Sunday, September 9, 2012

{DIY}: Outdoor String Lights

This past labor day, we made posts to hang string lights to hang around our deck. I'm so thrilled with how they turned out!




So I thought I'd pass on the instructions so you can make them, too. 
CafĂ© style string lights are something I've wanted for our deck since the day we built it. But I could never find the right structure for it. A pergola is too much, but flimsy poles wouldn't cut it either. This summer, I found the solution: Electrical conduit! By chance on pinterest, I found this post about making curtain rods from inexpensive, sturdy electrical conduit from the hardware store. I thought it would be the perfect raw material for this project. The best part? Each 10 foot piece cost a mere $4. Amazing! 

The poles are essentially three 10 foot pieces of electrical conduit with pipe straps attached as hooks and end caps attached at the top. To secure them into the ground, we buried pieces of plastic piping just large enough for the conduit to fit inside. We then inserted the poles into the buried pipes at varying depths (our deck is on a slant). The result is a secure set of supports for our lights that cost around $30! 

Here is the step by step breakdown: 



Step One: Using an awl, puncture the conduit about 3 inches from the top to make drilling easier. Of course, you could make the hooks higher or lower, but 3 inches looked about right.


Here's a close up of the label on the tube we bought. Make sure you totally remove any stickers and residual goo before painting so your finish looks good. 



Step 2: Spray paint! We used Rust-Oleum in Dark Bronze. We used all of one can and just a tiny bit of a second can. (For some reason I missed taking a picture of spray painting the conduit itself - but you get the idea). We painted the conduit, hooks, and caps separately. An old edging tie worked well to help me get all the sides of the hooks evenly painted. (As a bonus, you get a nice view of my favorite painting shirt!) Then after it was assembled, I gave it one final sweep to cover the head of the screw. 



Step 3: Cut lengths of plastic electrical conduit to a length of a minimum of 18 inches, and ideally 24 inches. Our deck is on a slant, so its higher on one side than the other. So each piece of piping was a different length between those two measurements. The piece of pipe we bought was 1 inch in diameter. The conduit was 3/4 of an inch, so it was a perfect fit. 



Step 4: Attach the pipe straps (hooks). You can use a screwdriver or a drill for this. Jeremy started the screws with a screwdriver and then drilled them in. 

 




Step 5: Attach the Caps. We bought 1/2 inch "Knock Out Seals" for this. They are essentially flat caps with metal ribbing on the inside that securely seals it at the end of the pipe. I'm sure they have a precise and specific purpose which probably has nothing to do with what we used it for, but it worked perfectly! We just needed to use pliers to adjust the angle of the metal ribbing inside so it fit well. 



Step 6: Bury the pipes. I wish I could say the process of burying the pipes in the ground was precise and exact, but that is so not our style (!). We completely lucked out with the depth of the pipe. We were quite shocked when the poles all measured the same height in the end (actually they are about 1/2 an inch off from each other, which is too small to detect with the eye - good enough for us!). Being that our deck is built on slanted ground, this was a major win. Also, I spray painted the part of the pipe that is visible above ground after the fact, but didn't take a photo of it. Only one needed to be painted, as the other two are completely concealed by plants. About 6 inches of pipe sticks up out of the ground. 

Step 7: Insert poles into their fittings and attach extra pipe straps to the exterior wall where the lights will hang. 

{If you luck out with the heights of your poles, cheer!}

Step 8: Drape lights from your poles, and you are done! 




This project was so rewarding. The lights cast a warm, flattering glow that will be perfect for entertaining. I also love that we can take them down easily by lifting the poles out of the ground and unhooking the lights. Easy! 

You should do it. 

Here's the cost breakdown: 

3 10 foot long pieces of electrical conduit, 3/4 inch in diameter: $3.98 each - $11.94
1 10 foot long piece of plastic piping (in the same aisle as the conduit, I'm assuming it also has an electrical function) - $2.92
2 Packages of single anchor pipe straps, 3/4 inch diameter - $.98 each, $1.96
1 Package of 1/2 inch Knock Out Seals - $1.30
2 Cans of Rust-Oleum Hammered Dark Bronze Spray Paint - $5.98 each - $11.96

Total: $30.08! 

The String Lights are from Target and cost $12.95 for each 20 foot strand. Our deck is 10 feet x 20 feet, so we needed 2 strands. 

This brings the final total for this project to $55.98! Not bad considering the many more expensive alternatives out there. I'm in love. Even though the weather is cooling down, I have a plan to make good use of the lights soon. Will keep you posted! 

