Permanent holiday lighting

[JM Aggie08]

I absolutely refuse to get on my roof every year or to pay hundreds of dollars for someone else to put up Christmas light. I've been recently looking into permanent holiday light -- LEDs installed on a track under the eves of the trim on the house. There are certainly companies that will do this for you, but I'm seeing T&M averaging to ~$22hr/ft. That's not exorbitant, but still ~$2k for our house. Alternatively, getting several strings of LEDs, power source, controller, and painted J tracks would be the DIY route! I've got a company coming out in a week or so to quote us, but was curious if anyone has gone this route; professionally installed or DIY.

 

[BoomerD]

The stuff would have to have an ironclad 20 year warranty before I'd even consider it. Easier and cheaper to hire someone. (Just be sure you have a good place to dump the body if they fall off your house...you don't want to get sued by some unscrupulous idiot...)

 

[Captante]

Crazy me ... I enjoy setting up my holiday lights!

The stuff would have to have an ironclad 20 year warranty before I'd even consider it.

Yeah I can't see permanent holiday lights holding up well in New England weather.

 

[herm0016]

i cant imagine paying someone to put up lights every year. thats nuts. hang some stuff where you can and feel safe and call it a day.

 

[BoomerD]

i cant imagine paying someone to put up lights every year. thats nuts. hang some stuff where you can and feel safe and call it a day.

I have a 2 story house. I ONLY decorate as far as I can comfortably reach from a 7' stepladder. I'd meed a "zoom boom" type of aerial lift to do the second floor...and that ain't gonna happen.

 

[herm0016]

we have 800 feet of C6 lights (2400 lights) along the driveway, i need about 200 more feet to make it to the road. haha. looks sweet driving down into the valley from 1/2 mile away. also, i put a Santa hat on the glow in the dark skeleton by the front gate to say F you to my neighbor that asked when I was taking it down the day after Halloween.

 

[Charmonium]

Mount the lights on something that won't be easily visible. Each section should be 3-4 ft long, and as skinny as possible while still bein able to handle rough weather.

The next step could go a few different ways. For example, I'd probably use a strip of steel that's 0.5 to one inch. Then I would mount 1/2 inch N45 magnet cubes every 1-2 feet or at such intervals as to be sure every steel strip will be supported by at least 2.

If you're not familiar with rare earth magnets (usually neodymium), they're extremely strong, especially when the axis of the magnetic field is perpendicular to the ground. Trying to pull even these small magnets straight up/off/away from the surface they're attached to isn't impossible, but you'd better have some damn strong fingers. I normally start by trying to tilt the cube and then pulling. It's a little easier.

How you go about mounting them is open to discussion. I'd probably just glue them with silicone putty, but you also use tacks with huge, circular half inch heads. https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B07BBFBR9D/ Obviously, they need to be ferrous or otherwise capable of being magnetic.

Now start affixing the lights to the bars. As you run the string to the next bar, just "fold" it to sit on top of the previous one.

This should allow you to mount the bars to the magnet by going from window to window and leaning out just far enough to reach the magnets.

This configuration should be strong enough such that you can leave the lights up forever. And as long as the bar material blends with the house, from a distance, all you're going to see are the lights. And if you're really motivated, putting the up and taking them down should be a trivial matter.

 

[gorcorps]

That's exactly what I'm doing right now. Bought a cheap drill press and have been drilling 4" J channel and it works pretty well. I kind of did that route because it was cheaper though, as I'm not positive I'll live in this house long term.

If I was absolutely here for many years to come, I may have splurged for some more purpose built track like this: PermaTrack – 50′ Pack – PermaTrack

 

[JM Aggie08]

That's exactly what I'm doing right now. Bought a cheap drill press and have been drilling 4" J channel and it works pretty well. I kind of did that route because it was cheaper though, as I'm not positive I'll live in this house long term.

If I was absolutely here for many years to come, I may have splurged for some more purpose built track like this: PermaTrack – 50′ Pack – PermaTrack

Which J channel and LEDs are you using?

 

[gorcorps]

Which J channel and LEDs are you using?

