Number of Lights Needed for Outdoor Features
- Bushes and Hedges: One to two 4-foot by 6-foot light nets per bush or hedge.
- Trees: One 32-foot strand (100 lights) for every 1 1/2 vertical feet of an evergreen tree; or, about 500 to 600 lights for an 8-foot tree.
- Windows: One 16-foot strand per single-width window.
- Doors: One 16-foot strand per door.
- Window Boxes: One 14-foot strand of 50 lights per window box.
What size Christmas lights should I use on my house?
He suggests combining miniature lights and either C-7 bulbs or their larger cousin, the C-9, for the best Christmas lights for your home, while mini lights and C-7 bulbs are the best Christmas tree lights.
How many feet of Christmas lights do I need?
A general rule is to use 100 lights for every 1.5 feet of tree. However, if you love lights, you may want to double or even triple that amount. Use the chart below for the recommended number of lights for fresh-cut trees. Whatever type of lights you choose, make sure they're Underwriters Laboratories (UL) listed.
How many C9 lights do I need for my house?
If you need 300 ft. of C9 lights to cover all the roof lines of your home with traditional 12 inch spacing between each bulb, you're looking at 300 bulbs. Incandescent bulbs will look incredible, but will take 2,100 watts to power. LED bulbs will also look impressive, but will only require 29 watts.
How many lights do I need?
Let's recap how to gauge how much light you need for a space. Multiply your room square footage by the footcandle requirement. For example, a 100-square foot living room, which needs 20 foot candles, will need 2,000 lumens. A 100-square foot dining room, which needs 40 foot-candles, will need 4,000 lumens.
How many feet of string lights do I need?
The good news is that you don't need complex math to solve this problem. Simply buy string lights that are 2 to 6 feet longer than your linear measurement to create the swag of your choice. It's always better to have more string length than you need because you can always shorten it by doubling it up on the ends.
Should I use C7 or C9 lights on house?
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How much electricity does 100 Christmas lights use?
Your display size and choice of bulbs, whether incandescent or LED, will influence your energy bill the most. For example, a 100-count string of incandescent mini lights runs at 40 watts, while a 70 count of 5mm Wide Angle LEDs is approximately 4.8 watts total.
Which is better C7 or C9?
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What length of Christmas lights do I need for a 7 foot tree?
How Many Lights Do I Need For A 7ft Tree? We recommend 15 metres of lights for a 6ft Christmas tree, but if you have space for a larger tree, for every extra foot of height simply add another 5 metres of lights. So for a 7ft tree, we would suggest using 20 metres of lights.
How do you determine the correct length of Christmas lights?
Measure the circumference of the tree trunk, as well as the circumference and count of any branches you wish to wrap with lights. Determine how much spacing you want both between each light bulb on the string, as well as how far apart you plan to wrap the light strings.
How many feet of lights do I need for a 7 foot Christmas tree?
Basic Rule of Thumb "So an easy, general rule to remember is that for each foot of your tree, you'd want to use one strand of lights.
How many lights should be on a 6.5 ft Christmas tree?
For the best coverage on your unlit Christmas tree, about 100 bulbs are recommended for every two feet of tree. If you have a 6 foot artificial Christmas tree, you'll need a string of 300 LEDs to light up your tree perfectly.
How many outdoor Christmas lights can be on a circuit?
A string of small light bulbs only use 12 watt. It’s possible to put 105 strings of lights on one circuit.
How many lights do I need?
A sitting room or bedroom will typically require 10 to 20 lm per square foot, while a bathroom or kitchen will typically need 70 to 80 lm per square foot. You can work out thelm by taking the square footage of the room and dividing it by the figure.
How many strands of lights can you plug into an outlet?
1800 watt can be taken by each of them. The safe limit for 1800 watt is1440 watt. 10 watt per strand is what the homeowners would like to use for their lights. The total number of strands that could be plugged into one outlet is not known.
How many Christmas lights can you have on a 20-amp circuit?
There are ten string lights connected in a series for a 20- watt strand. Make sure not to exceed the maximum wattage (1,440/1,920) by summing the wattage you’re plugging into each outlet.
What happens if you overload Christmas lights?
If you exceed this limit, never do it again. Plugging a lot of light strings together can cause a fire.
How do you calculate Christmas lights?
Lowe’s says a good rule of thumb is 100 lights for every foot and a half of the tree. Better homes and gardens recommend using three 100 light sets for every foot of the tree. Real Simple has a suggestion of 100 lights for each foot.
How are 3 wire Christmas lights wired?
The beginning of the next one can be plugged in. The neutral end of the lights is hot while the hot end is neutral. The wires are hot, neutral and the lights are lights.
Where to Start
Ask yourself the following questions to decide which type of Christmas lights to buy:
LED and Incandescent Christmas Lights
Although both LED and incandescent string lights come in a variety of colors and bulb shapes, there are a few basic differences between them.
Types of Christmas Lights
Mini string lights have small bulbs and have remained popular for the past few decades.
How Many Strands of Lights Will It Take to Cover the Area?
