Elk Grove Christmas Garland Installation

Garland is heavier than it looks. A lit length draped over a doorway wants to slide toward the middle and sag, and by mid-December a badly hung one is resting on the doorbell. Elk Grove Christmas garland installation, as we do it, is mostly about anchoring: enough tie points that the greenery stays put through fog, wind and a month of the door opening and closing.

The standard layout goes up one side of the door, across the top and down the other side. We fasten both top corners first, then at regular points between, so the weight is shared and the top run stays level. The sides hang plumb and stop level with each other, clear of the mat and the swing of the door.

On a recessed entry the garland belongs on the outer opening, where the street can see it, not back in the shadow by the door.

An arched entry or an arched front window is the best place on a house for garland, and the hardest to get right. The garland has to follow the curve. That takes tie points set closer together than a straight run needs, so the greenery hugs the arch instead of cutting across it in flat pieces. A stucco arch with nothing to tie to is the tricky case. We work from whatever is nearby, such as trim, the soffit edge or the fixtures on either side, and we’ll say from your photo if it can’t be done without drilling. We won’t drill. Garden arbors and the metal arch over a side gate are simpler, since there’s always something to tie around.

Railings go one of two ways. Swagged, where the garland dips between posts, or wound, where it spirals around the top rail. Swags need matching dips, so the tie points land on the posts. Along the street-facing porches in Laguna West, a swagged rail can carry most of the display without much help. Wound garland suits a short rail by the steps.

Banisters on front steps get wound snug, lit side out, with the handrail still usable. That last bit matters. If somebody in the house leans on that rail, say so (in a 55-plus community like Glenbrooke we ask). We keep the top of it clear and run the garland along the outside of the balusters. Upstairs balcony rails get tied from the inside so nothing can drop onto the walk below.

Shop entrances work the same way. On the storefront blocks of Elk Grove Boulevard in Old Town, garland frames the doorway and has to clear both the door swing and the sign.

Soft ties, ties around rails that get snipped off later, and hooks that sit over trim. Not nails, not staples, not screws. Painted wood gets the soft ties so the finish isn’t scuffed. Garland catches wind like a sail, so it’s secured along its length and not only at the ends. The cord drops down the hinge side of the door to an outdoor outlet and a timer, and the connections stay off the porch floor, where water sits after a foggy night.

If a length droops or goes dark during December, (916) 823-8394 reaches us and we come back for it.

For a garland quote, phone us or send a couple of pictures. The contact page is fine for a first question too. Stand back far enough to get the entry and any railing into one shot. Tell us door only, door plus rails, or the works. Our number is (916) 823-8394, and the garland comes with us, lit and ready to hang.

Garland is usually one piece of an entry set, along with a lit door wreath and wrapped columns on each side. That set suits the single-story fronts in Glenbrooke and Heritage Lakeside particularly well. We also drive north into Sacramento and east to Vineyard through the season. Got a question first? (916) 823-8394.

We remove garland in January. The ties get cut, each length lifts off in one piece, and it goes back on the truck. Nothing for you to box up, and nothing left on the trim to show it was there.

Will garland on the banister get in the way of the handrail?

It doesn’t have to. If the rail gets used, we run the garland along the outside of the balusters and leave the top of the rail clear to hold.

Can garland go on a stucco entry with no trim?

Often, yes. We tie back to nearby trim, fixtures or the soffit edge. If your photo shows nothing to anchor to, we’ll tell you, because we don’t drill into stucco.

Does garland hold up in wind?

Yes, when it’s tied along its whole length and not only at the two ends. That’s also what keeps the top run from sagging.

Do you put garland on business entrances?

Yes. Storefront doorways, office entries and restaurant railings are all fair game, and the timer can follow your hours.