CHESTERFIELD, Mo. – As you’re driving through neighborhoods, you may notice some homes already have their holiday lights up.
Joshua Paske of Paske Holiday Lighting says that waiting until November doesn’t give them enough time and that they’ve already had some weather delays.
Commercial lighting companies have been at work with holiday lights for a month now. But for Paske, the rain in September set them back early, and now the colder mornings are already a challenge.
“This year, we’re getting a little frost these last couple of days, so that’s a little bit different than the last few couple of years. The goal is to work ahead of schedule so we can put a little more on at the tail end,” he said.
The weather has the potential to cause big delays with the main problem being frost.
“We start out west intentionally, just trying to avoid the frostiness. It does slow us down. We can’t be on the roof when there’s frost. We have to wait for the sun to melt it off, and it does delay, and the slower we are at installing the least amount we get done in a given day, and that just pushed us back and back,” Paske added.
For Paske’s crews, the main push is to get as much done before Thanksgiving.
While business is still steadily increasing, the economy has taken some tolls, and some companies have lowered quality to offset cost increases, like using lower-quality wire that could cause flickering or using glass bulbs instead of LED lights, which could cause a fire.
“Know what you’re getting on your spacing. Just really pay attention. Make sure that you understand who owns the light bulbs, who doesn’t own the light bulbs or the wire. Make sure maintenance is included. Make sure they’re not going to charge you something extra to take it down or that it’s all included in the original price so that you understand as a consumer what you’re getting,” Paske said.
While it’s early, Paske says they’re already getting into the Christmas spirit.
“You’re definitely feeling that charisma or that enjoyment of the holiday spirit. We’re starting to see things come out in the stores now. There are some people that hate that, but also there’s a lot of people who really to love Christmas and love celebrating. I was just driving here today and there’s already Santa Claus and reindeer on somebody’s roof. So you know, we’re not the only ones who are installing,” he said.
If you’re considering going this route with your lights this year, it’s best to make some calls now and get some bids so you can get on somebody’s list. Also, remember, cheaper is not better, and you want to make sure you have a company with insurance in case something happens.