Outdoor Christmas Light Brackets and Extension Hanger Tool

[Paul Jones]

I have a one-story house except for a two-story section over the front door entrance. The one-story house makes it very easy to hang the outdoor Christmas lights from the gutters except for the two-story turret over the front entrance. I decided to do this differently after almost 20 years using an extension ladder for putting on the lights over the front door entrance. This year I installed permanent brackets below the gutters for easily stringing the lights with a step ladder and a wood pole to lift and place the light wires on the brackets.

The bracket parts are made from 1.5” brass C360 rod, 0.375” dia. stainless steel 303 rod, and secured with 8-32 stainless steel socket head cap screws. The brackets are secured into the house with galvanized deck screws (and #10 plastic screw anchor after drilling a hole in the stucco). The light hanging extension tool is made from an 8’ x 5/8” sq. scrap wood section and s-shaped bent finishing nail (will make something better for next time).

[Jon]

Very interesting. I routinely pick up broken plastic light clips from my yard. Newer holiday lights are notorious for planned obsolescence, and I am beginning to think the same of the clips.

[Paul Jones]

Jon,
I know what you mean. I still use the s-shape plastic light clips on my gutters for the one story high lights but removing the lights from the two-story gutters became a real pain with lots of extension ladder moves. I think the permanent brackets will make the decorating job much easier and faster.
Paul

[DIYer]

That's quite innovative. Wouldn't a strong gust of wind displace the wire from the hanger?

[DIYer]

Thanks Paul! We've added your Christmas Light Brackets to our Lighting category, as well as to your builder page: Paul Jones' Homemade Tools. Your receipt:

Christmas Light Brackets by Paul Jones

tags: Christmas lights, mount

[DIYer]

Thanks Paul! We've added your
Light Hanger to our Lighting category, as well as to your builder page: Paul Jones' Homemade Tools. Your receipt:

Light Hanger by Paul Jones

tags: light, hanger

[Paul Jones]

Thanks DIYer. We get a lot of Santa Ana winds this time of year and will be a great test to see if the lights stay in place. I did put the turret light wires under extra tension using two 6' extension cords that connect the turret light strings ends down to the one-story light strings attached to the gutters below. That is a great question and a concern I had in designing the brackets. In the past the Santa Ana wind gusts would blow some of the icicles light strings up and over and into the gutters along the top of the turret and that was a real pain to flip them back down without getting the extension ladder out again. That is when I thought about putting the lights on small brackets below the turret gutters.
Thanks, Paul