HomeOwners Shy Away From Ladders

Hanging holiday lights? Try hiring an installer: Decorating for holidays can be joyous, but when you're on ladders stringing lights it can also be dangerous. So is it worth the risk? Or should you hire a professional? 7 On Your Side has some tips to help you make that decision.

According to the Consumer Product safety Commission, 13,000 people fell off a ladder while decorating for the holidays last year and ended up in the emergency room. Professional holiday lighting installer Jay Nelson is often called for just that reason. "I've gone to a lot of clients' houses where the wife will say that the husband is either not allowed on the roof or has fallen off the roof for the last time," says Nelson.

Rudy Contratii sets up an elaborate display each year at his house in Fairfax and never even knew there are professional installers. "I have no fear of a ladder," says Contratti. "Actually I look forward, the higher you go, the better you are." Many electricians and contractors have added this as a side business during the winter's inevitably slow season. After the holidays, Nelson returns to his mainstay: garden lighting, gutter cleaning and window washing. "We've seen a lot of increase in the last few years," says Nelson. "We've been pretty steady at an 20 percent growth every year for the last three years."

Contractors generally charge between $200 and $500 for stringing basic lights. They will set up the lights and return after the new year to take them down. Nelson's company brings the works -- lights, timers, extension cords and more. Angie Hicks from Angie's List has some tips about choosing the right installer:

• Make sure the company is qualified: Check that the decorator is insured to protect against any falls or accidents, otherwise it falls back on the homeowner.
• Ask about costs: Do the installers charge by the square foot or by the hour? Are you required to purchase the company's lights and decorations?
• Check rules and regulations: If you belong to a homeowner's association, ask what decorations are allowed to be added to your home's exterior.
• Ask about maintenance: If a bulb or timer goes out, do they have staff available to return to your home and fix or repair the decorations?

Also, when you're weighing it all out don't forget that a trip to the emergency room can cost a lot more than hiring a pro to string your lights.

Christmas Lights - Is It Time For A Window Cleaning Add-On?

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Helping with holiday light displays a growing trend for area companies: (Jenison) - A growing number of residents are foregoing the ritual of stringing holiday lights on their homes — instead letting someone else handle the sometimes frustrating and dangerous work. DeVries Landscape Management started decorating homes in 1996 as a way of extending its season and keeping employees busy.

Today, the Jenison-based company has more than 200 customers for holiday decorating, said manager Bill Pringle. And 30 workers, some of whom would be laid off, stay employed for most of the year, thanks to the addition. “It’s a nice add-on to our business,” Pringle said. “And it’s something our customers value and appreciate.”

Shine Window Care found that customers of its window-cleaning service were often asking for “odds and ends” because workers had ladders, said manager Aaron Haarsma. So about six years ago, the business in Grandville and Holland decided to put those ladders to further use and decorate homes. It went from 20 customers for the service in the first year to 150 now.

“We did research and found a sizeable industry,” Haarsma said. “It’s taking off really well. Every year we gain new clients.” The accounts are big, too. Shine’s projects start at $750. It has residential projects worth $10,000, Haarsma said. Pringle said DeVries’ Christmas Décor division projects start at $250, but most cost more. This year, he expects a $50,000 account for a commercial customer with multiple locations.

Chips Groundcover, in Holland, decorates more modest homes than the other companies, which mostly serve high-end homes and businesses. Still, accounts generally start at $300. And six employees who would otherwise be laid off or have their hours greatly reduced keep busy into January, said owner Nick Weaver.

All three companies come up with a design with a customer, purchase the decorations and commercial-grade lighting, install and maintain them throughout the season, and then take them down and store them.  While the businesses provide the service as a season-extender, customers use it for the convenience and the safety factor.

Shine Window Care has harnesses, mechanical lifts and ladders with self-leveling feet and gripers. “Our guys do this every day, and they’re used to it,” Haarsma said. Pringle said teams of workers who can do roof work with special equipment place the lights. The finished look is much more professional because of special clips used for holding lights and the techniques the company has learned, Weaver said. But he emphasized the safety aspect of the service above all else. “We take the risk out of putting lights up,” he said.

Hanging Christmas lights; sign of economic recovery? (Nov 15, 2010) - WAYZATA, Minn. -- A blast of winter weather is all many folks need to turn on that holiday spirit and the holiday lights. "We really try to get them up as soon as we can so they can flip the switch the day after Thanksgiving," says David Felt, owner of Russel Williams. For David Felt, Christmas-time is business-time. The business grad from Bethel University started his own home service company in 2006. Russell Williams does window cleaning in the summer and lights in the winter.

And at a time when many businesses are still struggling, his company is growing, starting with three employees four years ago. "Since then we've added crews every year and now we're up to 10 full time employees," say David. David has noticed people spending their money differently, and while he knows many of his customers do have a bit extra to spend, they've been selective. "They wanted to make sure that they were going to get the most value for their dollar," says David.

Russell Williams has weathered the economic storm and come out glowing. Last year, business was up nearly 50 percent. It is one success story and perhaps one sign the economy is turning and an indication more people might be willing to take a business chance. Last year in Minnesota, more than 60,000 new business entities registered with the Secretary of State. And Forbes Magazine recently listed the twin cities as a region that's recovering faster than most.

Light by light, David Felt's company is enjoying the recovery and looking forward to even more profitable, brighter days ahead. "You just have to hire the right people and you have to make sure as you grow your business that everyone is going to do the same quality of work as if you were there yourself," says David. David says every season his company installs about two million lights on homes across the metro. They do maintenance during the winter and take it all down in the spring. Go to the Department of Employment and Economic Development for more information on how to start a small business.