DIY Network

Holiday Light Safety Basic, Fire Protection Don't let fire ruin your holiday season! From "Special Presentation" episode DADA-214

A lot of time and effort goes into hanging holiday lights. To make sure the season stays joyful and without injury, Brad Staggs has put together the DIY Basics of Holiday Light safety.

advertisement

Don't let your lighted decorations go up in smoke! Follow our safety tips to make this a safe and happy holiday season.

• Mini lights are the safest choice for your outdoor holiday display: they don't build up as much heat as larger bulbs. Just make sure they're approved for outdoor use. The familiar UL mark on a product means that UL engineers have tested samples of the product for risk of fire, electric shock and other hazards. Use light strings with UL's green holographic label indoors; use light strings with UL's red holographic label either indoors or outdoors.

• Many of us use the same lights year after year. We know to test the lights to make sure they light up, but you also need to check the cords. Frayed wires and loose connections can start a fire. Throw away damaged light strings--new light strands cost only a few bucks.

• You'll probably need to drag out the ladder to hang the lights. Make sure you set it on level ground, and remember this contractor's rule: for every 4 feet you're going up, you should move the ladder out a foot from the wall.

• You might also like to try out a special pole for hanging lights. It stretches 11 feet, so you can hang lights without leaving the ground. Attach the lights to a plastic hook and connect the hook to the pole, then snap it onto the gutter. You just unscrew the pole and the lights are in place.

• The old rule of thumb was to string together only three light strands. Now there are heavy-duty sets that can connect as many as six strands.

• Remember to wrap all connections between lights and extension cords with electrical tape.

• Make sure to use cords that are approved for outdoor use and that all are plugged into a circuit with a Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter, which shuts off power to the lights if they get wet.

• As a general rule you should turn off your lights when you're not at home or when you go to bed at night.

• Use only lights and extension cords that are approved for outdoor use and tested for safety.

• Check lights and cords for damage every year.

• Don't string together more than three light sets, unless you use heavy-duty light sets.

Fire Protection

Here are a few more holiday fire-safety tips, courtesy of Brad Staggs.

• If your family is observing Hanukkah or Kwanzaa, of course you will be burning candles. That's why it's important to place some sort of nonwood tray underneath your candleholders. And remember to make it big enough so if a candle happens to fall, it will hit the tray, not the floor.

• This is also the time of year to make sure you have a fire extinguisher handy. Just remember that different extinguishers are designed to battle different types of fires, so make sure to tell the expert at you home-improvement center if you're going to be using the extinguisher in the kitchen or in some other room in your house.

• One final safety tip that will make your guests feel comfortable in your home: I always put nightlights in the hallways to help keep family and friends who may be spending the night from bumping into walls. They go on automatically when it gets dark, and at just a few bucks apiece, I'd suggest putting them all over the house (especially the route to the bathroom)!