Everybody plans the install. Almost nobody plans January
The whole discussion is about getting them lit. That is the fun half. But the season ends, and everything that went up has to come down. The people who asked the question up front are the ones not on a ladder in the cold.And that is unfortunate, because the second half is the one that costs you if it is not covered. Anybody can put a display up. The question is what the arrangement looks like when the season is over. That question belongs in the first conversation, not the one you have in January.
Doing it yourself, honestly
Taking lights down is worse than putting them up, which surprises people. Cold, dark by five, and nothing to look forward to. Then the strands go into a bin, and the bin goes into the attic, where they tangle, get crushed, and lose a section by next November.
How it should work when it is part of the service
Takedown belongs in the original agreement. When the season ends, a crew comes back and removes everything. Everything gets catalogued and stored off site, instead of living in your attic. You never handle any of it.
What storage actually buys you
Three things come out of somebody else storing it. Space is reclaimed. Condition holds, which is most of why strands fail. And because they are labeled by where they go on your house, next season looks like this season.
If you would rather not repeat this
There is a version of this where January stops being a thing at all. A permanent LED system goes up once and stays, so there is nothing to take down and nothing to store, ever. It costs more up front and it suits people who do this every single year. But if the takedown conversation is what is bothering you, it is a fair question to raise.
The other question worth asking
Over a full season, a section going dark is not unusual. The question is what happens then. Some companies treat mid season repairs as part of the job. Others handle it as
https://evercrestlighting.com/permanent-lighting/ separate work. Ask while you are still comparing companies, not on the twenty second of December.
Year two is a phone call
The first season takes real work. Once a display is designed and stored, the following year is scheduling. Booking the second year is a short conversation. Changes start from what is already there, instead of a blank page.
Nail this down first
Ask whether takedown is included or billed separately. Ask who owns the materials, because that decides where they end up. Ask when it happens so you are not chasing anybody in February. EverCrest Lighting handles takedown and off season storage on holiday lighting, and installs permanent lighting for people who would rather stop repeating it, for homes and businesses throughout Upstate South Carolina and Western North Carolina, from Greenville. Consultations are free. Reach them at (864) 252-1732 or
[email protected].