Charles S.

With Christmas having just gone by, it is nearly impossible that you missed seeing the LED Christmas lights that were on display as part of every festive decoration. From buntings across streets and shop fronts, wrapped merrily around Christmas trees and mangers, to drape across windows, these lights have become part of nearly every celebration today. Surely holidays would not feel like the holidays if they were not around. Read on to find out more about how LED works and also how the use of these lights helps the environment compared to other regular bulbs. Here we will also tell you the best way to store them so that they are as good as new when you want to use them in the next holiday season.

How LED Works

LED’s or Light Emitting Diodes are not only used in festive lights as you might assume, but they are also a part of almost every electronic device that has been manufactured in recent times. From remote controls, watches and clocks, microwaves and ovens to even the little light that shows when the power button is on for your camera. Yes, even something as small as that is powered in many cases by LED lights. Because of their small size, they can be fitted neatly into electronic devices no matter how tight the fit. And because they do not get heated and do not have a filament inside them like the regular bulbs, they last longer. And in some cases much longer than the appliance that contains them, which is a real miracle considering how small they are.

How the technology works is that it is based on the semiconductor diode. First introduced into modern practical appliances in 1962, they were only capable of emitting one kind of light. And that was a low red light that was used in the first electronic appliance made with this technology. Gradually however with developments in the field, the light emitted by a LED got brighter and now you can have them in almost every colour that you fancy.

How the LED works is that it consists of a piece that is semiconductable and is made to replicate what is called a p-n junction. This is one that is formed by p-type and n-type semiconductors when they are placed very close together. And when current flows through the chip, electrons and electron holes (the opposite of an electron) a difference in energy levels is created which then causes emission of light. By changing the manipulating the differences in the energy levels within the junction, different intensities of light and different colours can be created.

The Benefits Of Using LED Christmas Lights

When you pick LED Christmas lights over others, you know that you have picked something that is different from other kinds of lights and that will give you a better performance. You also know that they will last longer than the other variety. And this is what makes you pick them at the store. While in most cases you might not know the exact details of why you have made this choice, you will most certainly have heard about the benefits of LED lights versus the other types. And though it might just be a murmur, it is near impossible to have missed it in the electronic world.

Firstly LED Christmas lights need very little power to run; they have been designed that way. About 30-60 milliwatts of light is all they needed in the beginning and now most of them need only about one watt to run. If you were to make a comparison, they use about 90% less electricity than regular lights. And considering that you might want to have them on for prolonged durations of time during the holiday season, their use does make more economical sense. They are also highly efficient. But this we mean that they produce a larger amount of light per unit of power they consume than other varieties of lights. Because of the way they have been created they do not emit any heat. And this makes them ideal to be used near flammable materials as well as at close quarters to children.

The bulbs are also made of plastic and not of glass. This ensures that they do not break while you are putting them up or even if you put them in a box for storage. And you can use them both for indoor and outdoor displays without any hesitation. However, it helps to know that to obtain the maximum benefit from them; you should check with the store whether the ones you are purchasing are indoor or outdoor ones. There are minor differences in the two and they all have to do with durability.

You are more likely to be able to use your LED lights for several Christmases compared to other incandescent ones. And because the technology that is used to develop these lights has advanced to a large extent, the price of LED’s is also marginally low. You can buy a large size box for under $10 before the festive season begins, and after that you might even get it for a much lower price.

Once Christmas is over and you have taken off all the decorations, it helps to know how to best to store your LED Christmas lights. A simple cardboard box will do though you will need to make sure that it is large enough to fit in all the lights comfortably. If they are getting crushed then you might need to find another box. Store them like you would store any other decoration, keeping in mind how often you might like to use them. If you want to bring them out for Easter then you should keep them somewhere within easy reach.

Despite all the benefits of LED lights it is important to note that all the bulbs in a string need to be intact for the entire string to light up. While this is a disadvantage especially when you have to find which bulb in the string is the problematic one, they are very easy to unscrew and replace. Therefore buying extra bulbs when you make your initial purchase is always a good idea. In the end this is just a minor inconvenience compared to the hours of joy you will get once you finally have the LED Christmas lights up and running.

1. Drawing the design on the panes. Set two sawhorses about 4 feet apart to provide a steady base, and put the 3 ½ -by-8-foot plywood panel on them with its smoother side facing upward. Make tick marks denoting the ends of grid lines at 6-inch intervals around all four edges of the panel. Use a piece of chalk and the factory-cut edge of the remaining 8-foot-long strip of plywood as a straightedge to draw the grid lines with chalk. Then, using the scale drawing on Materials for A trellis to create an illusion of spaceas a guide, transfer the design onto the panel, beginning at the top with the tower design. Draw with a pencil to distinguish the lines of the design from those of the grid; to ensure correct line spacing, lay a piece of lath either 1 1/8 inches wide or 1 1/8 inches wide as appropriate in the position called for by the design, and draw lines on both sides of it.

2. Cutting out the tower pattern. Fit a saber saw with a ¼ -inch plywood blade (Tool for outdoor projects), and set the cutting edge of the blade against the upper pencil line four squares from the top at one side of the panel. While a helper holds the corner there to prevent the plywood from splitting, cut along the pencil lines delineating the outer edge of the tower stopping the saw and starting a new cut from an edge as necessary.

