Working Outdoors

There are some great tips and tricks that will help you be able to decorate the outside of your home easily, without stress and frustration.

One thing to always remember is safety first.  No matter what you are working on always remember to do it safely.

Ladders
One of the greatest dangers in working out side is using ladders.  There are many different ways that you can be hurt, slipping off the ladder, the ladder slipping, etc.  It is important that you use a high quality, sturdy ladder.  Use a small ladder for smaller jobs and a larger ladder when you have to work at higher levels.  Make sure that the ladder is properly positioned and is secured safely or have someone available to hold the ladder.  Do not reach from the ladder, move the ladder as needed to reach the area you need.

Outdoor Extension Cords And Outlets
Electrical outlets should accommodate the three prong plugs and preferably on a separate circuit or at least protected by GFCI (ground fault circuit interrupter).  This will cause your circuit breaker to "trip" shutting off electrical supply.

Extension cords are a great way to lighten, brighten and decorate hard to reach areas.  In purchasing outdoor extension cords, it is important to look for a number of things.  Make sure that labels are marked with UL or ETL.  This means it has been recognized by OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration).  Make sure the some where on the package it states for outdoor use.  This is important as they made to with stand harsher weather and that they are waterproof.  Never use an indoor cord for outside electrical usage.  Using the shortest cord to accomplish your affect or project, eliminating additional cords that hang or can be tripped over.  If you have any additional cord, especially if it crosses a walkway or step, make sure that tape or secure the cord to reduce the risk of trips and falls.

If you need to connect outdoor extension cords to complete your project, be careful not to have a crazy maze of plugs and extension cords.  Keep the cords organized and neatly rolled if you have excess.  If possible, make sure that all the outdoor extension cords do not come from the same electrical outlet and that they should be easily accessible if you need to quickly disconnect them.

Using a timer to turn on and off electric to your project will save electricity and will increase safety as some lights should be turned off when no one is home.

Some of the extension cords we like are great for any type of outdoor lighting especially for the holiday's.   You can utilize one outdoor electrical outlet in many different ways, but remember don't overload the circuit.  Using an outlet adapter allows you to plug in more than one cord into an electrical outlet.



There are two additional outdoor extension cords that I absolutely love for outside decorating that are in my arsenal of extension cords.  I have a bin that no one touches that contains all my holiday decorating cords.




This is a 25 foot outdoor extension cord that has 3 outlets on the end and can be used instead of an outlet adapter or in addition to an outlet adapter to get lots of outlets out into your lawn.  You can plug it in and bring electric into any garden or lawn to brighten or decorate to your hearts content.

This is also one of my favorites and especially great for holiday decorating a 25 foot outdoor extension cord that has 3 outlets set at 8 feet apart which allows you to bring electricity to different parts of your garden, lawn or even walkway.  This cord actually eliminates the need for the use of additional cords to reach different areas or be able to plug in different lights or even extension cords to optimize the use of your electrical needs.

These great cords and electrical accessories are readily available at many home improvement stores.  I, however, love a good bargain and like to get my supplies at my local Walmart.  You can even order online and pick it up at your local store.