I just got these from home Depot:

Ply Gem 5/8 in. x 1-1/2 in. x 12.6 ft. White J-Channel VJC58104H - The Home Depot

Cellwood 5/8 in. J-Channel used around doors, windows and at the roof line to hide ends of siding panels and create a finished look. Cellwood Vinyl Accessories are designed to withstand the toughest weather

www.homedepot.com

Bought some cheaper LEDs from Amazon:
500 pcs 12V 12mm led Pixel Bullet nodes 100 Count String Lights All Black Wire 4 inch spacing with Raywu Style Connector https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09D39D49...abc_PTRY61E234A1R8BEAR1F?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1

Mainly because I didn't want to put too much money into it if I didn't end up finishing the project or something. The better quality option I have bookmarked if I want better quality down the road are these:

SOLD OUT FOR 2024: Smart / Pixel LED RGB 8mm/12mm Square / Lay-Flat Node - 12v / 2811 / 100 Node String / Black / Waterproof xConnect Input and Output Cables

HolidayCoro is the Leader in RGB Lighting Products and Accessories. From parts, assembled systems and complete design services, HolidayCoro is your choice.

www.holidaycoro.com

I'm using a single Digi Uno controller I got from DrZzs website, running WLED.

Once I got the J channel drilled and LEDs pushed through, all I've done is slide the J channel under the soffit and 95% of it is just held this way. I bought a bunch of screws but I won't need them in most places, the way I'm able to slide the long end if the J channel in place holds then tight enough. Just had a huge storm blow through with tornadoes and nothing has budged.

 

[Lost_in_the_HTTP]

^^^ Good place for wasp nests.



Screw all that stuff. Stay dark, save energy.


Besides that, none of the wire on 'holiday' strings are intended for long term weather exposure. Rice wire insulation degrades, wires short, vinyl burns .....

 

[sdifox]

^^^ Good place for wasp nests.



Screw all that stuff. Stay dark, save energy.

I have wasp nests inside outdoor glass lamps. I shook out the larvae in winter

 

[KB]

Permanent Holiday lights means a giant pain when a Squirrel chews your cable or your string goes bad.
You can have all your Christmas lights up to 30 seconds with a Christmas projector. I think they look pretty cool, but not everyone does.

https://www.amazon.com/Christmas-Projector-Landscape-Spotlight-Decorative/dp/B09G9S9LNW/ref=asc_df_B09G9S9LNW/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=563646982923&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=17639980372409119818&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9007917&hvtargid=pla-1496030716476&psc=1

 

[JM Aggie08]

I just got these from home Depot:

Ply Gem 5/8 in. x 1-1/2 in. x 12.6 ft. White J-Channel VJC58104H - The Home Depot

Cellwood 5/8 in. J-Channel used around doors, windows and at the roof line to hide ends of siding panels and create a finished look. Cellwood Vinyl Accessories are designed to withstand the toughest weather

www.homedepot.com

Bought some cheaper LEDs from Amazon:
500 pcs 12V 12mm led Pixel Bullet nodes 100 Count String Lights All Black Wire 4 inch spacing with Raywu Style Connector https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09D39D49...abc_PTRY61E234A1R8BEAR1F?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1

Mainly because I didn't want to put too much money into it if I didn't end up finishing the project or something. The better quality option I have bookmarked if I want better quality down the road are these:

SOLD OUT FOR 2024: Smart / Pixel LED RGB 8mm/12mm Square / Lay-Flat Node - 12v / 2811 / 100 Node String / Black / Waterproof xConnect Input and Output Cables

HolidayCoro is the Leader in RGB Lighting Products and Accessories. From parts, assembled systems and complete design services, HolidayCoro is your choice.

www.holidaycoro.com

I'm using a single Digi Uno controller I got from DrZzs website, running WLED.

Once I got the J channel drilled and LEDs pushed through, all I've done is slide the J channel under the soffit and 95% of it is just held this way. I bought a bunch of screws but I won't need them in most places, the way I'm able to slide the long end if the J channel in place holds then tight enough. Just had a huge storm blow through with tornadoes and nothing has budged.

