5 Mistakes People Make When Hanging Christmas Lights in Chicagoland and How to Avoid Them
How to Avoid Christmas Lighting Mistakes This Season!
The holiday season in Chicagoland is magical, from Palatine to Barrington, twinkling lights bring neighborhoods to life. But if you’ve ever tried to hang Christmas lights yourself, you know it’s not as simple as it looks. Between cold weather, high winds, steep rooflines, tangled cords, and blown fuses. DIY lighting can quickly turn from festive to frustrating.
At Gabriel’s Inc., we help homeowners and businesses transform their properties into winter showpieces; safely, beautifully, and without the stress. Here are the five most common mistakes people make when hanging holiday lights, and how our professional lighting team can help you avoid them.
1. Overloading Circuits and Blowing Fuses
It’s easy to underestimate how much power your lights draw. Plugging too many strands into a single outlet or using outdated incandescent bulbs can overload your electrical circuits, a common issue during Illinois winters when outdoor outlets already face moisture and freezing temperatures.
How to Avoid It:
Gabriel’s Inc. designs every lighting layout with
power load balancing in mind. We use energy-efficient
commercial-grade LED lights that shine brighter, last longer, and use up to 90% less energy than traditional bulbs. Our team tests and secures every connection to prevent short circuits or outages, so your display stays lit all season long.
2. Using Poor-Quality Clips or Fasteners
Cheap clips or hooks can cause major headaches, especially when winter winds and ice storms hit. Nails, staples, or cheap plastic clips can damage your roof, gutters, and siding, or worse, cause light strands to fall.
How to Avoid It:
We only use
professional-grade mounting materials that protect your home’s exterior while ensuring your lights stay perfectly in place. From rooflines and eaves to trees and walkways, our team installs everything with precision and removes it cleanly after the holidays.
3. Ignoring Design and Symmetry
A cluttered or uneven lighting setup can make even the biggest home look chaotic. Without a clear design plan, it’s easy to end up with mismatched colors, uneven spacing, or dark spots.
How to Avoid It:
Gabriel’s Inc. offers
custom holiday lighting designs tailored to your home’s architecture and landscaping. Our design team works with you to choose themes, color schemes, focal points, and light placement that enhance your property’s beauty. Whether you prefer classic white or bold and colorful displays, we bring your vision to life with professional artistry.
4. Waiting Too Long to Schedule Installation
In Chicagoland and its Northwest suburbs, the best time to book holiday lighting isn’t after Thanksgiving, it’s long before it. By late October, most installers are fully booked, and the weather can turn fast. Waiting too long can mean missing your chance to enjoy a full season of lights.
How to Avoid It:
Schedule early with Gabriel’s Inc. to
reserve your installation date and guarantee your lighting is up and glowing before the first snow. Best time to contact us is in
Early September. We handle everything from design to storage, so your lights are ready when you are, year after year.
5. Forgetting About Take-Down and Storage
Taking lights down in freezing weather is no one’s idea of fun. Even worse, storing tangled strands in a cold garage or damp basement can lead to damage, corrosion, and costly replacements next year. Not to mention that it takes up space.
How to Avoid It:
With Gabriel’s Inc., you’ll never have to climb another ladder or deal with a box of broken bulbs. Our full-service program includes
installation, maintenance, take-down, and storage. After the holidays, we carefully remove and label your lights, then store them in ideal conditions — ready to reinstall next season.
Make This Holiday Season Shine with Gabriel’s Inc.
Skip the stress, stay safe, and let our professional team handle everything from start to finish. With custom designs, top-quality materials, and seamless service, Gabriel’s Inc. delivers the kind of holiday magic that lasts all season and beyond.
Request your free Holiday Lighting Consultation today to explore our design options, color themes, and professional lighting packages. Let’s make your home or business the one everyone stops to admire this year.
