Be Safe With Outdoor Christmas Decorations

When you decorate your house and yard for Christmas, it can be easy to lose sight of anything but the fact that your place is perfectly decorated. However, you should never forget that you are dealing with electricity and that you need to put safety precautions first. Remembering the proper way to set up your decorations will help you ensure that the holiday is not marred by a visit from your fire company or a trip to the emergency room. To set up your outdoor Christmas decorations safely, you should:

• Always follow manufacturer recommendations. If the lights you use should be plugged into more than two other sets of lights, it is not a good idea to add a fourth set. Instead, begin a new string and run the two sets of lights to separate spots on your power strip. If lighting is supposed to be for indoor use, don’t string it up outside.
• Check to be sure cords are not running in areas where they could trip family members, postal workers or your paper boy. Keep in mind actual traffic patterns in your yard. If everyone cuts across the lawn instead of using the sidewalk, you’ll have to be very careful where you run your cords.

Take a look at some local Christmas lights and decorations displays to get some great ideas of your own!