ColorBit Lights creates holiday and all occasion lighting that is breathtaking for both residential and commercial properties. The roofline is one of the most popular locations to hang ColorBit Lights to make a big impact by instantly highlighting the entire property.

While some customers prefer keeping it simple for seasonal displays, others want to go above and beyond to deliver a longer-term installation that is tailored for their home or business. To make sure your lights hang just right and hold tight across your gutters, shingles, or eaves, it helps to begin with a plan.  

Customers have several options to attach ColorBit Lights along the roofline of their home, business, or other structures. Here are several mounting options from simple short term installations to more complex longer-term installations.

Easy No Holes Mounting - All-purpose light clips make installation easy and are designed to work without poking holes in your roofing or trim. Light strings attach to the clip through wire guides to securely hold lights with no forcing or twisting. Clear universal gutter and shingle Christmas light clips snap on gutters or flip around to slide under shingles.

Gutters Only Mounting - Choose gutter hooks to quickly hang lights along your gutters. Purchase S-shaped gutter hooks at the home improvement store or from Amazon, and hang them up by pressing the top part of the S into the gutter, with the rest of the hook resting on the front. When you’re ready to hang the lights, simply use the bottom part of the S as a hook and string the wire of the lights into each hook. Gutter hooks are placed every 6 inches along the gutter to position the light strings.

Quick Staple Mounting - Light strings can be stapled under the eaves.  Use a staple gun with ¼-in. staples to attach the string lights. Keep the string centered and make sure you don’t staple through the wiring!  With the light string unplugged from the power supply, pull the cord taut, but not tight, and continue stapling the string lights along your path. You may also use electrical staples to secure the cord of the string lights. However, if you use staples always ensure that they are the type designed to be used with electrical wiring.

Simple Hook Mounting - When hanging your string lights, you might find it is easier to simply use small hardware cup hooks. The hooks are screwed in the wood at 12-inch intervals under the eaves, zip ties can be used to secure the light string to the cup hooks.

Professional Looking “Hidden” Mounting - For a more professional look, you can install ColorBit Lights using a vinyl j-channel. Drill 12mm holes in the channel facing down (the max distance between the holes should be no more than 85mm center to center).  Install the j-channel behind the fascia board using wood screws with the hole facing down. Insert the LED bulbs through the hole in the j-channel until they “click” into place. Power cords can be tucked in the channel as well for a professional look. This installation used 1-1/2 inch j-channel.

All installation hardware and supplies are available at your local hardware stores or Amazon.com. J-channel is available at your local vinyl supply center.

Connecting Vertical Separate Roof Lines - For extending continuous light strings vertically between different roof sections, customers have used 3 Pin JST SM Male Female Plug LED Connector Cable. The cables allow for jumps from one section to the next level to avoid lights in places they shouldn’t be. Various lengths are available that plugs directly into the end of the Light Strings.

Field Customizing String Length - Although we don't recommend cutting and splicing as it will void the warranty, it is possible with the design.  When adjusting a light string length at the end of a roof elevation run, you may choose to cut off the excess bulbs and splice on a new female end. If you are a few bulbs short, you may choose to insert a few bulbs.  The light string is directional (data flows in only one direction along the string - from the male end to the female end) but the string design does allow for cutting and splicing between any bulb for insertion use either a male or female 3 Pin JST SM Plug LED Connector. The key items to keep in mind are that the data flow along the string of lights is directional so the type of connectors on a piece of string cannot be reversed when using small sections of lights. The second key item is to make sure that the different pins on the connectors match the correct wires in the same orientation as the factory. Therefore, look for the white line on one of the outer wires and splice to the white wire of the connector.  Next connect the middle wire with the green middle wire on the connector together. Finally, connect the remaining outside wire to the remaining wire of the connector. Customers have reported good results using Dolphin DC-100S Super B Connector w/Sealant. Here is a video on how to use the B connector: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9JQU_eF_rOA. Email support@colorbitlights.com if you have any questions, we are here to help!

These are several options customers have used to install ColorBit Lights to their rooflines. You may find other mounting and installations options that work for your specific project. We hope this helps you to be ready for the holidays with your DIY Christmas Lights project. Make this a fabulous holiday season with ColorBit Lighting.

The following Amazon Links are for examples of products described in the article. Similar items may be available at your local hardware stores.  

Clear Universal Gutter and Shingle Christmas Light Clips: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01K8S7H0E/ref=cm_sw_r_em_api_i_02QaFbZ00GE3Y

S-shaped gutter hooks

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07JJCQS9R/ref=cm_sw_r_em_api_i_xXQaFb9W912GX

Cup Hooks

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07KB741F9/ref=cm_sw_r_em_api_i_zUQaFbEAVVENG

3 Pin JST SM Male Female Plug LED Connector Cable https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07F7WMG3C/ref=cm_sw_r_em_api_i_wMQaFb9364FX4

3 Pin JST SM Plug LED Connector

  https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00NBSH4CA/ref=cm_sw_r_em_api_i_gQQaFbYV9RA2N

Dolphin DC-100S Super B Connector w/Sealant

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000JP3GB6/ref=cm_sw_r_em_api_i_1RQaFbM9RH80G

Installing Pool Accent Lighting

Installing string lights around your pool can seem to be a daunting project.  While there are different ways of hanging lights around the pool, you should choose one that works with your pool surroundings and you are comfortable installing.  Plan ahead and take your time.  A number of youtube videos are available to learn tips on string light guy wire installations. It is pretty simple for a DIYer.

