.....then get an electrician to do it for you.

Paddy (or is it MacGyver?) I couldn't do all that just for two-three weeks of lights!!! Thanks anyway mate...:)

paddy147

Option 2.......


Get some slimeline plug in 24/7 timers in B&Q for 2 euro each.


Buy some sets of Outdoor LED Christmas tree lights....these have a good 6-7 meters of lead on them from the traffo/plug to the 1st light.


Install the lights outside in the garden and on the house front and run the light leads back through the house windows.

The wire is so thin and the LED lights are low volatge,so you can close the house window openings over on them,and you wont damage them.

Plug the LED lights into the timer and plug the timmer into the indoor wall socket.




You could also just buy 1 24/7 timer socket and plug a 4 or 6 gang extension lead into that.
Then plug the LED Christmas lights into the extension lead.

Simples.:)

paddy147

Deleted User wrote: »

Paddy (or is it MacGyver?) I couldn't do all that just for two-three weeks of lights!!! Thanks anyway mate...:)

You still have an outdoor socket for gardening work/gardening equipment and any outdoor DIY power tools that you might need to use in years to come.;)


Anyway...option 2 is posted just above.


Im sure you will get sorted in time for Christmas.

Best Regards.:)

paddy147

Oh and Outdoor/Christmas tree lights can be secured to the house and porch gutters with "Gutter Hooks".

They are white plastic U-Shaped clips that slot on over the gutter,and then you slot the wire of the Christmas tree light into them.

A bag of 100 costs around 4 euro in the likes of B&Q,Woodies,Homebase and any good Christmas shop,as it gets closeer to Christmas.


Fit 1 gutter hook for every foot of guttering.
This will hold/sceure the lights and prevent them from swinging and sagging in the wind.

Cunning Stunt

Cunning Stunt wrote: »

You can buy solar powered lights - even in winter they will work. Amazon have some for cheap enough and they got great reviews - was just looking at these ones yesterday myself

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Solar-Brite-Decorative-effect-Gardens/dp/B0035FET7C/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_nC?ie=UTF8&colid=OF95849FCO63&coliid=I11NQ7W00562GR


Then no electricity bill!

Hey I chanced a set of these and they're great! Really delighted...thanks!

paddy147

Deleted User wrote: »

Hey I chanced a set of these and they're great! Really delighted...thanks!

3 euro 50 cents (50) and 6 euro (100) in Homestore & More at the moment...:pac:

http://www.homestoreandmore.ie/summer-accessories/garden-solar-lights/icat/spesumacc1garlig#spesumacc1garlig?sort=pdxtpriority&order=asc&categories=spesumacc1garlig&q=*&bklist=icat%252C6%252Cshop%252Cspecials%252Cspecialss%252Cspesumacc%252Cspesumacc1garlig&setpagenum=1&perpage=32&_suid=1378307544333029345346207621003

paddy147

Green outdoor dry-boxes on sale at the moment in Kinsealy Garden Centre.

These are longer than the normal ones,so you can install a 6 gang extension lead into them.

16 euro each.:)