Tips from North Hills Pittsburgh’s Trusted Holiday Lighting Experts
There’s nothing quite like the warm glow of holiday lights to make your home feel festive, inviting, and joyful. But behind every beautiful display is a process that, for many homeowners, comes with more stress than sparkle. Between climbing ladders, fixing tangled strands, and trying to achieve a polished look, hanging holiday lights at home can be harder than it seems.
In fact, small missteps in planning, placement, or materials can turn a simple project into a full-blown holiday headache, or worse, a safety hazard. In this article, we’ll walk through the top five mistakes to avoid when hanging holiday lights, and what you can do instead to ensure a smooth, safe, and stunning display.
One of the biggest mistakes homeowners make is relying on retail-grade lights purchased from big box stores. While these lights may be convenient and affordable upfront, they’re often made with lower-grade materials, thin wiring, and limited weatherproofing.
In North Hills, where winters bring snow, wind, and ice, these fragile lights simply don’t hold up. Instead, we recommend using commercial-grade LED holiday lights. They’re brighter, safer, longer-lasting, and built specifically to withstand harsh Pittsburgh winters.
Bonus Tip: Commercial lights also use up to 75% less energy, making them eco-friendly and cost-effective in the long run.
Another common error is plugging too many light strands into one outlet or using low-quality extension cords. This not only risks blowing a fuse but also creates a serious fire hazard.
Holiday lighting needs to be planned with electrical load in mind. The number of lights, length of the strand, and type of bulbs all affect how much power you’re drawing. Overloaded circuits are especially risky in older homes found throughout McCandless, Ross Township, and Franklin Park.
Trying to secure lights with staples, nails, or tape may seem like a shortcut, but it can quickly damage your home’s exterior and your lights. It’s also a common way to void manufacturer warranties or cause future water intrusion issues.
Our team uses professional-grade clips and mounting hardware that are designed to hold lights securely without damaging your roofline or exterior. This ensures a clean finish, easy removal, and no structural issues down the road.
If you're not working with a professional, always opt for non-invasive clips specifically designed for holiday lighting and ensure they're compatible with your roofing and gutter materials.
It’s easy to get excited and start stringing lights at random, but without a cohesive plan, you’ll likely end up with a display that looks cluttered, uneven, or underwhelming.
Planning is a critical part of creating a professional-looking holiday display.
Most homeowners are so focused on getting lights up that they forget about what happens after the holidays. Taking down lights in the cold of January is no one’s favorite task, and improper removal or storage leads to damaged lights and a frustrating start to the next season.
Avoiding these five mistakes protects your home, your investment, and your safety. That’s why more and more homeowners across the North Hills of Pittsburgh trust MAT Lighting for their outdoor holiday lighting needs.
We’re proud to be the go-to Christmas light installation service in North Hills Pittsburgh. We specialize in residential holiday lighting that’s elegant, durable, and hassle-free, so you can enjoy the season instead of stressing over it.
Spots are limited, and our calendar fills up quickly due to the short November installation window. Contact us today to schedule your consultation and take the guesswork, and risk, out of your holiday lighting.