While this is not a complete step by step guide, it should provide enough detail for you to take on your DIY project.  Hopefully this installation approach will spark ideas for you to use in installing lights around your pool or deck.  You may need to adapt this installation to your specific layout and use alternate materials as you see fit.

My String Light Installation

After watching various youtube videos, I decided to run the string lights around the pool at about a nine foot height between the house and light poles.  Since I am leaving the pool lights up year round, I used wire rope between the house and light poles for extra support on the light string wires and to provide a more uniform professional look with no sagging.

One key component of the installation is determining the type of support for the light string.  I affixed the light string ends to the house structure and installed three powder coated  3” by 3” by 16 gage steel tubes (light poles) at 30 feet intervals, more or less.  I bought the light poles at the local iron supplier and had them powdercoated.  I drilled a 1/2” hole at ground level and at the top to run my low voltage DC 5V Extension cords.  I also drilled two holes through the top of the light poles to insert a threaded 1/4” eye bolt. I concreted the poles in the ground and placed a polypropylene cap on top to keep rain out.  It is not watertight but eliminates most of the rain from getting inside the tube.

The guy wire I used was 1/16” wire rope. 

I began at the house and ran the wire rope to each light pole and back to the house forming a quasi semi-circle.  At the house, I made sure I had a solid anchor to the structure using an eye bolt.  I then attached the 1/16” wire rope to the eye end of the hook and eye turnbuckle and fastened the wire rope with the 1/16” wire rope clamps. (Tip: fully extend the turnbuckle so you have the greatest ability to tighten the wire after installation).  Use the hook end to connect to the eye bolt on the house.   I ran the wire rope to the first light pole.  I cut the wire about a foot longer than required so I had enough wire to grab onto as I fed the wire through the eye bolt on the light pole.  Once tight, I used the 1/16” wire rope clamps to secure the wire.  I cut off the excess wire rope and tightened the turnbuckle until the wire was taut.  Next, I continued installing the rope wire around the poles and back to the house structure using this same method.  Each span was 30 feet, more or less, to coincide with extending power to each light strand.

For electrical power, the previous homeowner had placed electrical outlets spread around the pool already. All three outlets were controlled by a with in one location.  I replaced the existing switch box with a waterproof one and installed a Wemo smart switch.  I can now control the outlets with my phone, Alexa or manually.  They can also be scheduled for automatic on/off cycles.

I then measured the distance around the pool where I wanted the string lights to hang.  The guy wire length was 90 feet around.  I got one ColorBit Lighting Kit-60ft, one Extension String Kit and two 4 meter (13.1ft) DC power Extension Cables.  This was everything I needed for my install.  

I connected the components together according to the instruction and began to affix the light string to the wire rope.  I untwisted the light string wires so all the LED bulbs hung in one direction.  I did this by first stretching the wires and then from one end untwist them.  This allowed the light string to “flatten” against the wire rope as the zip ties were tightened.  I used a zip tie between the LEDs to hold them tight against the wire rope.  This may have been excessive but seemed like the best way to keep the lights looking uniform.  Next, I inserted the power injector between the successive light strings.  I used the heat shrink to waterproof the connections and zip ties to obtain consistent LED spacing.

I plugged in a power supply and connected to the controller according to the instructions provided with the kits. I plugged the other two power supplies in the outlets and used the DC Extension Cables to run into the steel tube at the bottom and out at the top.  I plugged the extension cable into the power injector to power each string.  I use the heat string to waterproof all the connections.  I used zip ties to affix the DC extension cables to the wire rope as needed for a neat appearance.

I followed the instructions provided in the kit on downloading the app and making the wifi connection.  I changed the settings to 300 LEDS (3 light strings long).  And I was ready to enjoy my ColorBit LED Lighting System around my pool.

To get started, download the ColorBit Light Discovery App from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store! Then, download and follow the installation guide for your device.

ANDROID SETUP GUIDE APPLE SETUP GUIDE

Click on the Quickplay tab to play any of the ColorBit Animations

Once you are ready to customize your light string, click over to the Editor tab

In Editor, choose any of the animations to fully customize!

Change the number of blocks or builders to bring a bigger string of animations together

Edit your colors to match the exact RGB Values of your favorite team!

Slow down the animations for dramatic effects

Once you have what you are looking for, click save and play your new custom illuminations!

To completely dive into a custom animation, Navigate to the Javascript coder by choosing the menu on the top right of the app, and choose Create Animation. 

JAVASCRIPT EDITOR

COLORBIT WIDGET EXAMPLES