*SNIP*

Awesome, exactly what I'm looking to do. Do those LEDs just 'snap' into place, provided you've drilled out an appropriately sized hole?

 

[spacejamz]

couple of houses around me have LED light strips in their eaves that are on every night so this could be a thing already...

just install LED's that flash and change to a flashing pattern during the holidays and non-flashing the rest of the year...

 

[gorcorps]

^^^ Good place for wasp nests.



Screw all that stuff. Stay dark, save energy.


Besides that, none of the wire on 'holiday' strings are intended for long term weather exposure. Rice wire insulation degrades, wires short, vinyl burns .....

You don't buy some cheap ass holiday lights from the hardware store for this, you buy higher quality UV protected LEDs. You also use properly rated fuses for every string to ensure your first failure point is a blown fuse and not somewhere in your string.

Permanent Holiday lights means a giant pain when a Squirrel chews your cable or your string goes bad.
You can have all your Christmas lights up to 30 seconds with a Christmas projector. I think they look pretty cool, but not everyone does.

https://www.amazon.com/Christmas-Projector-Landscape-Spotlight-Decorative/dp/B09G9S9LNW/ref=asc_df_B09G9S9LNW/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=563646982923&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=17639980372409119818&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9007917&hvtargid=pla-1496030716476&psc=1

Haven't seen a projector that looks good. It's entirely possible these lights don't last a year being on the house. The nice thing is this would fairly easily convert into a modular system that can be taken down every season, and still be easier than hanging string lights every year. Just have to wait and see what issues may pop up.

 

[gorcorps]

Awesome, exactly what I'm looking to do. Do those LEDs just 'snap' into place, provided you've drilled out an appropriately sized hole?

Yup

They're pretty standardized at 12mm, however most drill bits in-store are in imperials size that aren't really close enough in size.

I ended up buying a conical drill bit (3 Piece Stepless Drill Bits (harborfreight.com)) which gives you nearly unlimited hole size based on the depth of bit. If you have some calipers you can just measure where on the bit the 12mm diameter is and mark it (and set your drill stop depth there). If not, it's easy enough to start on the smaller end, test fit the LEDs as you gradually make the hole larger until you find the right size, then mark it there and set your stop.

 

[Red Squirrel]

I'm considered this idea myself, it's very hard to find good quality Christmas lights these days, it's all made in China cheap garbage. It's too bad because LED tech itself is good, but the consumer strings use the cheapest possible LED modules are are just overall badly designed. I had a 2 sets completely die on me after only a few years of use. I find they are also not as bright as the incandescents.

One thing I'd love to look into one day is making my own using addressable LED modules. They would need to be permanently mounted on the house in such a way that they don't get direct sun light, as no matter what that will start to fade plastic after a while. I'm thinking they could be mounted directly under the soffits. Bulbs could still extend out but they could have replaceable plastic covers so when those do fade over time you can replace just the covers. Some of the cheap ones actually do already work like this, so could use the same kind of caps. The thing I'd want too is to make each LED addressable, using a standard protocol. (no app crap, just a basic serial protocol that can be ran from a raspberry pi). This would let me change the colours as I see fit, maybe have them animate etc. Could even have them do stuff for different seasons.

I don't know enough about designing this sort of thing though, like the electronics and coding I could figure out, but the actual plastic molding and the actual physical design would be out of my field of knowledge.

The next best thing is to just look into commercial lightning, they are supposedly good to stay year round and each bulb is 120v and has it's own converter, so you're not having to deal with 1 LED going bad and taking out a whole section.

This is one site I found that sells commercial lights: https://www.dekralite.com/

I'm tempted to buy at least a pack of bulbs, just to see if I like them, and if I do I will buy more, along with strings. The main thing I always watch out for with LED is that they properly bridge rectify and smooth them out. Unfortunately no company seems to really advertise this. So you pretty much need to buy and see for yourself. I have successfully modified some strings to at least put all the LEDs on the same polarity, then I plug it into a FULL BRIDGE RECTIFIER. It still flickers but at 120hz instead of 60 so it's not as hard on the eyes. Some sets don't have that flicker out of the box and don't require modding though, so at least some of them get it right.

