Fixing lights to gutters

[grouptcl]

How do you guys attach the lights to your gutters ?
What are the different scenarios for attaching square pixels, bullets and ribbons so it still looks clean during daytime ?

 

[k6ccc]

I permanently mount the lights to 1x2 inch wood strips.  On top of the wood strip are a couple hooks screwed in.  On the gutter, I have eye bolts mounted to the gutter by drilling a hole and securing with nuts and washers.  The eye bolts stay in permanently.  To install the lights for the season, I just hang the strip on the eye bolts,. Takes only seconds.  For storage, I have a 4x8 foot piece of plywood hung from the roof of my storage shed with eye bolts.  Just hang each strip up.  When I get to my computer, I will post photos.

 

[k6ccc]

Here's some photos.  These were mounted on the fascia board rather than the gutter, but the concept is the same for the gutter except that the eyebolt is a bolt with nuts and washers rather than a wood screw.  The first photo shows how I have two rows of GE Color Effect bulbs mounted back to back.  This allows me to make the eves appear to hop.  This does not show the mounting hooks.  The strips are between about six and nine feet long depending on the location.  For the wiring, there are two sets of waterproof connectors (one for each string of bulbs).

The second and third photos are two different angles looking at one of hooks.

The last photo shows an end view of the 1x2 with the GECE lights mounted.  The GECE lights come with a two part mounting bracket.  The first part is the flat white plastic "base" under the green bottom of the bulb that clips onto four tabs on the green base.  There is a keyhole shaped hole in the bottom of that base.  The second part is a L shaped piece that has two knobs the engage the keyhole.  There are two so that you can mount a bulb above or below the L shaped mount - or in my case, both above and below it.  That L shaped piece normally has a curved part on the inside part of the L that will clip onto a gutter, but for my purposes, that is in the way, so I removed it (cut it off with a pair of diagonal cutters and then smooth out the resulting edge with a touch on my bench grinder).  Note for anyone using GECE bulbs - the plastic parts WILL NOT survive extended exposure to sunlight.  Painting them and inside storage for off season is HIGHLY recommended

One of the advantages of this mounting is that it is very fast to install, remove and store.  For storage, I have a 4 x 8 sheet of plywood mounted to the roof beams of my storage shed with hooks for each strip.

The 4 x 8 sheet of plywood is held onto the roof beams on the outer edge with drywall screws about every foot on both edges (the green arrows).  There are eye bolts screwed into the plywood to match up with the hooks on each strip (blue arrows). 

In the centerline of the 4 x 8 sheet of plywood are four quarter inch pieces of all thread that are attached to the center (peak) roof beam (red arrow below).  This holds up the center of the plywood.  Because the spacing of the hooks is not the same on each trip, the spacing of the eyebolts is also not the same, and therefore each strip must go in the proper place.  There are P-Touch labels for each strip on the plywood (the green arrow below) and on the back of each strip (not shown).

 

[Kapkirk]

Jim, do you have any issues with the boards warping? I had new seamless gutters installed and was going to use pvc but tried it yesterday and wasn't happy with it. I am putting C9 on top of the pvc with icicle lights hanging below.

 

I was thinking of trying 1x2 boards painted same color as gutters but am concerned with warping. With the VERY high humidity and temps here in Florida seems every board warps unless it is nailed down.

 

Keith

Edited September 13, 2019 by Kapkirk
Additional info

[k6ccc]

22 minutes ago, Kapkirk said:

Jim, do you have any issues with the boards warping?

I was thinking of trying 1x2 boards painted same color as gutters but am concerned with warping. With the VERY high humidity and temps here in Florida seems every board warps unless it is nailed down.

No, but this is southern California - not Florida  I have been using the same wooden strips for five years (I think).

 

[Kapkirk]

Appreciate that, I remember Glendora growing up with a swamp cooler to put cool moist air inside the house and here in Florida they're all heat pumps to move the moisture out and cool the air.

 

I will have to experiment and see how bad it gets, Thanks, Keith

[sax]

I use strips.  I tie wrap them to 1/2 metal conduit.  I then drill 3holes in the conduit as it’s 17 feet long and use s hooks to hook them between the holes in the conduit and the gutter.   This allows a truly temporary install with no damage  

 

My eaves I use glazing tape to mount strips permanent.  This leaves a sticky residue on the roof flashing if I remove the strip.  I have 4 strips mounted like this and in 6 or 7 years 2 have fallen off due to hired workers pressure washing my house hit them.

 

Storing is simple enough just placing them in large bike hooks mounted in the garage ceiling.  But mine have actually been on the house now 4 years.  Maybe this year I take them down  

 

Only issue is the strips have to be kept straight when hung....they twist on the metal conduit easily. But it’s simple to straighten.  Just twist them back in place.  

 

Sax