New House... Need Help!

[uncledan]

Just closed escrow on new home.   I'm a little scared of this upcoming christmas.  Seven years of light o rama at previous home.  I always add some songs and perfect stuff from previous years. I don't know where to start  with this.....  Any input is much appreciated.  Previously had ~100,000 lights 300+ channels.  Starting from scratch is tough... Previously had 77 white mini trees, (5) 12 channel arches, 40 foot sycamore with 20k lights(16 channels), red and white mega tree(16x2), red and white light pole(8x2), red and white everything else....    New house is stucco and I am lost..   Any input is much appreciated.  The 3 fruit trees in front yard with white flowers are gone.  Had to make room for mega tree.  

Edited August 5, 2014 by uncledan

[75redman]

Do you have a pic of your old house with the display set up?

[Orville]

Nice new home, congrats.  

 

Unfortunately, if I moved into a "stucco" house, I think I'd be just as stumped as you are as to how to mount everything and where to start!   At least you have quite a few nice trees to use in the yard!

 

Good Luck, and hopefully someone here has an answer to your dilemma!

[Santas Helper]

You have a nice home to pull off a really nice light show. Good detailed eves and such.

 

I moved 2 1/2 years ago thinking the same thing your going thru now with about the same amount of years at the previous home.

Consider this.

New home, new neighbors. So use the songs you have now and use the decor you have now. So you shouldn't have to sequence this year or build new props. Keep it simplified and use what you have from the previous house.

The mini trees are easy placement and just set out what you feel good about. The mega tree and arches should be an easy one as well..

I would focus on the eves and windows of the house and wash on the walls. Those color exterior walls will light up nicely with some LED RGB floods.

 

I would stay off hanging anything on the exterior walls.

For this year, use what you know will work (mini trees, arches, mega tree, light poles and eve lights). Put that up first. It shouldn't be that much different in setting up from the other house.

Then during the light-up season, go out and look at what will be added for next year. Start planning for new stuff for next year during this year's show.

If you don't currently have floods for the exterior walls, I would highly look into that.

 

KIS - Keep it simple

 

One more thing. If your not having fun, your doing it wrong.

 

Tom

Edited August 5, 2014 by Santas Helper

[ItsMeBobO]

The prior owner put a lot of work into the landscaping!   Besides the fruit trees there are a lot of shrubs.  Do you have room for your arches?    The corner lot is awesome for people to see and park! 

[uncledan]

I don't... Only videos. 

[Santas Helper]

I don't... Only videos.

You mean you don't have one pic of your old house even without Christmas décor? Edited August 5, 2014 by Santas Helper

[uncledan]

One problem with keeping it simple.  I moved approximately 1/2 mile away.  Everyone within a 50 mile radius knows me as the crazy Christmas light guy.  The whole neighborhood knew what was coming at Christmas before I even closed escrow.   How do I attach lights to stucco?  The only thing I can find on the internet is hot glue.  I haven't tried it, but doesn't seem like a good idea.  Thanks for all the input! 

[Little_b]

I have a stucco house and here is what I did.  Using 2" Deck Screws (rust resistant)  I ran some 80lb Fishing line along the top of the walls next to eave and a line across the bottom of the house pulling them as tight as I can.  I put a screw about every 15-20 feet to help hold it from sagging.  From there I've hung Net Lights and Regular strands to cover the side and front of the house.  Not sure how to post a pic or vid so if you search Engh-Lights on Vimeo or YouTube you'll see the side of my house with net lights.  If you watch the Still Frame Video at about 25 sec there is a closer up photo of the net lights.   I've been hanging them for about 8 years now, even before I got into LOR and haven't had any problems with them falling, and I do get some windy winters sometimes.  I just check the condition of the line before hanging them each year.  I don't take it down and you don't notice it unless you really look for it.

[Santas Helper]

One problem with keeping it simple.  I moved approximately 1/2 mile away.  Everyone within a 50 mile radius knows me as the crazy Christmas light guy.  The whole neighborhood knew what was coming at Christmas before I even closed escrow.   How do I attach lights to stucco?  The only thing I can find on the internet is hot glue.  I haven't tried it, but doesn't seem like a good idea.  Thanks for all the input!

Oh... well that's close enough to just keep decorating the old house as it was. LOL

Just kidding.

[uncledan]

Nice new home, congrats.  

 

Unfortunately, if I moved into a "stucco" house, I think I'd be just as stumped as you are as to how to mount everything and where to start!   At least you have quite a few nice trees to use in the yard!