Love, 


Caitlin



166 comments:

  1. “This project was so rewarding.” - I definitely agree! It feels great to see the end-results of your hard work, and to know that you did it beautifully! Job well done on the lights! It definitely radiates a warm glow on the porch. I can imagine people having some dinner at night with the flattering lights. And you did it at a fraction of a cost!

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    1. Thank you so much, Allison! Its looking pretty wintery and dead out there now, but the lights still add a bit of magic. You're next, right? ;)

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    2. I can't wait to get started! This is exactly what I was looking for. I want to be able to reborn the poles and lights in the off season. Great blog!

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  2. did you find the electrical conduit bend with the weight of the string lights? we just did this project this weekend and am SO please with house it turned out - but the poles are not the most sturdy things and bend with the tension of the strign lights.

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    1. Hi Lauren,

      So glad it worked out for you! The electrical conduit we chose was super thick and doesn't really have much bend to it, though it does lean just slightly at the top. The only thing I'd say is make sure that your poles are buried far enough in the ground to stabilize them, and maybe try hanging your lights a bit more loosely so they don't pull as much. Hope that helps!

      Caitlin

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    2. I just did basically the same project (thanks Caitlin), and the poles will bend depending the distance you are trying to cover. The longest pole to pole distance I covered was 24 feet and that is kinda long for a 3/4 pipe. I recommend going to a 1 inch conduit if you are covering more than 20 feet.

      cr

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    3. Home Depot sells 2 types of 3/4" electrical conduit. One is 3x the cost of the regular, but is much stouter and should prevent the deflection that you are experiencing.

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  3. I think the single anchor pipe straps could be just as useful for stringing lights along other environments. They'd work great to attach lights to a long barn beam without other means of attachment for example (if you want the lights to follow the lines of the beam.

    Very nice DIY tutorial. I'll keep it in mind to link to on future posts of my own.

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    1. Hi Daniel,

      Thanks so much! I hadn't thought of that, but you're right - I think they'd be perfect. I'd love to see pictures if you ever try it!

      Best,

      Caitlin

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  4. I love this idea!! I want to do something similar for a dinner party in a grassy area in my yard. I have a question about burying the pipe. Did you guys just hammer it in? That's what I would probably try, but I have no idea if that would work...

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    1. Hi Jess!

      It was mostly hammering. Jeremy hammered the pipe down, then pulled it up to clear the soil from inside it, then hammered it down again. It took a few times of this to get the pipe sunk down enough and clear of soil. You also might have to fill in around it with soil if your hole starts to get too large.

      Good luck!

      Caitlin

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    2. I have a good solution for hammering the piping into the ground. What I did was before I hammered the PVC into the ground, I cut the bottom of the pvc on a 45 degree angle on each side making it like a stake. It went into the ground like butter. You could always use a wood stake as a starter to create the hole. They can be found in the wood section at home depot or lowes. (Thanks again Caitlin for posted the project).

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  5. Thank you so much for posting this! I've been spending hours googling "poles for string lights" and this tutorial is exactly what I needed. Can't wait to do this this summer!

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    1. You are so welcome! Enjoy your new lights!

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  6. Thank you so much for this post! I've been trying to find where to buy string lights in Aust, and now I not only know where to find them but how to hang them up as well :-D
    Thanks heaps!

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  7. Oh my gosh. Have been Looking for something like this for ...forever...my son's graduation party is coming up so I am so excited to do this with my husband (and yes, i am sure he will do the majority of project...but I love to paint!). thank you thank you thank you.

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    1. My pleasure! Congratulations to your son and enjoy the party!

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  8. Thank you for sharing this! Exactly what I needed! One thing I've also seen online and might try - instead of burying the pipe in the ground, get a plastic flower pot, set shorter plastic "lead" pipe in concrete. The concrete adds weight which stabilizes the taller pole, and it's moveable. You can even only put concrete half way and soil the rest, and plant flowers around the pipe in the pot. I read that party rental companies do this all the time using just plastic buckets from lowes or home depot and put concrete in it.

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    1. Great idea - I can definitely see the advantage of making them movable.

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  9. I've always loved the idea of lights in our backyard. Well, my partner is throwing a birthday party for me this Saturday, and I thought it was a great excuse to try it out. Thanks for the tips! We went to the hardware store yesterday morning and completed by late afternoon. We sat outside last night with a glass of wine, the breeze of the Palm Springs desert and the glow of our new lights! Awesome! Thanks for such a great idea!

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    1. Fantastic! Palm Springs is sounding pretty amazing right now. Enjoy!

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    2. Hey Desert Scott did you have issues getting the poles to go into the grounding consider the hard desert dirt? I live in Twentynine palms which is a short drive from Palm Springs? I haven't tried this yet but I definitely want to and I am worried about getting the poles buried in the dirt.

