Buy the right bulbs.
- If lights are labeled for indoor use, don’t use them outside. The wiring isn’t designed to hold up in snow or rain, so if the interior gets wet, you could be in for a nasty shock’'
- Figure out how many strings of lights you will need to do the entire job, then check product packages to find out how many strings can be safely connected to each other. If one brand doesn’t allow enough connections, look for another that does.
Pick a safe extension cord.
- Be sure it’s labeled for outdoor use and if appropriate, for cold weather. Otherwise, the cord may become brittle and crack, exposing the inside wires to rain and snow.
- Look for a gauge size (also called an AWG number) of 12 or 14. This number indicates the amount of electrical current the cord can support. For outdoor holiday lights, cords with a number of above 14 may overload and become a fire hazard.
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