November 28th, 2023 by tisner
It’s time to get the holiday house decorating in high gear, and you may have bought new light strands, but plan on mixing them with ones you have, or adding LED lights. Safety is important this time of year, and making the days merry and the nights bright means taking a few precautions.
- Check your old lights for frayed wires, nicks or cuts along the outer cord, and broken bulbs. Broken bulbs can be replaced, but toss the frayed strands, or those with cuts.
- Decorating the exterior of your house means the lights you use must be made for outdoors. Check the packaging or tag on the string to make certain.
- Use clips or hangers that are UL-approved–do NOT nail, tack, or staple lights to any fixture.
- If you’d like to light a tree in your yard, make absolute certain no power lines run through the branches, and keep any lighting at least ten feet from power lines.
- Make sure your extension cords are specifically made for outdoor use, and have a three-pronged ground plug. Your receptacle should be a ground fault circuit interrupter (GFCI) outlet in case of electrical overload, it will shut off power. Portable outdoor GFCI’s are available for very little cost at Amazon.
- Read and heed all labels when it comes to connecting strings of lights. If the label says only three can be connected to one another, start a new chain of lights after the third strand is in place. Also keep in mind that only strands with the same number of bulbs should be connected–in other words, don’t connect a 100-strand with two 25-strands.
- Keep extension cords away from high-traffic areas, and out from under welcome mats or pavers.
- Many people start decorating long before Christmas, but be aware that most non-commercial light strands are only safely exposed to the elements for 90 days. Any longer, and deterioration to the insulation will begin.
- Avoid using a metal ladder if you’re having to get up high with your lights–use wooden or fiberglass instead.
- Never leave lights on when you’re not at home, or asleep.
- If you’re considering adding LED’s to your holiday display, make sure you don’t mix connecting with incandescent. Going all-LED will be costlier upon start-up, but will save money on your power bill, as well as in replacement costs–LED’s can last up to twenty years.
You don’t want a friendly neighborhood competition to turn into disaster, nor do you want a classic Clark Griswold power outage at home. Know your home’s electrical limits, and use common sense and care while you’re decorating.
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Teri Isner is the team leader of Orlando Avenue Top Team and has been a Realtor for over 24 years. Teri has distinguished herself as a leader in the Orlando FL real estate market. Teri assists buyers looking for Orlando FL real estate for sale and aggressively markets Orlando FL homes for sale.
You deserve professional real estate service! You obtain the best results with Teri Isner plus you benefit from her marketing skills, experience and ability to network with other REALTORS®. Your job gets done pleasantly and efficiently. You are able to make important decisions easily with fast, accurate information from Teri. The Orlando Avenue Top Team handles the details and follow-up that are important to the success of your transaction.
Tags: christmas lights, holiday decorating, holiday lights, homeowners, orlando avenue top team, Orlando Sellers, Teri Isner
Posted in Home Tips from Teri, Just for Fun, Orlando Buyers | No Comments »
December 16th, 2020 by tisner
A good holiday light display can be awe-inspiring, leaving neighbors talking and prompting people from all over town to drive by just to see it. Unfortunately, some of these displays can be difficult to install, and may even require some technical know-how if you want the display to sync to music or have multiple parts working together. There are services that can help with this, putting in the work to set up your lights, regardless of whether you want a modest display or something that would make Clark Griswold green with envy. Are they right for you, though? Here are a few things to consider.
Display Complexity
One thing that can influence your decision of whether to DIY your holiday lighting is the complexity of the display you want to create. There might not be much of a need for you to hire someone if you are doing basic decorations or have all the equipment you need to get your lights in place. If you want a large elaborate display, or don’t already have everything that you need to reach and mount lights everywhere you want them, you might be better off hiring someone to get the decorations done.
Available Free Time
Putting up lights around the holidays can take a lot of time, especially for larger displays. This is why a lot of people make decorating into a weekend project when there’s more time available to put into it. Between work, family time, and other responsibilities, though, you may not have large blocks of time available to put into your decorations. This can lead to holiday decorating being stretched out across days or even weeks of small bursts of activity, so if you’re in that situation you might consider paying to have it done instead.