 

[Lost_in_the_HTTP]

The thing I'd want too is to make each LED addressable, using a standard protocol. (no app crap, just a basic serial protocol that can be ran from a raspberry pi). This would let me change the colours as I see fit, maybe have them animate etc. Could even have them do stuff for different seasons.

My exterior lighting is for security, not goofy stuff.

Even if I wanted to, I can't do goofy stuff. I'm on a bad hill and I can't do anything that might distract traffic.

But for those who can and do, this would be what I was thinking before I saw your post. Full control, any color, any pattern. White for normal times and security, but could be changed by holiday ... pastels for Easter, reds, blues for the Fourth, oranges and yellows, maybe blacklight for Halloween, reds, greens, general multicolor for December, etc.

 

[gorcorps]

I'm considered this idea myself, it's very hard to find good quality Christmas lights these days, it's all made in China cheap garbage. It's too bad because LED tech itself is good, but the consumer strings use the cheapest possible LED modules are are just overall badly designed. I had a 2 sets completely die on me after only a few years of use. I find they are also not as bright as the incandescents.

One thing I'd love to look into one day is making my own using addressable LED modules. They would need to be permanently mounted on the house in such a way that they don't get direct sun light, as no matter what that will start to fade plastic after a while. I'm thinking they could be mounted directly under the soffits. Bulbs could still extend out but they could have replaceable plastic covers so when those do fade over time you can replace just the covers. Some of the cheap ones actually do already work like this, so could use the same kind of caps. The thing I'd want too is to make each LED addressable, using a standard protocol. (no app crap, just a basic serial protocol that can be ran from a raspberry pi). This would let me change the colours as I see fit, maybe have them animate etc. Could even have them do stuff for different seasons.

I don't know enough about designing this sort of thing though, like the electronics and coding I could figure out, but the actual plastic molding and the actual physical design would be out of my field of knowledge.

The next best thing is to just look into commercial lightning, they are supposedly good to stay year round and each bulb is 120v and has it's own converter, so you're not having to deal with 1 LED going bad and taking out a whole section.

This is one site I found that sells commercial lights: https://www.dekralite.com/

I'm tempted to buy at least a pack of bulbs, just to see if I like them, and if I do I will buy more, along with strings. The main thing I always watch out for with LED is that they properly bridge rectify and smooth them out. Unfortunately no company seems to really advertise this. So you pretty much need to buy and see for yourself. I have successfully modified some strings to at least put all the LEDs on the same polarity, then I plug it into a FULL BRIDGE RECTIFIER. It still flickers but at 120hz instead of 60 so it's not as hard on the eyes. Some sets don't have that flicker out of the box and don't require modding though, so at least some of them get it right.

I don't know who would be a good option for Canada, but for example this site sells addressable C9 style lights and the replacement covers for when they fade over time: HolidayCoro RGB Pixel Bulbs

Basically don't buy no-name bullshit and at a bare minimum ensure you're buying LEDs utilizing the popular and proven chip protocols (WS2811 or 2812b for example). You get a 400Hz polling rate, and you'll be able to use a tremendous amount of controller options, and pretty good sequencing software. There's a lot of good LED controller options out there that are already purpose built for driving LEDs, and are generally cheaper than a raspberry pi.

The RPi is generally used to be the one that runs your scheduling software (falcon pi player is most popular). I have one hooked up to my lights for example, but it's currently not in use because the built in software on the controller is all I need right now.

One of the most popular software options for designing lighting sequences and effects is Xlights. It's free, and it's what most people use to program the custom light shows to music. After you design your sequence on your PC using Xlights, you can export it to falcon pi player, where you can then schedule all your sequences as you see fit. FPP then sends the instructions to the controller, which is what sends the instructions to your addressable LEDs.

My exterior lighting is for security, not goofy stuff.

Even if I wanted to, I can't do goofy stuff. I'm on a bad hill and I can't do anything that might distract traffic.

