What gets left out of the conversation
Holiday lighting conversations happen in October and November and stop at the install date. Which makes sense, because that is the part you are excited about. Then it is January, and something has to happen. The people who asked the question up front are the ones not on a ladder in the cold.And that is unfortunate, because the second half is the one that costs you if it is not covered. Anybody can hang lights in November. The real question is what happens after. That question belongs in the first conversation, not the one you have in January.
What a January ladder day involves
The takedown is worse. Cold, no enthusiasm, and a mess at the end. Then the strands go into a bin, and the bin goes into the attic, where they tangle, get crushed, and lose a section by next November.
The version worth paying for
On a properly structured holiday lighting service, takedown is not an add on. When the season ends, the same company returns and takes it all down. Everything gets catalogued and stored off site, rather than crushed into a bin in your garage. You never handle any of it.
Why storage matters more than it sounds
Off site storage does more than free up a shelf. Space is reclaimed. The lights stay in the condition they were in, since attic heat and crushing are what kills them. And because they are labeled by where they go on your house, next season looks like this season.
If you would rather not repeat this
The other option makes January irrelevant. Permanent lighting has no January. It is a bigger first step, and it is not right for everybody. But if the takedown conversation is what is bothering you, it is a fair question to raise.
What happens if something goes dark on the twentieth
A display runs for a month or more, and things mounted outside in December occasionally stop working. What matters is the response. Some companies treat mid season repairs as part of the job. Others bill each trip. Ask while you are still comparing companies, rather than the week you need it.
Year two is a phone call
The first season involves a
https://evercrestlighting.com/permanent-lighting/ design conversation, decisions and a plan. Once a display is designed and stored, repeating it is administrative. Booking the second year is confirming a date and saying whether anything changed. Changes build on the existing plan, instead of a blank page.
What to ask before you book
Get it in writing: does this quote cover removal. Ask who keeps them until next year. Ask when it happens so you are not chasing anybody in February. EverCrest Lighting includes takedown and off season storage with its holiday lighting work, and installs permanent LED systems for anyone finished with the yearly cycle, for residential and commercial properties throughout Upstate South Carolina and Western North Carolina, based in Greenville. The consultation is free. Reach them at (864) 252-1732 or
[email protected].