S On How To Hang String Lights On A Stucco Wall
It very well may be baffling when its an ideal opportunity to hang the Christmas lights on your homes plaster outside. It would be best if you securely made sure about the lights without harming the completion of your home, and the harsh, lopsided surface of plaster makes most cements ineffectual.
In any case, proficient lighting originators have discovered a straightforward answer for tying downlights to this challenging surface. Utilizing a typical creating instrument, you can make sure about Christmas lights and eliminate them without harming the plaster.
Every year you own a plan that String Lights On A Stucco Wall establishment of light clasps may be a far superior choice. Likewise, this is the choice to utilize if your plaster finish is made with Exterior Insulation Finishing Systems or EIFS.
Will You Install Outside Lights On The Vinyl Side
Vinyl siding is a little more flexible when it comes to adhesion, and you can use all the solutions Ive placed out. In reality, theres a great no-drill vinyl siding hanger here for cheap!
Vinyl siding often has the drawback of coming in bits, which is useful should you wind up scratching one of them.
Quick Tips For Hanging Outdoor String Lights
Spring is here and beautiful summer nights are just around the corner! Today, I wanted to share some really easy quick tips and layout ideas for hanging outdoor string lights. Im also sharing my favorite sources for lights and things youll need to consider when purchasing outdoor string lights, bistro lights or cafe lights.
Over the years, I have designed outdoor lighting layouts for outdoor events, client spaces and in my own outdoor space and it can be very challenging. I have learned so much over the years what works and what doesnt work and youll find all of my tips below.
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How To Hang Patio Lights
With a little planning, patio string lights have the unique ability to make any outdoor space more exciting. We made this guide for anyone looking to get started.
Turn your dark, unused outdoor spaces into a nighttime oasis with the help of patio lights! Hanging patio lights across the backyard, deck or inside of an outdoor structure like a gazebo or pergola is a perfect way to add ambient landscape lighting for every day use, parties and outdoor events. Scroll down a little to start at the beginning or click on one of the links below this text to skip straight to the patio lights topic you’re looking for!
With a little planning, patio string lights have the unique ability to make any outdoor space more exciting. We made this guide for anyone looking to get started.
Hanging Patio Lights Guide
How to Hang Patio Lights
The installation process can vary depending on where and how you decide to hang your patio lights. To get you started, we’ve created a list of the basic steps, supplies you might need and methods to use.
Supplies You Might Need
- Hooks- these could be screw-in hooks or another variety.
- Zip ties
Hanging Patio String Lights Basic Steps
Where To Hang Patio Lights
- Across the backyard or deck
- Attached to Trees
DIY Patio Light Pole
Screw The Screw Eye Hooks Into Place
Hanging string lights without the use of nails is my preference. Screw hooks are more durable!
We opted to put up screw hooks to fasten the lights into place every 4 to 5 bulbs. Our home sits up fairly high and gets A LOT of strong wind gusts. So, I was concerned the bulbs could potentially break if they were not secured well.
There have been several storms since we’ve put our lights up and this appears to work well for our location.
PRO TIP: Use a drill to start the hole prior to screwing in the screw hooks. Makes the process a lot easier!
I highly recommend getting the heavy duty lights. They are made to withstand the elements! With most commercial grade string lights, the bulbs are spaced every 24 inches. At the top of every bulb there is a molded loop to making hanging easier.
This leads me to the next step.
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Rough Concrete And Brick Walls
Using a hot glue gun is a great way to hang string lights without nails to almost any surface imaginable.
Now, keep in mind this option is a little more permanent and the lights are harder to move around once you commit to where you glue them.
However, this option will like work the best on flat rough surfaces like porous concrete where there is nowhere to attach a zip tie or a way stick an adhesive backed hook.
What are Hot Glue Guns?
If youre not familiar, hot glue guns heat up and extrude glue through a metal nozzle. The glue quickly cools down and hardens, adhering items to one another.
There are hot glue guns that are rated for outdoor use which is perfect for this application. You can use this option for either bulbless or bulbed string lights. In either case, youll give the gun 5 to 10 minutes to heat up.
Hold the lights how you want them to look and apply a little bit of glue to the string, pressing it firmly against the surface you want it to stick to.
If you have bulbed string lights, avoid getting glue on the lights so you dont end up with foggy bulbs.
Use as many or as few applications of hot glue along the string of lights for your desired outcome.
Unscrew the Bulbs First
If youre using large-bulbed string lights, you might wind up unscrewing the bulbs first.