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  10. Great Idea! Curious to when you hammered the PVC into the ground if it too was capped. My thought is that dirt will fill the inside of the hollow tubing, therefore not giving you a true depth?

    #diypatiopros,

    Chad

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    1. Hi Chad,

      Our PVC was most definitely not capped. We had to pull the pipe out once or twice to remove the dirt inside so that it turned out deep enough. I think doing it that way would be a good idea though - we definitely "winged it" and totally lucked out on our depth. If we ever attempt this again I'd try that.

      Best,

      Caitlin

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  11. This is so awesome! Definitely trying this one soon---question? Where/what kind of stringed lights did you use? I've looked at target.com and found some for $12.99 but the reviews say they're very fragile and don't last...did you run into this with your brand of lights? I just want to make sure I buy lights that are durable and will last :) thanks so much!

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    1. Hi Steffy,

      Thank you! I've just done another search on target's website, and I don't see our lights anymore. They are just plain, non frosted bulbs. (These ones are very close, at World Market right now - http://www.worldmarket.com/product/clear-bulb-string-lights.do?&from=fn) As for fragile - They are pretty decent I think. Because the glass is thin, I could see them breaking if they were dropped from a decent height. With that said, ours have been securely hanging in this setup since September, and have endured freezing cold winter temps, Colorado's famously high winds, and crazy spring rains with no problems yet. I was a bit worried about the thin glass in the cold - but they froze totally over and thawed out several times without breaking.

      Hope that helps!

      Caitlin

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  12. Thank you for such a clear and easy-to-follow post about the one thing I had a hard time finding help for online :) love the solutions and the "winged" style of not necessarily following strict steps.. exactly how I go about projects! I may even write a post on this project for our Memorial Day BBQ, and will for sure credit your blog.
    Thanks again! Great photos btw!

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    1. Thanks Thais! Glad to find a fellow "just wing it" person. I would love to see how yours turn out!

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  13. I purchased lights from Target and I started to search for how to put some sort of a pole to hang them. I'm so glad I found your post. And I am very excited to start working on this during the weekend! Thanks so much for sharing this with us!! Roberto

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  14. Thanks for the wonderful idea on using the piping to secure around the deck. I plan to take all the bulbs off the string when we attach them to the poles then add them back on when we're finished.

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    1. Not a bad idea, Jodi. Then you definitely won't have any broken bulbs. Enjoy your lights!

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  15. Coming back with feedback! Your how-to was wonderful and definitely worked! In the case of my backyard though, I had to attach the poles to something sturdy, seeing that no matter how deep we buried the pipes, they still bent to an angle, making the lights super low in the center of the yard. Once the poles were attached to the corners of our fence with almost invisible zip-ties, all worked out.

    Also, Jodi's idea of taking the bulbs off prior to installing is great, just wish I had thought of that before I broke a few and had to run back to Target for bulb replacements. Overall, we're extremely happy with how it came out and I'm thankful to you! :)

    Have a wonderful weekend!

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    1. That's great! I'm glad to hear that it worked out for you! Our soil is rock hard clay here in Colorado, so its pretty solid. Glad you figured out a way to make it work!

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  16. How did you attach them to your house?

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    1. Hi! We attached extra pipe straps to the side of the house and hooked the lights on them.

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  17. This is exactly what I have been looking for! These exact instructions! Thank you!!

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  18. This is exactly what we had in mind for our house, but weren't sure how to make it happen. Thanks for the great tutorial. We love how it came out and enjoying our lights!

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  19. Caitlin,
    How did you supply power to these lights? Do you have the attached to an extension cord and plugged in an outdoor outlet?

    Thanks so much for the tutorial! Looking forward to creating this in our Wisconsin backyard!
    Kristin

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    1. Hi Kristin,

      Yes, they are plugged in to an outdoor extension cord that hangs down near the door, right above an outdoor outlet.

      Good luck!

      Caitlin

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  20. Thanks for the wonderful tutorial! I threw these lights up at the last minute yesterday for a Father's Day celebration, but I ended up duct-taping them for the time being, because I couldn't get the awl to puncture the conduit (at least not without about 100 whacks with the hammer...and even that resulted only in a pin-sized hole). Could I ask about your awl? I bought this whimpy one (http://www.homedepot.com/p/Husky-3-in-Scratch-Awl-with-ClearHandle-74352/100047130#.Ub9VEdj3NFA), but yours looks more hard-core.

