What gets left out of the conversation
The whole discussion points at one day in November. That is the fun half. But the season ends, and everything that went up has to come down. The people who thought about that in October have a much better January than the people who did not.And that is unfortunate, since the takedown is where a service is really tested. Anybody can put a display up. The real question is what happens after. That question is worth asking before you book, not the one you have in January.
What a January ladder day involves
Taking lights down is the harder of the two jobs, and almost nobody expects that. The weather is worse. The motivation is nonexistent. And the reward for finishing is a box you have to find room for. Then the strands get boxed and shoved somewhere, where they tangle, get crushed, and lose a section by next November.
The version worth paying for
Takedown belongs in the original agreement. At the end of the season the crew comes back and it comes off the house. Everything gets catalogued and stored off site, rather than crushed into a bin in your garage. You never store a single strand.
Why storage matters more than it sounds
Three things happen when the lights do not live at your house. Your attic gets its space back, which is worth something in most houses. The lights stay in the condition they were in, because they are stored properly rather than compressed under something heavy. Labeling is why year two looks like year one.
The other route
The other option makes January irrelevant. Permanent lighting has no January. It costs more up front and it suits people who do this every
https://stephenzrun142.publishlane.com/posts/permanent-led-lighting-what-stays-on-the-house-and-how-what-permanent-led-lights-are-made-of-a-homeowner-s-explanation-should-you-know-what-is-on-your-roof-yes-and-here-is-why single year. But if the takedown conversation is what is bothering you, it is worth asking about once.
What happens if something quits in the middle of December
A display runs for a month or more, and something occasionally acts up. What matters is whether anybody comes out. Some companies include service through the season. Others handle it as separate work. Ask while you are still comparing companies, rather than the week you need it.
The second year
The first season involves a design conversation, decisions and a plan. After that, the design already exists and the materials are already labeled. Next season is a call, a date and the same display back on the house. Changes build on the existing plan, instead of a blank page.
Nail this down first
Ask whether takedown is included or billed separately. Ask whose lights these are, because that decides where they end up. Ask how removal gets scheduled so it is not a surprise. EverCrest Lighting handles takedown and off season storage on holiday lighting, and installs permanent lighting for people who would rather stop repeating it, for residential and commercial properties across Upstate South Carolina and Western North Carolina, based in Greenville. Consultations are free. Reach them at (864) 252-1732 or
[email protected].