Rainy weather can be a real problem when Christmas lights start going up around Lafayette. November often brings showers, and by the time December hits, it’s hard to count on more than a few dry days in a row. If you’ve ever had lights short out right before a holiday party or seen part of your yard go dark after a downpour, you already know how frustrating it can be.
Christmas light installation is more than hanging strands along the roofline. It’s about making sure everything stays safe and working, even when the Louisiana skies decide to open up. Water and electricity don’t mix well, and a small mistake in wet weather setups can lead to bigger issues later on. We’ll walk through the main things to watch for so your display holds up all season.
Check the Right Type of Christmas Lights
Before plugging anything in, we start by looking at the label. Lights meant for the outdoors are built to handle rain and wind. If they’re not marked for outdoor use or don’t say weatherproof or waterproof, they don’t belong outside.
Outdoor lights often come with thicker wiring and better seals around the sockets. That helps keep water out. We don’t mix them with indoor lights, even if they look alike, because indoor versions just aren’t made to hold up in wet conditions.
We do the same check for extension cords. Some cords are only good for indoor use. For outdoor jobs, we stick with extension cords labeled for exterior setups. If anything has nicks, cuts, or frayed wires, it’s out. Small wear and tear might seem harmless, but moisture will sneak into places where wire insulation isn’t solid anymore.
EdenScapes installs lighting that is built for outdoor conditions, so our setups are meant to resist Louisiana’s rain and humidity. Our team pays close attention to choosing strong materials for each site.
Elevate and Seal All Electrical Connections
Even when we use sturdy lights and reliable cords, we keep all plugs up off the ground. Wet grass or pooling water around wires is an easy way for a display to fail, or worse. In Lafayette, rain doesn’t always fall gently, and it doesn’t always drain fast either. That’s why we avoid laying any part of the power setup directly in soil or mulch.
We use plastic clips and ties to lift lines up wherever possible. On soft ground or uneven slopes, it’s a big help. When we come to plug connections, we never leave them exposed. We either place them in weatherproof outdoor covers or wrap and seal them with tied plastic bags to keep out splashes and moisture.
The goal is simple. Keep water out of the plugs, and make sure no part of the setup sinks into a soggy patch of your yard. That goes a long way toward keeping the lights on.
Keep Your Outlets Protected
GFCI outlets are the ones we trust for any outdoor power. They trip fast when something isn’t right, which protects both the lights and your home. Just having a GFCI setup isn’t enough though, we also check that the outlet has a tight, waterproof cover that can stay closed even while in use.
The cover should be sealed flush and leave no room for drips or backflow from roof lines or sprinklers. Lafayette homes often have deep eaves and lots of runoff, so the spot where you plug in matters just as much as what you’re plugging in.
We never overload a single outlet. That includes avoiding daisy chains, where one strand is plugged into another over and over. That may seem like the easy way to run more lights, but it’s a quick way for something to short if it gets damp. We play it safe and space out the power load across several access points.
According to EdenScapes, our installation team is fully licensed and insured, so safety always comes first with all electrical setup.
Plan Ahead for Lafayette’s Wet December Weather
Timing matters. We like to get lights up earlier in the season, usually the first half of November, before the rain really settles in. The weather is a little milder, the ground is easier to work with, and there’s less wind blowing branches or tangling cords around the roofline.
Before any Christmas light installation, we take a glance at the forecast. A few days of dry weather is perfect for setup. Rushing to install while it’s damp or stormy brings way too much risk.
Placement is another thing we think through carefully. Larger tree canopies in Lafayette can hold raindrops that keep falling slowly hours after the actual storm passes. That steady drip lands right on the display unless the lights are set back or pointed out from under the leaves. The same goes for gutter spouts and angled shingles that throw water sideways instead of straight down.
We are familiar with many types of properties, from small homes to large commercial sites throughout Lafayette.
Let the Pros Handle It If You’re Unsure
There are a lot of little choices that come with putting up a holiday display, and sometimes it helps to leave those to someone who does it every year. When we set up lights, we look for things like slopes where water collects, or tree limbs that might drop sap or hold moisture over plugs.
We know how to run cords at an angle, lift them when needed, and keep the light lines neat without leaving exposed connectors out in the open. There’s no guesswork, we follow the same steps each time to keep displays stable and dry.
Letting someone take care of the setup means you don’t have to worry about ground faults, safety hazards, or trying to figure out what light strand tripped your breaker. When it comes to water and electricity, it’s better to play it safe.
Shine Bright Through Rainy Weather
Nobody wants to spend hours setting up a Christmas display only to wake up after a storm and find half the lights out. Wet weather is part of winter here in Lafayette, but it doesn’t have to stop your holiday decorating from shining the way it should.
With the right lights, protected wiring, and some smart planning, a little rain doesn’t need to spoil the fun. Paying attention to what goes where and how it handles water is the biggest step toward keeping your holiday setup looking bright and cheerful all season.
A safe and stress-free holiday lighting display in Lafayette, Louisiana, starts with careful planning and proper installation. From protecting cords from rain to selecting the best outlets, every detail matters when it comes to showcasing your home. At EdenScapes, we work with the right tools and precautions to ensure your lights stay bright all season long. Planning early makes all the difference, so contact us today to schedule your Christmas light installation.