    I love the lights--they create a wonderful little outdoor room! Also, if anyone else is wondering, like I was, how to illuminate one's patio without an outdoor outlet, I found out about this handy converter that screws into a lightbulb socket: http://www.homedepot.com/p/Leviton-660-Watt-Duplex-Lamp-Holder-to-Outlet-Adapter-White-R54-00125-00W/100357036#.Ub9Wdtj3NFA

    Many, many thanks!
    Isabella

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    1. Hi Isabella,

      Way to get it done! Duct tape always works in a bind. About the awl - its my husband's, and he uses it to puncture auto panels, so its pretty heavy duty. The entire thing is heavy metal, and it looks much thicker than the one you have. Hopefully you were able to get the holes punctured since posting this.

      And thank you for posting the lightbulb socket converter - that is very cool!

      Caitlin

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    2. Thanks for your response! My mom suggested using a nail-set when I showed her the photos, so that's what I tried after the duct tape gave out. It did the trick! (She uses electrical conduit for all sorts of things and is thrilled to have a way to make holes in it.)

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  21. Your instructions are great! Thanks so much for posting them!

    (And talk about a small world: I'm pretty sure that you folks are my neighbors! I've been seeing your patio lights since last year whenever I drive home on West 107th Place, and every time I see them I've told myself I needed to look you up and ask how you did them. Well, now all I have to do is look on the web so I don't need to bother you with silly questions :)

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    1. Well Hi Neighbor!

      What a small world indeed - you're right, that's us! You are welcome to come over any time and check them out! :)

      Caitlin

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  22. Thanks Caitlin for putting this up . I did it today and it looks great!

    Conor
    Longmont CO

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  23. I've been wanting to do something like this since I moved into my house two years ago, I just didn't know how. Thank you, from one Coloradoan to another!

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    1. You're welcome Megan! I'm sure it will look awesome.

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  24. I'm thankful for people like you for taking the time to put these instructions together. Just like many people here, I was having trouble finding a good method to hang string lights for our wedding. A few Google searches later, and I found your this site. So thank you for saving our butt, and making this doable for us!

    God Bless!

    Joel

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    1. Thanks, Joel, I'm glad to help! And Happy Wedding to you!

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  25. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

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  26. Great idea! Love your project! Do you think it would work with 5 gallon buckets and cement? We need a mobile way to string lights for our wedding...next weekend.

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    1. Hi Sarita,

      By now, you must already be married - congratulations! I know its after the fact, but I actually do think it would work perfectly with buckets and cement. Someone suggested flower pots above, which would be great too - not so eye catching. At any rate, I hope your wedding was beautiful!

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    2. We used a similar base, putting PVC pipe into a concrete planter filler with cement. However, we wanted to stretch a wire cable from the pole to the house. Once we started tightening the cable with turnbuckles, it would tilt the 100-pound planter.

      My next idea is to use your in-ground PVC pipe idea and then attach the 1-inch conduit to the edge of the concrete patio. Hopefully, this will give more ridge pole to hold the wire cable.

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  27. I followed these instructions exactly including the spray painting after searching for awhile for a pole solution to hang lights and only finding expensive options. I now have a beautifully lit back yard and a lot of friends and neighbors wanting these directions so I've sent them here. Thank you so much you saved me a lot of time and money!

    I purchased 100' of lights for $86 here-
    http://www.ebay.com/itm/Novelty-Lights-G50-Globe-Bulb-Outdoor-Patio-Decorative-String-Light-Set-100-/321101346424?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&var=&hash=item4ac321b678

    If you don't need that much, you can click either "similar items" or "sellers other items" on the bottom of the page to see other options and other sizes :)

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    1. Hi! Thats fantastic, I'm so glad it worked for you. And that is a great deal for lots of lights - thank you for sharing that source!

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  28. One of the most incredible, easy, inexpensive ways to create a pleasant looking backyard. Thank you very much. After remodeling out backyard, the expense was a drop in the bucket but the results are outstanding!

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  29. I looked everywhere for instructions on how to hang lights over a patio we just built. All of them required me to pour an concrete block to fix the rods in. But your instructions are perfect, affordable and adaptable! Thank you so much for this.. :)

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  30. I've been dying to do this to our patio since we had it installed but one question:

    how are your target string lights holding up? I saw them in my local store and the only thing keeping me from buying them was that I was skeptical they would be nice enough quality to last outdoors. Did any of the bulbs fill with water, crack, fall off, burn out super fast, etc.?

    Thanks!! And love the tutorial!

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    1. Hi Kelly,

      I've now had the string lights up year round in blistering heat and subzero, frozen-tundra cold (-8 this past February!) for almost two years, and I have yet to have a single light burst or break. No water leaks, no cracks, and no burn outs! I'm actually quite shocked myself - I didn't expect them to last the way they have. When its cold, they freeze and thaw themselves right out again. So I can give you an enthusiastic recommendation on the Target $12.99 lights.

