What North Vancouver houses and weather mean for your lights
North Vancouver is one of the wettest parts of Metro Vancouver, and rain gets heavier toward the mountains. Lights hung here take a beating, so connections need to stay dry and off the ground. We plan for that on every house.
In Lynn Valley, Deep Cove and Edgemont, many homes sit under tall firs and cedars. Branches and needles land on the roofline, and the shade keeps roofs damp for months. Lights that sag or blow down after the first windstorm are a common complaint. Clips set properly along the gutter edge help prevent that.
Much of the district is 1950s to 1970s post-and-beam and split-level houses, plus newer rebuilds, often on sloped lots. Steep lots mean high gutters and few safe places to set a ladder. That is the job most people are glad to hand off. Upper streets also get snow when the waterfront does not, so we think about cold and wet before we pick a route for the strands.
What we hang and how we hang it
We hang lights on houses and townhouses. A typical job can include:
- Rooflines, gutters and peaks
- Dormers, railings and pillars
- Icicle lights
- Pathway lights
- Wreaths and garland
If you have bins of lights in the garage, bring them out. We check each strand first. If it is rated for outdoor use and works, we hang it. If a strand is not worth hanging again, we tell you plainly. You do not have to buy new lights to book us. If you would rather not deal with lights at all, we can supply them.
Everything goes up on plastic clips. They hook onto the gutter edge or slip under the shingle edge, and they come off with the lights. No nails, no staples. We run the lights to a timer, and we make sure the strands actually reach your outdoor plug. If your house has lots of peaks and you are not sure what will look right, we will talk it through with you before we start.
What the price depends on, and how booking works
We price by a few things you can see from the street. These are the length of your roofline, the height and pitch of the roof, how much is lit besides the roof, and whether you use your own lights or want ours supplied. A steep two-storey on a sloped lot costs more than a single-level house with a short roofline, because it takes longer and needs more care.
Most houses take a few hours in one visit. Large or steep houses can take longer.
Book early. Lights can go up in October or November and stay off until you want them on. By December the calendar gets tight. If it rains, ground-level work can carry on. Roof work moves to another day when the roof is slick or the wind is up.
Install, repair and removal can each be booked alone, even on lights someone else hung. We also do stratas, low-rise condos and storefronts, which suits the buildings around Lower Lonsdale.
