How to Put Christmas Lights on Trees and Hedges in Burnaby

The short version

Lighting a front-yard tree is mostly prep. Test the lights, pick a plug point, wrap in even passes, and run everything to a timer. The wrapping itself goes faster than the sorting and untangling.

This guide covers trunks, hedges, cedars and shrubs. It also covers what is different about Burnaby yards, from the steep lots on Capitol Hill to the shaded ones around Deer Lake.

Test and plan before you climb or reach

Lay every strand out on the driveway and plug it in. Set aside anything with dead sections. A dead strand buried in the middle of a tree is the most annoying repair there is, so find it now.

Use lights and cords that are rated for outdoor use. Indoor sets are not built for November rain, and Burnaby gets plenty of it.

Then walk the yard at dusk and decide what you want lit. A dark yard next to a well-lit house looks unfinished, so most people pick a few anchors.

• One large tree near the front walk
• A hedge along the property line or the driveway
• Shrubs and small evergreens beside the door
• Any cedar that shows from the street

Find the outdoor outlet you will use for each group. Plan cord routes before you start wrapping, not after.

Wrapping a trunk and main limbs

Start low, near the outlet. Wrap the trunk in even spirals going up. Keep the spacing the same all the way so the tree looks clean from the street.

For the main limbs, follow each one out and come back along it. Keep the wrap loose enough that the tree can grow. Pulling tight leaves marks on bark and makes removal harder.

If you need to hold a strand in place, use clips. Do not use nails or staples. They damage the tree and they are hard to find again in January.

A big front tree is the one most people can't finish from a ladder. If the upper limbs are out of reach, light what you can reach safely and stop there. A ladder on soft, wet ground is not worth a few extra branches.

Putting nets on hedges

Nets are the quickest way to light a hedge. Lay the net over the top, pull the edges down the face, and tuck it so it sits flat.

Hedges that look patchy when lit are usually patchy in daylight too. Lights show the gaps. A light trim before you net them makes a clear difference. Overlap neighbouring nets slightly so there is no dark seam.

Stringing cedars and evergreens

For evergreens, run strands along the branches rather than around the whole tree in one pass. Work in sections, from the inside of the tree out toward the tips.

Do not bury the cord deep in the foliage. If a section fails, you want to be able to reach it. Keep the plug ends and connections on the outside where you can see them.

Cedars are dense, so lights can disappear into them. Place the strands near the surface of the foliage so they show from the street.

Cords and timers

Cords across the lawn and walkway are a trip hazard and they look messy. Run them along the edge of a garden bed, a fence line or the foundation instead.

Keep plugs and connections up off wet ground. Outdoor-rated cords handle rain, but a connection sitting in a puddle is still a problem.

Put everything on a timer so the lights come on at dusk without you thinking about it. It also saves you from walking out to a switch in the rain.

Burnaby-specific things to check

Burnaby lots vary a lot, and a few local details change how you do this job.

• Steep lots. On Capitol Hill and in Burnaby Heights, the front of the house can sit well above the driveway. Footing matters more than height, so be careful on slopes.
• Shade and damp. Tall firs and cedars around Deer Lake and Burnaby Mountain keep things damp and mossy. Wet ground and slick surfaces make ladder work harder.
• Higher elevation weather. Burnaby Mountain gets more rain and the odd snowfall than the rest of the city. Lots up there are best done early in the fall.
• Strata rules. Many townhouse complexes around Brentwood and Metrotown set rules on what goes on the exterior. Check with your council or property manager before you hang anything.

Timing this month

Remembrance Day is five days away. Many households wait until after it to put lights up, and that is a reasonable approach. Trees and shrubs can be done any time the weather is dry enough to work safely. If you are on higher ground, do not leave it too late in the season.

Plan for takedown in January. Clipped lights come down quickly, and a tidy wrap is easier to unwind.

When to call a professional

Call someone if the tree is too tall to reach safely, if the lights are already tangled through the branches, or if the lot is steep and wet. We can install, repair or remove lights on their own, including lights someone else hung. We can hang your own outdoor-rated lights if they work, or supply them. If you only want a dead strand found or the whole job taken down in January, that can be booked on its own too.