      Hope that helps!

      Caitlin

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    2. Wow, that is a pretty impressive track record for your lights Caitlin! If you don't have a set of spares would you like it if I sent you a pack? I just started stocking my own brand and I've liked this post since I found it last year so, you know, why not...

      You can see them here: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00JVTL3TS

      Just drop me a note if you'd care to try 'em and I'll have a set shipped out for you. My email is in my GooglePlus profile.

      Delete
  31. Quick question for y'all (and pardon me if it's a dumb one): Are there any issues with lightning strikes with those conduit posts? I live in the southeast where there are many powerful thunderstorms. Like your site and this project especially. We really want to duplicate it.

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    1. I'm interested in knowing about this, too, crommie. Would I have several lightning rods sticking up around my patio with these? Caitlin, I'm not assuming you can answer that one for us--just wondering if anyone else knows... Your patio looks awesome!

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    2. I used this as a guide for our lights approx. 2 years ago as well and have had only one bulb break due to the wind swinging it against the pole. We actually used 4 sets of lights and have never taken them down either- despite previously having planned to take them down each year after our Octoberfest party. The lights give off a great warm light. They were hard to find at Target as we were told they were discontinued at first, then, after we had travelled to multiple stores to acquire 4 sets they returned to availability. Great tutorial- we love what it helped us create.

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  32. Attached the conduit with double straps on our posts to our deck(one at 18 inches the other at top) they aren't moving!! My wife is so happy. Thanks very much!!!

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  33. I'm excited and nervous all at the same time - I've been holding onto these instructions for my wedding day this June since, well, some time last summer ;) I just placed the order for all the lights we are going to need. I KNOW we are going to have to go with thicker conduit and all - we will have about 15 strands of 25 foot strings to light up our outdoor reception - and only one small section has trees we can anchor to. We have a carpenter friend who is going to help our non-construction minds get this done well. Sure hope we don't have bending issues - would hate for the lights to fall on our guests!

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    1. So exciting! Congratulations on your wedding - I'm sure it turned out perfectly!

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    2. Hi. Did it work out? I need to do the same thing for my wedding. Any photos to share? Thanks.

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  34. So glad I came across your posting for this. Bought my wife the patio lights at Target but then came the challenge of how to hang them to do a lack of structure or tree's to hang from. Your project fit the bill perfectly. Everything is done except hanging the lights. Inserting the plastic conduit into the ground was a fantastic idea! No concrete!!! Up here in Canada the project cost about $70 (although I used 4 poles - $6/pc).

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  35. Love!!!! This showed up in my Pinterest feed! I've been wanting to put globe lights on my back porch but without a pergola and was wondering how. Now, I know! Thank you, thank you!! P.S. I love your cozy little deck and the view of the mountains in the background!

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    1. Thank you so much, Shannon! I hope your lights turned out well!

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  36. This is a really well done tutorial and a great idea! Thank you! We are gonna attempt this today!

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  37. Thanks Caitlin for the AWESOME step by step instructional. I just got those same/similar lights from target, (they're 15 feet long globe lights with 20 bulbs on them). You took the idea right out of my head!... I looking for a way to string lights that would be removable, flexible, and affordable. Now I gotta go string some lights. I'll let try to share some pictures of how mine turns out when I get it done. Thanks again for the great inspiration!

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    1. Thank you, Ann! Let us know how it turned out!

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  38. Thanks for sharing...its exactly what I need for my backyard!

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  39. Thanks for posting this, we are going to give it a go! Like the light socket convert idea. The only thing I hate about hanging lights like this is having the extension cord going up the side of the house, but I guess unless you're going to hard wire something that's how it has to be. Thanks again.

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    1. Hi Wendy,

      I totally agree with you on the extension cord. Luckily mine is black and almost blends in. I've thought of spray painting it to hide it, but honestly - I've just gotten used to it at this point. Worth it for the lights!

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  40. Thanks for posting this great idea. I have been wanting to hang lights around my patio for years but didnt because I couldnt figure out how to get them high enough with out running into them.We will hove our light now. Thanks to good idea people like you post.

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  41. Just wanted to give a quick thanks for posting these instructions. I never would have thought to combine PVC with conduit. I was trying to figure out how to attach conduit to my deck with pipe straps. This is so much better. Our support poles are in and are amazingly sturdy. Just need to finish hanging the lights. Can't wait for our BBQ tonight to show them off.

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    1. Hi Kristina,

      So glad this tutorial was helpful! And I hope your BBQ was perfect. They give the most amazing ambiance.