You can then hot glue the base or the T-connection of the light to the wall. With the bulbs unscrewed, youre ensuring that you dont fog up the glass.
Attaching String Lights On A Stucco Wall With A Hot Glue Gun
A. Measure the border you need to beautify with lights, such as your homes rooftop line, patio overhang, or around window outlines. Buy enough light strings to cover this separation serenely. Consider the shading design you intend to show, such as utilizing just one shading, exchanging two hues, or arbitrarily blending hues.
B. Purchase an adequate number of clasps to cover this separation with one clasp each 6 to 8 inches, contingent upon the kind of lights you will utilize. Bulb-type lights, known as C7 or C9 bulbs, use bigger clasps than scaled downlights or icicle lights.
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How To Hang Outdoor String Lights From Diy Posts
Café lights add a gorgeous glow to an outdoor living space, but they can be tricky to hang if you dont have trees or other tall objects to string them from. Heres a freestanding solution for hanging lights that uses planters and wood posts. Its totally temporary, so its perfect for renters.
- spray paint in desired color
- drop cloth
- 2 x 2 x 8 posts
- coordinating paint color, if desired
- painter’s tape
- 50 lb. bags of quick concrete mix
- water
- gravel or other drainage material
- potting soil
- 100 feet of patio string lights
Running Wires Behind The Wall
Choose a location for the fixture and drill a 1/2-inch hole in the brick with a masonry bit.
Nail an electrical box to the drywall framing behind the wall so that the knock-out hole in the back of the box lines up with the hole you drilled in the brick. The front of the box should be flush with the surface of the drywall.
Position the lamp you want to install over the hole and adjust it to the orientation you prefer. Mark the positions of the screw holes on the base of the fixture on the brick, then remove the lamp.
Drill a hole into the brick with a masonry bit on each mark and tap a conical plastic anchor into each hole. Replace the light fixture, after first feeding the wires through the central hole, and drive screws into the anchors to hold the fixture to the wall. Caulk around the base of the fixture with silicone caulk.
Run wires from the power source to the electrical box. Turn off the power and connect them to the fixture wires inside the box. When the wiring is complete, cover the box with a removable plate.
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Have Fun And Have A Great Party
Hanging outdoor light strings in preparation for a party can actually be lots of fun. As long as you know what you’re doing , and not fumbling around Clark-Griswold-style, hanging outdoor lights can be like a pre-party mini-party.
And when it comes time for the real party, your guests will surely enjoy the delightful, enchanting ambiance you’ve created with all of those lights. Every single thwack and sticky squeeze will have been well worth the effort.
Choose A Staple Brand Of Lights That Are In Stock All Year
I have tried pretty much all big brand lights out there but I now only buy my outdoor lights from Home Depot because they keep them in stock all year . If you buy off brand string lighting, you will run the risk of the lights not being available for replacement bulbs or if you want to add more strings over time. I also buy two extra boxes for replacement bulbs because at $12.00 a box, its cheaper for me to just buy more string lights than buy replacement bulbs.
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Using Brick Clips For Christmas Lights
Middle Class Dad feels that brick clips for Christmas lights are a better choice. They can be placed and removed easily and can be used year after year. The Washington Post explains that brick clips can be found at home centers and hardware stores, and they are made to latch onto bricks in spots where they stick out a bit from the mortar.
Brick clips usually have saw-tooth edges on the tops and two tabs on the top or bottom. The clips grab onto adjoining bricks and can support up to 30 pounds. Before buying brick clips, be sure to measure a few of the bricks on your homes exterior since the clips are made for different brick heights. The mortar also needs to be set back enough to give the clips something to hold onto.
Another option is hard-wall hangers, but the brick needs to be pliable enough to hammer nails into it. Test a few of the bricks first before trying these hangers. They are made with hooks from which to hang the lights and have nails to use. These may work better on indoor brick that is used for fireplaces, arches and other areas.
How To Hang String Lights In The Backyard Without Trees
It is a common thing to hang outdoor string lights on trees in the backyard. However, if your backyard has no trees, then you will need to look for alternative ways on how to hang string lights in the backyard without trees.
Here are some tips on how to hang string lights in the backyard without trees.
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How Do You Hang Christmas Lights Outside Without Nails
If the above steps with Gorilla Glue sound like too much work or if you dont have a good way to clamp the item to a brick, there are a few other things that will stick to brick.
A hot glue gun is a quick and easy way to attach lighter-weight items to brick . Just clean the brick first as I outlined in the above passage.