Necessary Equipment
Hanging lights might seem like a simple task, but it becomes a lot harder if you don’t have the necessary equipment on hand. While you can get light mounting hooks and other supplies pretty cheaply, you’re looking at bigger expenses if you find that you need to buy a ladder or other equipment just to get to the areas where you want the lights to go. If you don’t already have everything you need, hiring someone who does may be the cheaper and easier option.
Technical Configuration
Some lighting displays are really impressive, using computers and other specialized hardware to sync multiple display pieces, and in some cases even operate projectors or broadcast music that can be picked up on the FM band. If you’re not very technologically savvy, setting up a display like this might be more of a job than you can realistically handle alone. Bringing in someone with experience setting up these more technology-driven displays can save you some serious time. It may save you money as well, as they’ll make sure that you don’t buy anything that you don’t actually need to get your display working.
Other Services
When trying to decide whether you can do your decorating yourself or if you need to bring someone else in, consider whether there’s anything else that you need help doing. Some holiday decorating services offer assistance with multiple parts of decorating, including setting up trees or displays inside the house. Some may even offer custom decorations or consulting services to make sure that everything ties together and matches the existing themes of your home. These are all things that you can typically do yourself, of course. Still, if you have a certain look in mind, it’s worth remembering that you may be able to get some help bringing it to life this holiday season.
Finding the Right Installer
Finding a light installer you can trust isn’t always easy, but HomeKeepr is here to help. Sign up for a free account today and connect with workers who can get the job done right the first time.
Access Teri’s one-stop Orlando FL home search website.
Teri Isner is the team leader of Orlando Avenue Top Team and has been a Realtor for over 24 years. Teri has distinguished herself as a leader in the Orlando FL real estate market. Teri assists buyers looking for Orlando FL real estate for sale and aggressively markets Orlando FL homes for sale.
You deserve professional real estate service! You obtain the best results with Teri Isner plus you benefit from her marketing skills, experience and ability to network with other REALTORS®. Your job gets done pleasantly and efficiently. You are able to make important decisions easily with fast, accurate information from Teri. The Orlando Avenue Top Team handles the details and follow-up that are important to the success of your transaction.
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By: Homekeepr, Rob Morelli
Tags: decorating for christmas, holiday lights, homeowners, orlando avenue top team, Should You DIY Your Holiday Lighting, Teri Isner
Posted in Home Tips from Teri | No Comments »
November 16th, 2015 by tisner
Things To Do Orlando: Light Up UCF
Light Up UCF features rides suitable for the entire family, ranging from the Hunter Vision Ferris Wheel, where riders can enjoy a panoramic view of the UCF campus, to the Light Up Express Train, great for children of all ages. Visitors can also check out the Arctic Glide Ice Slide, where they can climb to the top of the tower and glide on disc sleds across the 100-foot ice way. Making its annual appearance, the Blizzard offers a whirling and twirling thrill ride, where patrons can twist, tilt, and spin themselves crazy! Visitors can also stop into Santa’s Workshop presented by Coca Cola in the NEW Light Up Lane, where they can share their Christmas wishes and have a photo taken with Santa.
WHEN: Friday, November 20th, 2015
WHERE: Orlando Museum of Art
COST: $10 for adults, $6 for kids
Visit the Event Website for more details.
Information courtesy of Orlando Real Estate Expert Teri Isner and the Orlando Avenue Top Team.
Access Teri’s one-stop Orlando FL home search website.
Teri Isner is the team leader of Orlando Avenue Top Team and has been a Realtor for over 24 years. Teri has distinguished herself as a leader in the Orlando FL real estate market. Teri assists buyers looking for Orlando FL real estate for sale and aggressively markets Orlando FL homes for sale. You deserve professional real estate service!
You obtain the best results with Teri Isner plus you benefit from her marketing skills, experience and ability to network with other REALTORS®. Your job gets done pleasantly and efficiently. You are able to make important decisions easily with fast, accurate information from Teri. The Orlando Avenue Top Team handles the details and follow-up that are important to the success of your transaction.
Get Orlando Daily News delivered to your inbox! Subscribe here!
Tags: christmas lights, holiday lights, light up ucf, orlando avenue top team, Orlando Communities, orlando museum of art, orlando real estate, Teri Isner, Things to do Orlando, UCF
Posted in 365 Orlando, About Orlando, Just for Fun | No Comments »
