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For an electrifying Christmas

House Doctor | Gary Dymski

December 8, 2005

When it comes to holiday lighting, who's better than Kathy Presciano?

For 11 consecutive years, including last Thursday's illuminating ceremony in Washington, D.C., Presciano has been in charge of lighting and decorating the National Christmas Tree. A designer for General Electric at its Cleveland-based consumer products division, Presciano fashioned this year's snowflake theme with one giant ornament, 105 smaller ones and about 25,000 clear sparkling lights.

That might be perfect for this year's 18 1/2-foot Fraser Fir at the White House, but it's probably a bit much for most residential applications, don't you think?

Presciano said there's no clear-cut rule on how many lights to use or how to decorate for the holidays. "I've seen really beautiful displays that are simple; just a wreath on a door accentuated by light," she said. "And other homes will go all out, with hundreds of lights and figures. It all depends."

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Presciano does have a few enlightening suggestions for homeowners who want to decorate. Combine new products, such as icicle lights and rope lighting, to accent windows and entranceways, she said. Larger, brighter bulbs can outline the shape of a house or highlight a specific area. Smaller, miniature light strings can be used on bushes and trees.

For homeowners concerned about the rising cost of energy but who still want to decorate, newer LED (light emitting diode) lights, which are cool to the touch and pose less of a fire risk, are 90 percent more energy-efficient than conventional incandescent lights. Presciano suggests using LED products or direct lighting to emphasize a specific display. For example, figures of reindeer or holiday carolers or a manger scene might be illuminated with a par light (also called a flood lamp).

Presciano also said it's OK to take the easy way out. "Search for items that are convenient to display but give a festive look," she said. "They're out there."

Among these convenience items are pre-lit trees, garlands and wreaths that use LED technology or fiber optics. Like plug-and-play computer hardware, these items with built-in lights are ready for display. There's no need to decorate with light strings or ornaments.

Presciano has one tip for homeowners looking to design with special flair. "Take a digital image of the house exterior at night," she said. "Look for an architectural feature or an area in the yard that can be highlighted. Emphasize that."

Presciano also said color or lack of it can influence the holiday message. "Homes decorated with all clear bulbs will appear elegant," she said. "Homes with one color or multicolor lights appear more festive."

One last thing: "Generally, the rules of holiday lighting are a lot like the rules of landscape lighting," Presciano said. For example, illuminating from below can provide a dramatic effect. Landscape lighting guidelines can be found at the American Lighting Association Web site (www.AmericanLightingAssoc.com).

As for Presciano, she's got to run. Something about getting a head start on lights and decorations for the 2006 National Christmas Tree.

Tools to help with trimming

A Christmas light tester finds burned-out bulbs and fuses and locates shorted wires in light strands at the press of a button. An LED flashes to signal working components. Powered by two watch batteries, the tester costs about $10 at home centers and hardware stores.

For securing garlands, lights and other holiday items, Deck the Rails offers a line of Garland Grabber clips. Specially designed for bannisters, mantels, decks, porches, fences, windows and other areas that are traditionally difficult to decorate, the various clip styles come in packs of five, six and 10 and run from $5 to $6 for a package.

They're available at hardware stores, home centers and decorating stores, by calling 866-254-7847 or online at www.decktherails.com.