The top-selling hot glue gun on Amazon Prime is Cobiz Full-Size Hot Glue Gun .
Its a high-temp, heavy-duty gun that comes with 10 sticks.
Almost all 5 stars and well over 300 reviews let you know that this too is a great product for learning how to hang Christmas lights on brick walls and so much more.
Dont forget the extra glue sticks from, you guessed it, Gorilla Glue!
Of course, you can also get patio string lights and just hang between trees. Many brands these days offer color choices too!
What If Neither Staple Nor Glue Will Work
In some situations, and when working with certain surfaces, neither glue not staple will be a great choice for hanging your lights. But don’t worry, there’s a multitude of clips and attachment hardware available.
No matter your situation, you can be sure that there’s an attachment method that will work perfectly for you. If you’re unable to find a clip that works for your application, then consult with your local hardware store and they should be able to walk you through the best attachment method for your specific project.
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What Else Can You Use To Hang Things On Brick
Aside from hot glue and Gorilla glue, Scotch makes Temporary Outdoor Mounting Tape that is designed to hold up to 15 lbs. Its also available for under $5.00 on Amazon Prime.
But they also make Permanent Outdoor Mounting Tape . Their permanent tape can still be removed but could cause damage to painted surfaces.
But for hanging Christmas lights on brick walls, it works GREAT! Just know you might have to do a little touch-up painting if your bricks are painted.
4+ stars on these tapes also give you the comfort of knowing they work great!
Staple It Or Stick It
You can choose from two quick and easy ways to hang your party lights: stapling or gluing. Which is better? Only you can decide because it depends upon your particular situation and preferences.
But here are some things to consider in making your choice:
- Stapling is fast and easy. For the installation, that is. When it comes time to take your lights down, the process might be a little slower and a bit more tedious than with glue. But on the other hand
- Clean-Up? If you don’t care about leaving little bits of glue residue when you’re taking the lights down, then light removal will be very fast and easy with glued light strings. Of course, it will be a different story if you want to remove every bit of glue. Removing each staple with a pair of needle-nose pliers will be easier than removing each bit of glue.
- Surface? The surface to which you’re attaching your light strings may determine the method of attachment. Attaching lights to a surface such as a brick wall, for example, obviously won’t work well with staples. But glue will work perfectly. On the other hand, some surfaces really won’t work well with glue. Painted surfaces, for example, can be prone to paint peeling away when you remove the glue residue.
So when you hang your party lights, you might be stapling or gluing. Or maybe a mix of both. Here are some tips for making the most of each installation method
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Remove Glass Bulbs Before Hanging
If you are using glass bulbs, its much easier to remove all of the glass bulbs before starting to hang. If youre just hanging one or two strands, you do not need to do this but if you are hanging multiple strings and criss-crossing, it is much easier to do this when youre not having to be careful of breaking the bulbs as you connect, drape, etc..
Once you have all the strings hung and connectors secured, you just simply add the lights back in.
Attaching String Lights On A Stucco Wall With Clips
A. Measure the border, you need to beautify with lights, such as your homes rooftop line, patio overhang, or around window outlines. Buy enough light strings to cover this separation serenely. Consider the shading design you intend to show, such as utilizing just one shading, exchanging two hues, or arbitrarily blending shades.
B. Purchase an adequate number of clasps to cover this separation with one clasp each 6 to 8 inches, contingent upon the kind of lights you will utilize. Bulb-type lights, known as C7 or C9 bulbs, use bigger clasps than scaled downlights or icicle lights.
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How Do You Hang Things On Stucco
Steps
Do Command Strips work on stucco?
Painted, stained or varnished wood, glass, tile, painted cinder block, plaster, metal, and painted wallboard. Command Outdoor Products can also be used on smooth, sealed and finished surfaces including vinyl siding and fences, doors, windows, decks, gutters and trim.
How Big Is The Patio String Lights To Be
Often look out for hanging patio string lights in peoples walking routes. Short, thin strings of exterior lights are hard to see when not switched on.
You dont want to be liable for someone whos wearing shoes! Its hard to tell you a definite height, provided that it depends mostly on the height of the tallest individual on your patio! Yet 9-10 feet is a decent rule of thumb.
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How To Install String Lights On Your Patio
Make those warm summer evenings on the patio with friends even cozier with the right lighting. String lights can make your apartment balcony or patio dreamy, but do you know how to hang up outdoor string lights without damaging the walls?
It can be challenging! Before you start, youll need to do a little research. These are the methods you need to know when hanging up string lighting on your apartment balcony or patio.