ServicesPermanent Lighting
Permanent Exterior Lighting Installation in Cohoes
We mount app-controlled LED lighting in a slim track along your roofline, so you change colors and schedules from your phone instead of climbing a ladder every November. The track sits tight to the trim, the wiring stays hidden and the lights stay up year-round.
Year-round lights you barely notice by day
A permanent system is a line of LED nodes, each controlled on its own, seated in an aluminum track fastened along the fascia or under the eave. During the day the track looks like trim. At night a single app gives you warm white for ordinary evenings, team colors on game day or full color patterns for the holidays.
The life of the system is decided by small choices during the install, more than by the lights. How far apart fasteners sit, how the track turns an inside corner, how cable passes through the soffit and how the power supply stays dry all count. We work those out before we drive a single screw.
We carry a license and insurance, and as an Authorized Gemstone Lights installer we mount and power the system the way the manufacturer intends.
What the installation includes
Roofline layout and measurements
We measure every run, mark the peaks and corners, and decide where each zone starts and ends. That layout sets node spacing so patterns look even across gables of different lengths.
Color-matched track
The aluminum track is chosen to match your trim as closely as possible. It mounts under the drip edge or on the fascia, behind the gutters where the gutter line allows, so it stays out of sight from the street.
Sealed connections and clean cable routing
Every splice and jumper is sealed against moisture. Cable passes through the soffit or along the trim in a short, protected path instead of dangling down a corner of the house.
Power supply and controller
The low-voltage power supply plugs into an exterior GFCI outlet or a suitable interior outlet near the run. We mount it off the ground and away from drip lines so snowmelt does not sit on it.
Controls handed over and explained
The last part of the visit goes to the controls. We pair the controller with your home network, group the lights into the zones from the layout, and show you how to build a schedule, pick colors and save a favorite scene. Family members can be given access on their own phones.
When permanent lighting makes sense
You are tired of the ladder
Hanging clip-on strings every fall and taking them down in January means two trips up the ladder a year, often in cold or wet weather. A permanent system removes both.
Clips have damaged your shingles or gutters
Plastic clips pried under shingle edges can crack them, and hooks screwed into gutters loosen over time. Track mounted to the trim avoids both problems.
Your strings keep failing
Seasonal strings stored in a bin get kinked, water gets into sockets and a section goes dark. Sealed nodes in a protected track hold up far better through winter.
You want light all year, not only in December
Soft white at the roofline improves curb appeal and makes walkways and entries easier to see on dark evenings in every season.
How the install day runs
- 1
Quote and walkthrough by phone
You call, we talk through the house and what you want lit, then we set a time to measure on site. You get a written quote that shows the footage and parts.
- 2
Layout and track mounting
We confirm the layout with you, then mount the track along the roofline with fasteners spaced close enough that snow load and wind do not make it sag or flex.
- 3
Lights, power and sealing
The light strip goes into the track, connections are sealed, and the cable is routed to the power supply. We test each zone node by node so a dead pixel is caught that day, not next month.
- 4
Programming and cleanup
We set up the app, build a few starting scenes and show you how to schedule them. Drill dust, cut-offs and packaging leave with us.
What decides the cost
We price each system from your own house, never from a set package. The amount of roofline you light and how difficult it is to reach matter most. The written quote breaks out every part so you know what you are paying for.
- Total footage
- Cost tracks how many feet of track and lights go up. A front-only run is less than lighting the whole roofline.
- Reach and height
- Second-story eaves, steep roofs and sections above decks or garden beds need more staging and setup than a one-story run.
- Shape of the roofline
- Peaks, dormers and inside corners each add cuts and connectors. Long, straight ranch eaves go up quicker than a house full of gables.
- Outlets and zones
- With no usable outlet close to the run, the cable has farther to travel. More separately controlled zones also mean more controller hardware.
Common questions about permanent lights
Something not covered here? (518) 714-1045
Can you see the track in daylight?
Hardly. We match the track to your trim color and set it under the eave line or behind the gutter edge when the house allows. Most people walking by never spot it until the lights turn on.
What does winter weather do to it?
Each node is sealed and rides inside an aluminum channel, so ice does not sit directly on it. Because the Capital Region freezes and thaws again and again, we place fasteners close together and keep connections away from places meltwater pools. Snow sitting on the roof edge has no effect on the lights.
Will you drill through the roof or the shingles?
No. We attach the track to fascia or soffit trim, never through shingles or roof decking. Any cable holes are small, and each one gets sealed.
Do I need a dedicated circuit for it?
In most cases, no. The lights run on low-voltage DC through a power supply that plugs into an ordinary outlet, best of all an exterior GFCI one. We look at where your outlets are during the walkthrough and plan the layout around them.
What if the controller is out of Wi-Fi range?
Before we mount the controller, we test the signal where it will sit. If it is weak, we move the controller nearer your router or recommend a basic Wi-Fi extender so the app stays connected.
Retire the holiday ladder for good
Describe your roofline and how you want to use the lights. We measure, plan the runs and hand you a written price before anything goes on the schedule.