      Delete
  42. We were at a total loss on how to do this until I used pinterest and found your blog!! We did this project today! It worked out perfectly!! We made one tweak, we screwed the PVC pipe to the deck and then ran the conduit down through the PVC to the ground. We wanted to be able to take it up and down frequently and the ability to just pull them out and head to the garage was our best option. It is still very sturdy and looks great.

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    Replies
    1. Hi Melinda,

      That's a great idea! Thanks for sharing your tweak, and enjoy your lights!

      Delete
  43. I've been trying to think of a way to hang patio string lights (and also kids birthday party banners) for weeks now and finally google-searched to find an idea. Thank you so much for the how-to and shopping list. So excited to get this going at my house!

    ps. love Jeremy's excitement in the photo of the finished product. i'll be doing the same thing!

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    1. Thanks Jen! Hope it turned out well for you!

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  44. Thank you soooo much for posting these instructions! I set-up lights to propose to my girlfriend (now fiancee!) and I couldn't have done it without the instructions for the poles. I had to make some modifications since I live in the city and so just strapped the poles to street parking signs. All in all turned out great!

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    1. Congratulations! I'm so glad you were able to get your plan set up perfectly for your proposal. Thanks for telling me. That makes my night! :)

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  45. Thanks so much for this wonderful tutorial! My husband and I (but mostly my husband) made these about a year ago. I've received so many compliments on them, and now I'm sending a friend to this post because she'd like to build them too.

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  46. Thank you for this blog. For a few years we had hung our patio lights, tying them to a tree. But squirrels chewed the cords the past 2 years. We needed a new solution that didnt involove snaking the lighats through a tree. So, we used your concept and it was perfect. Simple and brilliant. A great summer of patio lights in connecticut. Thank you!

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  47. Awesome tutorial. Using this for my upcoming wedding.

    The only weird thing is that your favorite panting shirt is white and has no paint on it.

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    1. Haha! You are so right, looks like I need to get a bit messier!

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  48. These are great. I'm looking to do this on my roof deck so unfortunately hammering pipe into the ground is not an option. Has anyone else done this on a roof deck and if so, what did you find is the best way to attach the poles to the deck?

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  49. Thank you so much for this! We have been wanting to string lights in our backyard for years now, and we are in love with how it looks. Thanks so much for posting this! - Kim

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  50. So grateful for this tutorial! Just what I was hoping to find, sounds perfect for my backyard and the several strings of IKEA solar lights that I bought last summer and never got around to hanging... Due to cluelessness on how to go about it. Yay!! Thank you thank you thank you : )

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  51. Terrific directions, love how easy it sounds. Thank you " )

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  52. This looks awesome. Do you worry at all about the metal poles acting as a lightning rod? Our yard doesn't have as many trees and I worry that I'll have these tall poles just begging for trouble.

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    1. Hi Meleana,

      If this is a concern, I wonder if you could get thin but sturdy plastic poles instead of metal ones? With spray paint, you wouldn't be able to tell. Best of luck!

      Caitlin

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  53. FYI, for those looking for these this season, these sets can be found at Costco: http://www.costco.com/Feit-Outdoor-Weatherproof-String-Light-Set%2c-48-ft%2c--24-Light-Sockets%2c-Includes-36-Bulbs.product.100140552.html

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  54. Thank you for this lovely idea. I just decided to do this for our outdoor patio this weekend. Went perfectly.

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  55. Love the old school lightbulbs, Caitlin. Such a vintage look.

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  56. Thank you for posting. Needed this exact project!!

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  57. All Galvanized should be washed down with a mild acid ( white Vinegar) before painting or paint might not stay on well. http://www.inman.com/2009/10/28/secret-painting-galvanized-steel/

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  58. Beautiful.
    Eliane (Brasil)

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  59. Thank you for this tutorial, we're trying to duplicate it but are having issues getting the screw to hold the hook in place securely. What size did you use and did you have to do anything special to get it to work? Thanks!

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    1. Hi Stephanie,

      Sorry for the delayed response - I'm just seeing this. I'm not sure what size screw we used, but I know the awl punched a hole in the metal that was quite a bit smaller than the screw to give the screw some bite - does that make sense? I wish my memory was better on this one.

      Maybe some sort of anchor bolt would work?

      Good luck!

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    2. I am having the same problem...getting the screw to take hold for the straps. Pre-drilled a hole smaller than the screw (in lieu of awl), but it is failing to hold.

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    3. I just did this, and I used self-drilling sheet metal screws. All I had to do is mark the spot and then drill the screw in. Worked great.

