The building blocks of an installation
Most professional holiday lighting installations in Arlington draw on the same short list. Aqua-Bright decorates four kinds of things with its LED lights:
- Roofs. The outline of the building, and the part of the display that reads from farthest down the street.
- Trees and bushes. Wrapped trunks and lit shrubs fill in the space between the house and the sidewalk.
- Wreaths. A focal point on the front door, windows or gate.
- Businesses and homes. The same elements adapt to a storefront or office entrance.
The design question is balance. A bright roofline above dark trees can look unfinished, and lit trees in front of a dark house can hide the home. Planning how the pieces work together is the first step of any Christmas lighting installation.
Why LEDs are the default
Aqua-Bright builds its lighting with LED bulbs. On its Arlington lighting page the company gives three reasons:
- Energy efficiency: LEDs use less energy than CFL bulbs, reducing energy consumption, utility costs and carbon emissions.
- Durability: LED lights are not easily damaged, a valuable feature outdoors.
- Low maintenance: long-lasting LEDs do not need replacing nearly as often as other bulbs.
For a holiday display that runs for hours every evening through December, all three matter.
Installation day and the weeks after
The main reason Arlington homeowners hire out holiday lighting installation is the ladder. Cold, wet weather and rooflines are a poor combination, and a professional crew brings the equipment and experience to do the high work safely.
After installation, timers keep the display hands-off. Aqua-Bright builds its systems with easy-to-use timers so lights switch off at set times, and some systems can be adjusted from a smartphone.
When the season ends
Once the season is over, Aqua-Bright comes back to remove the lights. That closes out the job and avoids the familiar sight of lights still on the gutters in February.
It is also a natural moment to consider permanent outdoor lighting. Aqua-Bright's Arlington landscape lighting uses FX Luminaire fixtures, warrantied and installed by its in-house licensed team, to light pathways, steps, railings, patios and pools all year. The company also handles adjustments and repairs, including straightening, timer adjustments, lens cleaning and voltage verification.
Planning checklist
- Decide which of the four elements you want: roof, trees and bushes, wreaths, or a business frontage
- Note any existing landscape lighting the display needs to work around
- Decide on a nightly on/off schedule for the timer
- Confirm removal timing after the holidays
Residential and commercial installs
Arlington's mix of single-family streets, townhouses and commercial corridors means holiday lighting installation looks different from block to block. Aqua-Bright installs holiday displays for both homes and businesses, and its commercial holiday lighting service covers Maryland, Virginia and Washington DC.
On a house, the roofline and the front door usually anchor the design. On a business, the entrance and any trees or planters out front matter most, because that is what customers see as they arrive. The same LED lights and the same install-to-removal timeline apply to both.