75redman Posted December 28, 2016 Share Posted December 28, 2016 Hope everyone had a great lighting season! Now that it is time to start binging things down and getting them packed up for next year, here are a few things to consider that may help you. Take lots of pictures so you know where elements were placed. Replace any burned out bulbs before you pack them up so they are ready to go. If you have any more good tips for storage please add them. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jaynee Posted December 28, 2016 Share Posted December 28, 2016 Yes. And we'll also be putting new labels on all the extension cords so we know which element they go to as well. We did that last year and it worked GREAT this year. We added many more cords this year, so we'll be doing more labeling! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lightingnewb Posted December 28, 2016 Share Posted December 28, 2016 2 hours ago, Jaynee said: Yes. And we'll also be putting new labels on all the extension cords so we know which element they go to as well. We did that last year and it worked GREAT this year. We added many more cords this year, so we'll be doing more labeling! This year we put labels on the prop's plug and the extension cord (both ends too)! Helped a ton. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Mitchell Posted December 28, 2016 Share Posted December 28, 2016 I do my light fixing when I get the lights out and test before putting up. When tearing down I do take any items that need repairing and put them in a to do pile. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dibblejr Posted December 28, 2016 Share Posted December 28, 2016 Yes, my man cave (barn wall and ceiling) will once again be re walled with all of my singing faces so I can test them all summer long. But mine wont be coming down until after January 1. Still have the New Years and dedications/ tributes to do. JR Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr. P Posted December 28, 2016 Share Posted December 28, 2016 I never set my display up the same way twice. I am always adding something so I move things around, no wonder i go through so much SPT1 wire. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lightingnewb Posted December 29, 2016 Share Posted December 29, 2016 We (admittedly) were never the best about organizing our lights in the past... and we agreed to make the change this year! We have already started that process and will continue it through the takedown. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Santas Helper Posted December 29, 2016 Share Posted December 29, 2016 (edited) I highly suggest storing lights, cords and such in some kind of containers (and labeled) that can stack. This keeps things organized and away from dist, moisture and rodents (mice & rats). Lowes had these on sale for $8 or so during the holidays. But even $13 regular price isn't bad for these. They withstand the weight. Edited December 29, 2016 by Santas Helper Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Little_b Posted December 29, 2016 Share Posted December 29, 2016 One tip I learned many years ago, don't wind your extension cords up while they are sitting in the cold. They can have a tendency to crack. I usually bring mine in the house for an hour or 2 to warm up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robigd Posted December 29, 2016 Share Posted December 29, 2016 2 hours ago, Santas Helper said: I highly suggest storing lights, cords and such in some kind of containers (and labeled) that can stack. This keeps things organized and away from dist, moisture and rodents (mice & rats). Lowes had these on sale for $8 or so during the holidays. But even $13 regular price isn't bad for these. They withstand the weight. +1 on these babies. I have about 20 in my attic that hold everything from Christmas lights to pots and pans to kids old outfits and toys. These are awesome! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lightingnewb Posted December 29, 2016 Share Posted December 29, 2016 3 hours ago, robigd said: +1 on these babies. I have about 20 in my attic that hold everything from Christmas lights to pots and pans to kids old outfits and toys. These are awesome! I do use plastic totes... I think what we'll do instead is "sort" by "region"... All "2nd-floor" lights + extension cord in one box, all 1st floor in another, etc. What we've done in the past is just group by "what it is" instead of "where it goes" which made setup tricky for the next season. I'm thinking if we organize tote boxes by the latter style, we should be able to set up quicker. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dan24438 Posted December 29, 2016 Share Posted December 29, 2016 12 hours ago, Santas Helper said: I highly suggest storing lights, cords and such in some kind of containers (and labeled) that can stack. This keeps things organized and away from dist, moisture and rodents (mice & rats). Lowes had these on sale for $8 or so during the holidays. But even $13 regular price isn't bad for these. They withstand the weight. We use these as well. we just use the small ones so that they don't get too heavy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robigd Posted December 29, 2016 Share Posted December 29, 2016 My wife said she got our yellow top bins at Costco last year for like $6 each. Not sure if they still carry them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jaynee Posted December 29, 2016 Share Posted December 29, 2016 We use bins for all our cords and gear as well. We did have one minor collapse when unbeknownst to me my husband put a VERY heavy bin on top of one that was only half full - resulting in a warp that caused the whole stack to tumble. We won't be doing that again! This year we'll also be putting in a healthy number of mousetraps in our shed - a couple mice decided over this past year that our burlap animals made for nice nesting material. Fortunately they only took burlap from sections of the animals that were not visible (phew!). But we'll put a couple traps on each shelf in our shed to keep the mice at bay as much as possible this year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dibblejr Posted December 29, 2016 Share Posted December 29, 2016 Just now, Jaynee said: We use bins for all our cords and gear as well. We did have one minor collapse when unbeknownst to me my husband put a VERY heavy bin on top of one that was only half full - resulting in a warp that caused the whole stack to tumble. We won't be doing that again! This year we'll also be putting in a healthy number of mousetraps in our shed - a couple mice decided over this past year that our burlap animals made for nice nesting material. Fortunately they only took burlap from sections of the animals that were not visible (phew!). But we'll put a couple traps on each shelf in our shed to keep the mice at bay as much as possible this year. I backed my boat in and hit a bunch of my bins that my friend moved and forgot to put back. Only damage done to a few containers. 2- 2X4's screwed to the floor and that will never happen again. They should have been in the loft anyway. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Santas Helper Posted December 29, 2016 Share Posted December 29, 2016 4 minutes ago, Jaynee said: We did have one minor collapse when unbeknownst to me my husband put a VERY heavy bin on top of one that was only half full - resulting in a warp that caused the whole stack to tumble. We won't be doing that again! The black and yellow containers I posted are molded with rib design and are very sturdy and won't warp or collapse. I love em. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dibblejr Posted December 29, 2016 Share Posted December 29, 2016 (edited) Just now, Santas Helper said: The black and yellow containers I posted are molded with rib design and are very sturdy and won't warp or collapse. I love em. You did get a great deal on them, all the $ I spend in Lowes and HD they should have chased me down to offer them prices. They do look rugged. Now if they only had wheels JR Edited December 29, 2016 by dibblejr Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mega Arch Posted December 29, 2016 Share Posted December 29, 2016 1 hour ago, Santas Helper said: The black and yellow containers I posted are molded with rib design and are very sturdy and won't warp or collapse. I love em. Tom has posted the original ones from Lowes. The generic HDX are on sale now - BUT BUT BUT They don't stack together. Don't mix and match. I returned a bunch last year since I had started with Lowes. http://m.homedepot.com/p/HDX-27-Gal-Storage-Tote-in-Black-HDX27GONLINE-5/205978361 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1983ss454 Posted December 29, 2016 Share Posted December 29, 2016 I do my light fixing when I get the lights out and test before putting up. When tearing down I do take any items that need repairing and put them in a to do pile.I never fixed anything as I took it down either, to hard in a New England winter lolSent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
75redman Posted December 29, 2016 Author Share Posted December 29, 2016 1 hour ago, 1983ss454 said: I never fixed anything as I took it down either, to hard in a New England winter lol Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk I guess the cold would be a factor. I'm in sunny Southern California so really don't deal with the cold too much. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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