Although personal preference is the ultimate deciding factor, here are a few basic considerations:
Choosing the Right Color
Some people have a strong preference for either colored or white Christmas lights, and here are a few considerations:
Conserve Energy
Consider the following tricks to save on your energy bill during the holidays:
Christmas Light Installation
What’s the best way to hang Christmas lights? Some Christmas lights, such as net lights, make it easy. Our How to Decorate a Christmas Tree guide will give you tips on adding both lights and ornaments to your tree. Take a look at our video How to Hang Outdoor Christmas Lights to learn how to create your own outdoor Christmas lights display.
What size LED light should I use for a tree?
5mm LED lights: the preferred LED bulb size for wrapping outdoor trees with lights. The concave lens design of a wide angle LED bulb produces a much brighter halo of light than that found in an incandescent mini light. The result of this difference in design is less bulbs required per foot when using 5mm LED mini lights.
How to wrap a tree with Christmas lights?
When wrapping trees with Christmas lights, there are some basic measurements that you need to take into consideration. Measure the circumference of the tree trunk, as well as the circumference and count of any branches you wish to wrap with lights . Determine how much spacing you want both between each light bulb on the string, ...
What kind of lights do you use for wrapping a tree?
Popular Lights for Wrapping Indoor & Outdoor Trees. Mini lights: a popular tree light for indoor and outdoor use, especially among vintage Christmas light enthusiasts. When wrapping trees with incandescent lights, it is important to make sure you don't exceed the maximum amount of strings that can be connected together.
What is a T5 LED mini light?
T5 LED Mini Lights: T5 mini lights are especially popular for decorators with vintage Christmas tree displays as they look almost identical to traditional incandescent Christmas tree lights but with all the benefits of LED technology!
Why are C7 bulbs needed for tree lights?
Because they are larger in size and light output, far less C7 bulbs are required for tree lighting than mini lights. C7 bulbs and strings can be purchased individually and are also available in convenient all in one light sets with the bulb and light string already paired for quick installation!
How many feet are there in a lighted tree?
Total lighted feet will be approximately 56' for the trunk and four branches
Can you buy C9 bulbs individually?
C9 bulbs and strings can be purchased individually and are also available in convenient all in one light sets with the bulb and light string already paired for quick installation!
How many lights can you put on a Christmas string?
Christmas string lights often come with plugs at the end that enable you to connect additional sets. Traditional incandescent mini string lights often have a small limit on how many you can connect together. Depending on the light count, it could be as limited as five to ten sets connected together. This limitation historically made it difficult for the average homeowner to do outdoor light displays because it required so many extra plug outlets and extension cords. However, LED string lights use so little power compared to incandescent lights that you can connect up to 40 sets end to end depending on the set specifications. And, with some LED string lights that use even less power, you can connect up to 90 sets end to end. While the number of strings you can connect varies by the product and the manufacturers specifications, LED string lights enable people to make remarkable outdoor displays because so many more can be used more easily.
How long do you keep lights in the original packaging?
Keep original product packaging until the entire installation is complete and maybe even for a few weeks after to ensure your lights are working properly. The packaging may be needed in the event that you have to make a return or exchange.
How many bulbs did Clark Griswold use for Christmas?
This is not one of those times. Clark Griswold planned out his entire outdoor Christmas display complete with 25,000 incandescent bulbs, and it was still a bit of a disaster. But you have one really important advantage that he didn't -- this guide.
How to calculate wattage of a light bulb?
Calculate total watts by multiplying the watts per bulb by the number of bulbs on a string
How much power should a circuit have?
It is recommended that all circuits never exceed 80% of their max wattage capacity
Where are the amps on Christmas lights?
When using Christmas light strings where the bulbs are hard wired into the socket or where the bulbs are screwed into the socket, total amps is usually listed in the UL tag near total watts.
What tools are needed for electrical installation?
Items that might come in handy with any installation include sharp utility scissors, box cutters, zip ties, outdoor rated electrical tape ( just in case!), and measuring tape.
How to add depth to a Christmas tree?
To add interest and create depth, layer two or more ribbons of varying designs on top of each other. Visit our blog for more tips on Christmas tree decorating with ribbons.
What is the ideal length of ribbon for Christmas trees?
A good starting point is to have at least 3 yards of ribbon per foot of tree. If you want to keep it simple, start at the top of your tree and wrap the ribbon around it in a downward spiral. The wider your tree, the longer the ribbon you’ll need. Alternatively, you can create a cascading waterfall ribbon down your Christmas tree for an elegant look. This technique requires several pieces to cover all sides of the tree. Opt for longer strands if you plan to make large, dramatic billows.
How to decorate a Christmas tree with ribbon?
When you decorate your tree with Christmas ribbons, your chosen style will affect the length of ribbon needed. A good starting point is to have at least 3 yards of ribbon per foot of tree. If you want to keep it simple, start at the top of your tree and wrap the ribbon around it in a downward spiral. The wider your tree, the longer the ribbon you’ll need. Alternatively, you can create a cascading waterfall ribbon down your Christmas tree for an elegant look. This technique requires several pieces to cover all sides of the tree. Opt for longer strands if you plan to make large, dramatic billows.