 

Good Luck, and hopefully someone here has an answer to your dilemma!

Thanks.  Those nice trees are gone now.  That pic was a week old.  Had to make room for mega and mini trees.  I need to plant a Sycamore.  My last home had a HUGE Sycamore.  I would spend 100+ man hours and a crane/bucket doing that one tree....Every branch....  It was awesome!  I hated putting those lights up.  Love/hate relationship

Oh... well that's close enough to just keep decorating the old house as it was. LOL

Just kidding.

I'm actually renting it out.  I asked my wife if it would be ok to contact the tenants and see if could decorate it and pay their electric bill.  She didn't approve.  LOL

[75redman]

I don't... Only videos. 

Links? youtube?

[chipwdw]

have a stucco house down here in the sunshine state. lines have to be STRAIGHT for me. i used 'clip strip' on window frames and eves, made something else for roof lines to hold clip strips, used 1"x6" in a 'v' to place over peaks and outdoor carpet on bottom to hold, 2 yrs no issues. have 4 eye bolts in roof for 2 large mesh outlines that just clip in using carribeaners. only have 1 masonary screw sticking out to hand wreath on - and it on the back side of the column and 4 brackets the hold controller set up (house had MAJOR repairs done few years ago from sinkhole, and didnt want stuff all over new exterior)

[BryanZ]

Dammit man. You're supposed to make certain the house will work for your display before you buy. Who cares what the wife wants. School districts? Bah. Get  your priorities straight.

 

In all seriousness, congrats on the new place. Looks like you can do a lot with the lights, especially around the eves, windows, bushes and trees. Initially, I'd try to take what you did last year and see what you can transfer over.

 

Put the new house in Visualizer and transfer props over. See how it looks. Hopefully that will give you some ideas of what will and won't work. Go the KISS route this year. Freak out the neighbors next year.

 

Best of luck!

[uncledan]

Links? youtube?

[uncledan]

Dammit man. You're supposed to make certain the house will work for your display before you buy. Who cares what the wife wants. School districts? Bah. Get  your priorities straight.

 

In all seriousness, congrats on the new place. Looks like you can do a lot with the lights, especially around the eves, windows, bushes and trees. Initially, I'd try to take what you did last year and see what you can transfer over.

 

Put the new house in Visualizer and transfer props over. See how it looks. Hopefully that will give you some ideas of what will and won't work. Go the KISS route this year. Freak out the neighbors next year.

 

Best of luck!

Thanks, I did think it out.  Thought it would be awesome.  Didn't think too much about all stucco....  I think I'm gonna sell it and kick the renters out of old house.  I have my priorities!  No KISS in a town of 4,000 people.  Everyone knows me and is expecting bigger and better as always.  How many people spend 100+ hours with a crane to put 20,000 plus lights on every branch of a 40-50 foot sycamore?  I really won't miss that tree!  Hate putting them up.. Thanks for the input.  Time to get to work.

[zing]

I too have stucco, for window lights, I put some screws into the house 8 total (maybe it's 6), at each corner and the middle of each "frame." The lines of the lights aren't super straight, only as straight as I get the light strings to be. Up here in New England the winters tend to suck so towards the end some do start to slack (but you're in Cali so who cares).

as far as everything else goes, I'd use the same stuff as much as you can, this way you can get a "feel" for the new home and it's limitations. Perhaps consider snowflakes on the roof?

Edited August 7, 2014 by zing

[uncledan]

Thanks for the input.  I really have a hard time screwing screws into my new home.  Only option as of yet.  I'm skeptical of getting on the roof.  Too many broken tiles in past.  Plus its a long fall!  Thanks for the input

[75redman]

Thanks for the input.  I really have a hard time screwing screws into my new home.  Only option as of yet.  I'm skeptical of getting on the roof.  Too many broken tiles in past.  Plus its a long fall!  Thanks for the input

I too, was worried about broken tiles.  I found out that if you step where they overlap is the strongest part.  I've been on my roof 3 years now without one broken tile.

 

Take some of the mini trees and line them on the edge of the roof over the window peaks.  Five on each side and one in the middle for a total of 11 trees over each window.

[zing]

I too, was worried about broken tiles.  I found out that if you step where they overlap is the strongest part.  I've been on my roof 3 years now without one broken tile.

 

Take some of the mini trees and line them on the edge of the roof over the window peaks.  Five on each side and one in the middle for a total of 11 trees over each window.

Using that same concept, you could plop them on the roof over the garage.

I didn't take into account the slated roof in my original comment. Luckily I still have the regular architectural style