Decorative String Lights Are Beautiful Alfresco ... - Home and Family

When people think of string lights, they generally think of a twisted mass that you put on display every Christmas. You may be surprised to find that string lights are great for year-round decorating and they can spruce up your patio decor.

In comparison to a lot of low voltage garden lights, string lights usually require 110 household current. Therefore your foremost concern is to make certain you have an outlet handy. On the majority of patios, the outlet is right next to the door, but they may also be located on the railing. You want to design your setup so as not to have the power cord stretched across any area where people may encounter them. If that is not an option, the best course of action is to have an electrician add a couple of additional outlets in the area outside your house. Odds are that if you are bedecking your outdoor areas, you will need the extra power for additional lights as well as appliances or a TV.

When picking ornamental string lights, be sure they are rated for outdoor purposes. Not all of them are. Additionally, be sure that they are wired correctly so that the string will stay lit even if a bulb or two burns out. Many of them are accompanied with a small fuse, if so an extra one is nice as well as some extra bulbs.

When going for style, plain white Christmas lights have plenty of potential. They can be strung along railings, strung up and around the underside of patio umbrellas, or simply suspended above the space to produce a star field effect. These will go with just about any decoration and, when done beautifully, can look very classy.

Of course, ornamental string lights come in an assortment of designs, from the classic clear light bulb look to lights with novelty designs, for almost any event. Many novelty lights are basically standard white lights with some sort of plastic embellishment snapped around each light.

Most sets include information on the number of strings that can be linked together when sharing an outlet. These are generally conservative approximations but don?t go too far above the recommended number of strings or it may cause the breaker, or GFI to trip.

Adding string lights to your patio lighting display can make a huge difference, for a very small expense!

Source: http://homeandfamily.net/home-and-family/decorative-string-lights-are-beautiful-alfresco-lighting-for-just-about-any-occasion

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