But for those who can and do, this would be what I was thinking before I saw your post. Full control, any color, any pattern. White for normal times and security, but could be changed by holiday ... pastels for Easter, reds, blues for the Fourth, oranges and yellows, maybe blacklight for Halloween, reds, greens, general multicolor for December, etc.

That's exactly what I'm doing, and why I wanted to try and ensure I could keep them on the house year round. I'll be able to have whatever lights I want for whatever holiday/event is coming up. Here's an example of something I tested for the 4th with just the basic outline on the front of the house: https://photos.app.goo.gl/jnLv4hdEfssaF2dF6

 

[Red Squirrel]

Most lights are not really going to advertise what chips they use though so it's kind of hard to know before you buy. Only nerds like us really care about that stuff. Most people are just going to buy it because it says "smart" and uses an app, and don't care if the app stops getting updated 5 years down the line and they can't use it anymore because their phone OS updates.

Even that commercial site I linked to, I contacted their support to ask questions about how the LEDs are being driven and they basically could not answer me lol. We don't have a lot of stuff like this here in Canada either so it's much harder to find.

 

[gorcorps]

Most lights are not really going to advertise what chips they use though so it's kind of hard to know before you buy. Only nerds like us really care about that stuff. Most people are just going to buy it because it says "smart" and uses an app, and don't care if the app stops getting updated 5 years down the line and they can't use it anymore because their phone OS updates.

Even that commercial site I linked to, I contacted their support to ask questions about how the LEDs are being driven and they basically could not answer me lol. We don't have a lot of stuff like this here in Canada either so it's much harder to find.

You must not have looked, if an addressable light uses those chips they specifically say so in the listing. In fact that's what you'd search for to find them in the first place... "WS2811 LEDs"

This isn't as niche as you're making it seem, at least around here. This hobby has grown a shitload and the equipment is readily available if you're not trying to buy right before Christmas. Yes you have to do research and it's a lot of diy stuff, but finding the right equipment and knowing what you're getting isn't the hard part

Those commercial places aren't going to tell you what they use. Their whole business model is driven by making you think you can't do this yourself, and their system is special

 

[Red Squirrel]

You must not have looked, if an addressable light uses those chips they specifically say so in the listing. In fact that's what you'd search for to find them in the first place... "WS2811 LEDs"

This isn't as niche as you're making it seem, at least around here. This hobby has grown a shitload and the equipment is readily available if you're not trying to buy right before Christmas. Yes you have to do research and it's a lot of diy stuff, but finding the right equipment and knowing what you're getting isn't the hard part

Do you know of any sites in Canada that would actually sell this stuff? Have not found any. Also WS2811 is rather specific I would not really know to search for that until you mentioned it.

Did find this... https://pixelchristmas.ca/products/5v-ws2811-bullet?variant=40786670747805

 

[gorcorps]

Do you know of any sites in Canada that would actually sell this stuff? Have not found any. Also WS2811 is rather specific I would not really know to search for that until you mentioned it.

Did find this... https://pixelchristmas.ca/products/5v-ws2811-bullet?variant=40786670747805

The site I posted before sells to canada (holidaycoro.com) but it looks pricey to do so.

These ones aren't stellar quality, but if you just want to get your feet wet you can find some on amazon.ca: ALITOVE 50pcs DC 12V WS2811 Led Pixel Black 12mm Diffused Digital RGB Addressable Dream Color Round LED Pixels Module IP68 Waterproof : Amazon.ca: Tools & Home Improvement

 

[akugami]

These popped up on my Youtube feed with a DIY'er putting them up.

My EverLights

MyEverLights provides permanent holiday lighting, classic warm lighting, and accent lighting for residential and commercial properties.

myeverlights.com

Assuming they last as long as advertised, seem like a decent option. You can program the lights using their app with pre-programmed light patterns for holidays and stuff. Assuming the wiring holds up, you can add in lights by cutting out, then splicing in a spare, though that may require some reprogramming of the light sequencing. From what I understand, each light is individually addressable. Which also means you can add a new string to your light string setup.