It’s an annual tradition for a reason. You haul a ladder out of the garage, work through a bottomless spool of green wire knots, and dangle off an icy roof just so a few strands of bulbs can flicker on. And by January, all you want is to take them down. But you don’t. They stay up until sometimes March because removing them is just as much a chore as hanging them.
What if there was a way to hang Christmas lights once and never touch a ladder again?
Permanent Christmas lights are revolutionizing the way homeowners think about outside lighting. They’re no longer just for December. Permanent lighting systems offer a permanent, invisible-by-day way to transform your home’s curb appeal at night all year long. In this article, we’ll show you why permanent lights are the best home improvement investment, how you can save money in the long run, and how to use permanent lights for every celebration on your calendar.
Goodbye Ladder, Hello Permanent Christmas Lights
Permanent Christmas Lights
Arguably, the number one reason to make your lighting permanent is convenience. Stringing up holiday lights, especially the traditional kind, is hard work. You’re also balancing on a ladder trying not to fall and get injured or electrocuted.
The Consumer Product Safety Commission says thousands of people visit the emergency room each holiday season for injuries related to holiday decorating. The biggest cause of those injuries: falls. Permanent lights take the “falling off a ladder while decorating” problem out of the equation. A professional will install them under your roof eaves. Once they’re there, they’ll stay there. All you have to do is control them from an app on your smartphone. You can change colors, patterns, and timers without ever going outside.
Better Curb Appeal, Less Clutter
The one reason most homeowners give for not wanting “permanent” lights is curb appeal. You don’t want your home to look like you’re celebrating Christmas in July when the sun is out.
Permanent lighting systems these days are designed with that in mind. A professional will usually install them on a track that’s the color of your soffit or fascia. By day, you can’t even see the lights. They blend right into your house and architecture, looking clean and tidy until you’re ready to turn them on.
December is Done. Now What?
Ironically, “permanent Christmas lights” is a misnomer. After all, you’ll only string them up for one month of the year. The reason to buy them is because you can use them all year long. These are programmable LED systems that can cycle through millions of colors and thousands upon thousands of patterns.
In fact, you can use them for…
1. Patriotic Holidays
Fourth of July, Memorial Day, or Veterans Day? Use your lights to wash your house in patriotic colors. Red, white, and blue. You don’t even need to buy flags or bunting. Your roofline will do the decorating for you.
2. Spooky Season
halloween permanent lighting
Halloween is fast catching up with Christmas in terms of decorations. With a permanent lighting system you can wash your house in spooky orange, deep purple or unsettling green. Or, if you have a system that allows it, set your lights to chasing patterns that create a sense of movement and spookiness.
3. Game Day Spirit
Hosting a Super Bowl party or planning on rooting for your local college team? Program your lights to show your team’s colors. It’s the perfect way to express neighborhood pride and direct guests to the house with the watch party.
4. Personal Celebrations
Picture waking up on a family member’s birthday to see the house lit up in their favorite color. Or use soft, warm white lighting for dinner parties or backyard gatherings. It creates an elegant architectural accent that feels less like holiday décor and more like high-end landscape lighting.
The Financial Case: Are They Worth the Investment?
Permanent lighting definitely costs more upfront than a few boxes of strands from the big box store. However, the long-term benefits of a permanent system make the investment worthwhile.
Energy Efficiency
Permanent systems use LED technology almost exclusively. LEDs use about 75% less energy than incandescent and last 25 times longer. You can run your permanent lights every night for a fraction of the cost of operating traditional holiday lights for one month.
Durability and Longevity
Cheap string lights are meant to be temporary. They’re fragile and break easily, bulbs burn out, and the wiring can degrade after years of sun and snow exposure. Chances are, you are replacing one or more strands every year or two.
Permanent lighting systems are engineered for the elements. They are designed to handle extreme cold and heat, torrential downpours, and UV exposure. Most name-brand systems have a 5 to 10-year warranty, so you’re no longer dropping cash on replacement strings every winter.
Professional Installation Costs
For many of us, installing Christmas lights is a job we leave to the professionals. Figuring out how to run extension cords and a ladder through trees is not everyone’s cup of tea. A holiday lighting service can charge $100 an hour, so having a crew come out to install and remove your lights every year can easily cost you $500 or more annually.
With a permanent system, you only pay installation costs once. In most cases, the system will have paid for itself after 5 to 7 years, just through the savings on outside labor.
How to Choose the Right System
Permanent lighting systems are a world apart from seasonal strands. If you are in the market for a system, here are a few things to look for that will make a world of difference.
Individual Control (Addressable Bulbs)
One of the most important features of a permanent lighting system is “addressable” bulbs. This means that each bulb can be controlled individually. It’s the only way complex patterns and animations are possible. If the system you’re looking at does not have this feature, you will be stuck lighting entire sections in solid colors.
App Performance
A good user experience is as important as it gets. Look for a system with an intuitive interface that offers these features:
- Scheduling: The ability to set timers for either sunset/sunrise or for specific times of the day.
- Cloud Connectivity: You want to control your lights from anywhere, not just when you are at home and connected to your Wi-Fi network.
- Preset Library: Your system should offer dozens, if not hundreds, of pre-programmed patterns so that you don’t have to build them all from scratch.
Inconspicuous Tracks
Ask to see samples of the track or channel that holds the lights. It should be aluminum (to prevent rust) and powder-coated to match your home’s exterior color exactly. The whole point of lighting is that it is invisible during the day.
Waterproof Rating
The lights should have an IP (Ingress Protection) rating of at least IP65 or IP67. This will guarantee that the system is dust-tight and protected against water jets or immersion. This is essential for longevity.
Light Up Your Life
Your home is your largest investment and you take pride in how it looks. Permanent Christmas lights not only saves time, but makes your home more beautiful and secure while giving you creative expression year-round. Why rent your holiday cheer from the calendar? Take control of your home’s exterior and celebrate whenever you want to. Your home will always be ready for the guests and the party – whether it’s Tuesday night dinner party or Christmas Eve.
Say goodbye to the ladder forever. Call PermaLights Utah, your permanent lighting specialist today and find out about your options. Get your free quote today and learn how to make your home stand out. Give us a call at (435) 669-0372 or fill out our online form. We look forward to hearing from you!