LAS VEGAS (KLAS) – While walking home, Paul Krachenfels spotted his neighbor grabbing a ladder and pulling cords from an array of boxes. It’s a holiday tradition he’s skipping this year even though his home is glittering with new lights.
The Krachenfels family home was the third of five to get the permanent LED outdoor lights on their North Las Vegas neighborhood street by Vegas Trimlight.
“When the wife and I moved in, we didn’t really want to hang Christmas lights,” Krachenfels said. “We saw a few neighbors that had what is currently here called Trimlight, and we said, ‘We have to have them.’”
The LED lights are not noticeable during the day, according to Krachenfels, who said the total setup took two days for crews to pin up and cost around $3,500 for one of his two systems. The purchase came with the option of where to put his operation box and an app to control his lights.
“It’s pretty much maintenance-free,” Krachenfels said. “I have Trimlight point of contact in my cell phone. And should I need anything. They’ll take care of the warranty.”
Christmas lights aren’t the only option for the LED light system. The Krachenfels family said they have used their lights to celebrate the Fourth of July, Thanksgiving, and even their Hispanic heritage.
“There is one item that we are not currently using,” Krachenfels said. “You can also have music go with the lights.”
With a flick of his finger Dirk Nelson, owner of Las Vegas Trimlights, displayed another home dancing to the sound of Neil Diamond but explained any song can automatically be set to a home.
“It’s almost endless what the lights will do,” Nelson said.
Vegas Trimlight is a family-run business with Dirk working alongside his daughter, daughter-in-law, and son, Dakota, who has been able to set his home to PACMAN chasing ghosts underneath their roof tiles.
“We’ve been doing it for seven years, and my son helps me pretty much run it,” Nelson said.
The current rate, according to Nelson, starts at $25 a foot and goes up to $29 a foot. He noted the size of a home, warranties, and material play a role in determining cost.
“It all depends on the application,” he said. “There’s six-inch spacing between the lights, a nine-inch spacing and a 12-inch spacing, which all depending on what you want.”
One of the new additions has been the depth of possibilities for the lights through the app. Nelson explained the color, style and luminosity are all at the whim of the owner. Nelson said the LED light system can run for 9 years, if they are never turned off, but likely last close to 20 years.
“You make up your own design and just enjoy them,” Nelson said. “Set it, forget it.”
