What Are Permanent Christmas Lights?

What Are Permanent Christmas Lights?

Permanent Christmas lights are LED lights that get installed under the soffit on your house. They are screwed right into the soffit. And they last a long time. We are talking 15 to 20 years.

These are not regular Christmas lights. And honestly, they are not just for Christmas either.

The lights sit under the soffit, and you can change the color whenever you want using an app on your phone. Most of these lights are installed inside channels. There are a bunch of different products out there, but the good ones use aluminum channels. Aluminum holds up way better because it can handle fire, water, heat, and just about anything the weather throws at it. Some products use plastic channels, which work too, but aluminum is the way to go for longevity.

The whole point of permanent lights is that you make a one time payment. One time investment. That is it. Compare that to traditional Christmas lights where you are paying someone every single year and the lights only stay up for about a month.

Here is something people get confused about. It is not really "permanent Christmas lights." It is permanent outdoor lighting. People just call them permanent Christmas lights because you can do Christmas colors. But you can also do warm white. You can do any color you want. Every day of the year.

How Do Permanent Christmas Lights Work?

It is an LED light with a Wi-Fi connection built in. That Wi-Fi connects to software on your phone that you can download on iOS or Android. You change the lights using the app. Simple as that.

The lights are made up of red, green, blue, and white LEDs. You can combine those to create millions of colors. That is why you see companies say "16 million colors." It means the red, green, blue, and white can mix together in so many different ways that you end up with a huge range of colors to choose from.

You pick from over 100 themes, set schedules, or just tap a color and go. It all happens from your phone.

Benefits of Permanent Christmas Lights

Now that we covered how they work, let me tell you why people love them.

• One time payment. You pay once and you are done. No more yearly bills.
• One time installation. Install it once. Never climb a ladder again.
• Any color you want. Change your lights to match any holiday, any event, any mood. Every single day if you feel like it.
• Control it from your phone. Open the app, pick a color or a theme, and you are set. Takes about 5 seconds.
• LED lights are cheap to run. Your electric bill barely moves. These lights sip power compared to old school Christmas lights.
• Increases your home value. It looks absolutely amazing at night and during the day. Clean, professional, and it makes your house stand out.
• Replaces landscape lighting. The problem with landscape lighting is it does not give much light across the whole house. Permanent lights cover the entire roofline.
• Water resistant. Rain, snow, heat. They can handle all of it.
• If one light goes bad, everything else keeps working. The lights come in sections. So if one section has a problem, the rest of your house stays lit. That is very different from traditional Christmas lights where one bad bulb can kill the whole strand.

Who Installs Permanent Lights? (And How to Pick the Right Company)

A lot of companies install permanent lights. And here is the thing. All the products are pretty similar. They work the same way. There is an app and there is a light.

But some people have better products and some people have lower quality products. Some use aluminum channels. Some use plastic. Some do not have any channel at all. Some products are held on with duct tape. Some are nailed in. It is all over the place.

Each company offers something different, but the basic process is the same.

You talk to the company and someone comes to your house. They give you an estimate and explain the entire process. The big thing to look for is a warranty. These systems can have issues from time to time, so you want to make sure you are getting a warranty. That is important.

The most important things to look for are the channel material (aluminum beats plastic), the warranty length, and whether the installer uses real mounting hardware or just tape. Those three things will tell you a lot about the quality of the job you are going to get.

How Much Do Permanent Lights Cost?

It really depends. Most companies charge $35 or more per foot. And the price depends on the product.

There are products out there for $10 per foot. There are products for $20 per foot. And there are products for $40 per foot. You get what you pay for. The cheaper options usually mean plastic channels, thinner wiring, and shorter lifespans.

For the average home with about 150 to 200 feet of roofline, you are looking at a one time investment. After that, you do not pay anything else. The lights are yours. You use them every day of the year if you want.

5 Year Cost Comparison

This is where permanent lights really start to make sense. Look at the numbers.

With traditional lights, you are paying $8 to $10 per foot every single year for installation and removal. That adds up fast. And those lights only stay up for about a month. With permanent lights, you pay once and you get lights every day of the year. Plus, prices always go up. So the longer you wait, the more you end up spending on traditional lights.

Permanent Lights vs Traditional Lights

Here is a quick side by side so you can see the difference.

How Is Installation Done?

The installation goes under the soffit. It is mainly done from ladders because you cannot be on the roof while installing. The lights get drilled right under the soffit.

Professionals also cut corners at 90 degrees so everything looks clean and sharp. And the channels are color matched to your soffit, so during the day you barely notice them.

Are Permanent Christmas Lights Worth It?

Yes. 100% worth it.

Worth it for the money. Worth it for the time. Worth it so you do not have to deal with the headache of calling a different company every Christmas. Worth it because prices always go up, so you save more money the longer you have them.

The investment pays for itself in about 3 to 5 years. And the lights last 15 to 20 years. That is 10 to 15 years of pure savings after you break even.

But the most important reason? You get to enjoy lights every single day. Not just at Christmas. That is the best part. Christmas colors in December. Warm white on a random Tuesday. Red and blue for the Fourth of July. Whatever you want, whenever you want.

That is what permanent lights are all about.

Interested in Permanent Christmas Lights?

If you made it this far, you are probably thinking about getting permanent lights. This is exactly what we do at Crystal Clear Solutions. We install permanent Christmas lights on homes across Columbus, Ohio.

Here is what you get when you work with us.