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  60. My deck has railings and we were able to use the metal straps that have screws on both sides to attach them and it came out amazing!! The deck is on the side of the house so we added some wood to the edge of the roof line to add lights there too. I used 3 strings of white Christmas lights that I got at a garage sale and the whole project cost apx $15!!! I didn't paint the conduit and I think the silver color of it works with the color of our deck. After we hung all the lights I just sat out there with a huge smile on my face! Even though the Christmas lights are smaller than the lights you used, they are very bright. Thank you for sharing this amazing idea!!

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  61. We are trying this today!

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  62. I know you did this project awhile ago but hoping you could answer a question for me.

    Do you keep your lights up all year long? Do you take them down when it rains? Thanks!!

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    1. Hi Nora,

      So sorry for the late response on this, I just now saw your comment. No, I leave them up all year long (including in the winter) without any issues. A few weeks ago I broke my very first bulb, but it was easy to replace.

      Hope that helps!

      Caitlin

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  63. Hi Caitlin
    I'm late to the party on this awesome tutorial, however I did just go out and buy everything to complete it and I can't wait! One question: I don't quite understand the purpose of the plastic electrical conduit? Is there a reason you didn't just drive the metal conduit straight into the ground? Also, and trouble with lightening?
    Thank you for posting!
    Lindsey

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    1. Hi Lindsey!

      Sorry for the late response. The electrical conduit was so that we could take the poles out of the ground easily if we decided to take them down in the winter - though I've never moved them. It also helps the poles stay upright in the ground. As for lightning - no problems yet! I can attest to this solution lasting a long time, as I'm already at 3 years with no issues.

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  64. We did exactly what you said and it's perfect. We had previously used plant hangers because it was the tallest pole we could find to hang lights, except they would sag and even at 5' 4", we were having to duck. These are perfect. Thanks!!

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    1. So glad to hear it, Cindy! Plant hangers were what I was planning on using, too - but this works so much better. Enjoy!

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  65. I just stumbled over this post and unfortunately everything I want to say about how great this project is has already been said.... ;)

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  66. How come I cannot pin this post?

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  67. This is just what I have been looking for, thanks so much.

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  68. Great project, but I have a question: I'm just about to spray paint the poles with rust-o-leum spray paint, but then a read on the can "don't use on galvanized metal!" And then I do a little searching and find that most spray paint doesn't adhere well to galvanized. Was that not a problem for you?

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    Replies
    1. Hi Richard,

      No, this wasn't a problem at all. It went on normally and has adhered perfectly for 3 years now. I can't imagine why it wouldn't work for you - I say go for it!

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    2. Just read in the comments above that giving it a wash in mild acid (white vinegar) should help the paint adhere better. Good luck!

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  69. I have a question about the knock out seals. My husband and I both cannot get them into the pipe. We have adjusted the half inch knockout seal tabs with channel locks and cannot hammering them into the three-quarter inch conduit. What is your secret? Thanks!

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    1. Hi Holly,

      So sorry for the late response, I'm just seeing this. I hope that you've gotten them to work by now. I'm honestly not sure why they wouldn't pop in for you. I remember that they definitely had to be adjusted with pliers to get them to fit, but they popped in pretty easily. Maybe there is variation in the width of your knock-out seals? A smaller size might work better? Sorry I'm not more helpful!

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  70. you are awesome dude, just looking for a outdoor patio lighting ideas and saw your decoration in google. It is really cool, saved the picture to my computer immediately, wondering how to do similar job then I saw your post with step by step. Thanks a lot.

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  71. Bought the supplies last weekend, put the lights up this weekend. We had been using 2X2 compsite wood poles but the span was too long and the poles couldn't handle it. Instead of the conduit pipe we used 1/2 inch galvanized pipe and it seemed to work better (due to the large span) More expensive but it worked well. Thank you for the idea.....my wife put it on my hunny to do list years ago.....

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    Replies
    1. So glad to hear it worked for you! Thats a good tip - and thanks for the comment - it may help others in the future.

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    2. How did you thread a screw in the galvanized steel pipe?

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  72. Caitlin,I began to peruse the comments on this blog and after realizing how lengthy it was I only browsed the remaining comments so I might have missed the information I am requesting.

    First off, what a great post! Secondly, I greatly appreciate the time you have spent staying current on the comments. Lastly, I arrived at this post during my search for 'bright' patio string lights. From the looks of the picture you have found exactly what I am looking for. I understand from your comments that Target no longer sales these lights? Would you mind providing any product details that you have so that I may try and find them elsewhere? I am weary of ordering lights online and them not being bright enough but I think these will do the job! Wattage? Brand? etc?

