Many people wonder how, as professional installers, we're able to quickly attach Christmas lights to brick, concrete or stucco. These surfaces can be difficult to work with and time-consuming to install. This is where hot glue comes in. Using hot glue to attach lights to solid, non painted surfaces is quick, easy and very effective. This type of installation application works best with the large C7 or C9 lights. The video below will outline the basic supplies, tools, and techniques used when using hot glue to hang Christmas lights onto a solid surface.

Items used in this project:

Apply hot glue to light   Hold in place for glue to dry   Add slide on plugs  

Some additional notes regarding when not to use hot glue:

While we are a big fan of hot glue, there are some situations where you should not use it. Surfaces that are painted will generally peel off if hot glue is applied. Non painted surfaces are best. When it comes to using hot glue on stucco surfaces, you will need to be very careful. If the surface is solid stucco, then the heat from the glue is not an issue, however, these days a lot of the stucco surfaces are very thin and have a styrofoam backing, which will melt if very hot glue is applied. You can tell if it's backed by styrofoam or if it's more solid by lightly tapping on the stucco. This will tell you if it's okay to use hot glue. If the surface is indeed backed with styrofoam, then it's best to use a cooler melting hot glue, a lower temperature gun, and also a glue that has less holding power so it's easier to remove the lights without damaging the stucco.