What we repair and what usually causes it
Most repair calls start the same way. The lights worked last year, or last week, and now part of the display is dark. We track down the cause instead of guessing.
These are the faults we see most.
- Half a strand out, with no obvious bad spot
- An outdoor plug that trips every time it rains
- A timer that stopped switching the lights on
- One section of the roofline gone dark
- Lights pulled down by wind or a falling branch
- Corroded plugs where strands join
Many of these have a simple cause. A plug lying in a puddle, an unsealed join or a worn timer are all common. Finding the cause is the slow part, and it is the part you do not need to do from a ladder.
How a repair visit works
We start by looking at the whole run, from the outdoor plug to the last strand. If the plug trips, we leave it off and trace the run section by section until we find the wet or damaged spot.
If a strand is half dead, we check bulbs and fuses first on older strands. Sealed LED strands are different. The bad section may not be repairable, and we will tell you so.
Anything that came loose gets re-hung on clips. We use clips only, with no nails or staples, so your gutters and fascia are not punched full of holes. If the lights are yours and rated for outdoor use, we reuse them. If a strand has had it, we can supply a replacement.
Roof work moves when the roof is slick or windy. We would rather come back another day than send someone up in bad conditions.
What affects repair cost and time
Many repairs take under an hour. Finding a fault across a whole house can take longer, because we test the run in sections.
Repair work varies a lot from house to house, so the price depends on a few things.
- How long it takes to find the fault
- How many faults there are
- How high and how awkward the area is to reach
- Whether a strand needs replacing, and who supplies it
- How much needs re-hanging after wind or a fallen branch
Tell us what is out and send a photo of the dark part. That helps us explain what the job usually involves and what the price will depend on before we start.
Repair or replace, and booking just the repair
A few dead spots on a strand in good shape are worth repairing. If the wire is cracked or the strand has several faults, replacing it costs less over time. We will say which one you have.
You do not need to have us install or remove your lights. Repair is hired one job at a time, with no program or yearly plan to join. We fix lights someone else hung, and lights you put up yourself. If you are done with the ladder, removal in January can be booked separately.
We also repair displays at stratas, low-rise condos and storefronts.