    Thanks!!! - Amanda

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  73. Did this yesterday and it turned out great! Whole process took less than two hours. Thank you!!

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  74. I just stumbled on this post and it's perfect! Just what I was looking for. Not sure if this was mentioned in the comments, but I was wondering if you had any tips on how spray and dry the pole without having it drip, leaving gobs of paint on the pole?

    Thanks!

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    1. Latest response ever - just seeing this! The best suggestion I have for you is to spray very light coats, and wait for them to try completely before adding another coat. No drips that way. Hope yours turned out great!

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  75. I just completed my string lights project yesterday based on this post. I used 3/4" conduit and it is working great. Instead of burying the poles, I attached them to a wooden fence using 4 pipe straps and it's very secure.

    I also avoided creating the hole and screwing a pipe strap to the conduit by using one of these vertical hanging clamps at the top to attach the lights. I attached the lights to the bolt using a zip tie, but an s-hook or tensioner would work too.
    http://www.homedepot.com/p/3-4-in-Steel-Conduit-and-Pipe-Hangers-5-Pack-26781/100161284

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  76. this was a great project! Thank you for sharing! I modified slightly in that instead of using the PVC pipes to put the conduit IN, I used 1/2" metal conduit pipes to put my 3/4" pipes OVER. The metal pipes hammered easily into my hard ground and I just slid my 10' poles right over. Just an option if anyone can't hammer the pvc into their hard soil.

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  77. This was awesome and thank you for sharing! Headed to the hardware store now!

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  78. Did this project this past weekend, just in time for July 4th. Really simple and inexpensive solution. To hold the metal conduit poles, we used pre-cut 24" PVC pipes which we also found at Home Depot (no hacksaw needed!). Getting those PVC pipes into the red clay "soil" of NC was the hardest part of the project. Everything else went quite smoothly. Wish I could post a picture here to show you how it came out. We love it!

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    Replies
    1. So happy to hear this! Thanks for telling me!

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  79. Loved this, outdoor lights create the most beautiful atmosphere.

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  80. Wow! Thank you so much for this it was exactly what we were looking for. After searching for an off the shelf post to hang lights a little google magic led me to you. We followed it step for step and are so happy with the result. Really appreciate the time you took to document and share with us; including list of materials, pics, and all! Thanks!!!!

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  81. Saw this last week and put up my lights this weekend. I used the top rail for chain link fence as the post and used 1 1/4" conduit for it slip into, perfect fit. I also put a brick at the bottom of the hole so the conduit and post don't sink into the ground with very sandy soil. I also used green electrical tape around the plugs to keep out moisture.

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  82. Thanks for posting such nice detailed instructions and pics! I used a few of your ideas and had to modify a few others.

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  83. Hello, Thank you so much for the wonderful idea! Out backyard is pretty big and we are thinking to put up string lights which are 50 ft long. Do you think these poles would support the weight of 50 ft lights?

    Thank you very much!

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    1. Hi Tina! Others have hung longer sections of lights using thicker conduit or galvanized steel pipes. I would definitely recommend making sure you have enough poles to spread the weight - the total length of my lights is 20 feet, and I have them secured with three poles and two anchor points to the house. Its just about perfect.

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    2. The total length of the lights is 40 feet - sorry about that! 2 strands of 20 feet each.

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  84. Wow, I am really excited to find this blog. We have a new, very large, patio along the length of our home in a beautifully green back yard. My husband plans to put big heavy posts around three sides. I see his post idea as being very intrusive to our view. I am going to approach him tonight on this option. I might use solar LED lights. Thank you, Thank you

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  85. Has the spray paint rusted at all? I live in Florida and it rains all the time. I'm worried the paint wouldn't be waterproof. Is it?

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  86. I am looking to do this project this weekend. I love the look you have. I've been pinteresting this project and notice a lot of people use wood. I like your look better but why did you choose the piping instead of wood?

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  87. Genius! You guys get my cool points for posting this! :-)

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  88. I am so happy to have found this post! Your project is exactly what I'm looking for to use in our backyard wedding.

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  89. Just wanted to say a huge thanks for posting this. We did this for our backyard wedding in July of last year and they have kept great.

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  90. Hi Caitlin
    This is lovely idea to decorate home and design yourself. it's impressive way to show your talent. nice

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  91. This was awesome and budget friendly. Thank you for posting this project with pictures, directions, and where to find everything. I looked all over the internet to find something like this. Awesome, Awesome, Awesome.

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  92. Great idea. Saved this at least 2 years ago and made it a priority this year for our sons after graduation socially distant family celebration. Everyone loves it. Wish I could post the pic. Thank you for the step by step instructions!

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