3. Cutting lath strips. One strip at a time, measure, mark, cut and nail the lath in the sequence indicated in Step 4, beginning with the 1 1/8 inch lath that will form parts of the outside frame of the trellis. To prevent the lath from splitting when cut, lay the piece flat in a miter box and push it against the far side, aligning your mark with the 90? slots of the box. Hold the lath tight and cut it with a backsaw. The drawings below indicate where horizontal strips butt against vertical ones and vice versa, and thus are a guide to the length of each strip. Add a little extra length to the diagonals so you can trim them easily in Step 5.

4. Nailing the lath. Follow the lettered sequence at right to nail the lath strips one at a time as you cut them (Step 3) to the panel and to one another with 7/8 inch galvanized-steel brads placed at the ends and at 6-inch intervals in between. First, attach the horizontal and vertical strips marking the outer edges of the trellis and tower, then those marking the inner edges (A). Attach the vertical strips within the trellis and the illusory door (B). Attach the horizontal strips of the door and illusory walkway (C). Attach the diagonal strips of the walkway. Trellis and tower (D). For a smooth finish at the top of the tower, nail 2 ½ -inch-long pieces of lath, called mounting blocks, onto the uppermost pair of horizontal strips where they meet the slightly angled tower sides. Finally, nail a second layer of lath to the outer and inner edges of the trellis and to the tower sides. (E).

5. Sawing off exterior lath ends.Place the backsaw across an overhanging lath, setting the side of the saw blade flush against the edge of the panel. Cut the lathe with a single, steady backward stroke, applying light pressure to the saw. Take care not to shave or gouge the panel. Trim all of the other overhanging lath ends similarly.

6. Trimming interior lath ends.Place the blade of a wood chisel across one of the protruding lath ends inside the design. Hold the chisel firmly upright and lightly tap the top of the handle with a hammer until the blade cuts cleanly through the lath. Trim other protruding ends similarly.

7. Filling gaps.To conceal a gap where lath strips meet. First place a small glob of vinyl spackling paste on the tip of a putty knife. Carefully force the paste into the gap and draw the knife across the surface to level it. Fill each gap in the same way. Let the spackling paste dry for several hours.

8. Touching up the paint.Using a 1-inch nylon brush, coat the exposed exterior ends of lath with white exterior flat latex paint. Before painting the exposed interior edges or the patches of spackling paste, cover the adjacent parts of the panel with masking tape. Let the paint dry for two to three hours before removing the tape.

9. Mounting the panel.Stack bricks, concrete blocks or scrap lumber against the fence to form a broad, steady platform 8 inches high where you plan to attach the panel. With the aid of a helper, stand the panel on the platform. Use a carpenter’s level to straighten the panel until it is exactly vertical. Then hold the panel in place while your helper drives sixpenny galvanized steel nails into the plywood at the top corners between the lath. Then nail the bottom corners and finally drive nails at 2-foot intervals along each side.

10. Extending horizontal strips along the fence.Approximately 2 inches from each end of a 4-foot-long strip of 1 1/8 –inch lath, start a 7/8 –inch galvanized-steel brad by hammering it partway into the wood. Set the strip on the fence with one end flush against the first angled strip below the tower design of the panel; drive the brad there through the lath and into the fence. Then set the carpenter’s level on top of the other end of the lath. Adjust the lath until it is exactly horizontal before driving in the second brad. Repeat this process to attach all fo the remaining horizontals.

11. Nailing intersecting verticals.Starting at one side of the panel, make tick marks at 1-foot intervals along the top and bottom horizontal lath strips. Align the outside edge of a vertical lath with the set of marks nearest the panes, and bottom strips with 7/8 –inch brads. Do the same with the remaining verticals. Then go back and anchor all of the verticals firmly by driving a brad into each intersection.

Add style to your kitchen cabinets with LED lighting. The versatility of LED products gives you the control to create the look you want. Our LED lighting kits are simple to install so you can design, set up and control your lights quickly and easily.

Interior LED lights for home are perfect for under cabinet lighting, shelves, bar counter lighting, liquor cabinets or even display cases. The possibilities are virtually endless. You don’t have to worry about the quality of your food, wine or collectibles being affected. LED light strips produce little or no heat, so all of your items on display remain safe.

Show off china sets, artworks or collectibles. Highlight the true, vivid colors of your prized possessions with Natural White lighting or jazz things up with a variety of color hues. Multicolored LED lighting provides you with virtually every color, so there are plenty of options to choose from. You can also control the flashing, dimming and brightness with a handheld RGB remote or dimmer switch. Play around with the lighting to create a brilliant glow that makes the objects you are illuminating come alive.

This energy-efficient lighting source is also low maintenance and cost-effective. The energy consumption of LEDs is significantly less than other lighting sources and LED bulbs can last 50,000 hours or more. Save money on your electric bill without sacrificing style.

To learn more about LED lights for your kitchen cabinets, talk to one of our product specialists today.