Everybody plans the install. Nobody plans the takedown
The whole discussion points at one day in November. That is understandable. But the season ends, and then there is a second job nobody scheduled. The people who asked the question up front are the ones not on a ladder in the cold.And that is unfortunate, since the takedown is where a service is really tested. Anybody can put a display up. The question is whether anyone comes back. That question is worth asking before you book, not after the season ends.
What a January ladder day actually looks like
The takedown is the unpleasant half. Cold, no enthusiasm,
https://rylanphph863.opalvector.com/posts/permanent-led-lighting-installation-step-by-step-from-quote-to-switch-on-what-goes-into-a-permanent-lighting-installation-from-first-call-to-first-night and a mess at the end. Whatever goes into that box comes out worse eleven months later.
How it should work when it is part of the service
Takedown belongs in the original agreement. At the end of the season somebody returns and removes the display. 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 come out of somebody else storing it. Your attic gets its space back, which is worth something in most houses. Condition holds, which is why so many strands die between seasons. And because they are catalogued to your property, next season looks like this season.
The other route
There is a version of this where January stops being a thing at all. A permanent LED system is installed one time and left in place, so nothing comes down and nothing needs a shelf. It is a bigger first step, and it is not right for everybody. But if the takedown conversation is the part you dread, it is worth asking about once.
What happens if something goes dark on the twentieth
Over a full season, something will eventually need a look. What matters is whether anybody comes out. Some companies treat mid season repairs as part of the job. Others bill each trip. Ask while you are still comparing companies, not on the twenty second of December.
The second year
Year one has all the decisions in it. After that, everything is on record. Next season is a call, a date and the same display back on the house. Changes start from what is already there, instead of a blank page.
What to ask before you book
Get it in writing: is the takedown part of this number. Ask who keeps them until next year. Ask roughly when in January the crew comes. EverCrest Lighting includes takedown and off season storage with its holiday lighting work, and installs permanent lighting for people who would rather stop repeating it, for homes and businesses throughout Upstate South Carolina and Western North Carolina, based in Greenville. Consultations are free. Reach them at (864) 252-1732 or
[email protected].