lights on the roof

videoman3857

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Last year We had string lights running the ridge cap of our 4 bay carport, the house and the gazebo that hides our two 10,000 gallon water supply tanks.
They were held in place on the hot tin roof with Black EZIFIX Saddles and ties.
http://www.drillcut.com.au/product-group/234/category/177a
The adhesive on these babies is fantastic. The base uses the same adhesive that is used to hold the tiles onto the space shuttle. For best adhesion, EziFix recommends the use of a surface primer and a pressure applicator.

This year we will do the same, but this time we will be filling the roof areas with white led strings running up and down the ridges of the roofing iron. - that's a lot of LED's.
After a couple of days research, I spent most of today on the roof putting up 20 mm electrical conduit at the ridge and gutter ends of the roof so I can hook the strings up and down the roof. As I have to "Play around" with marking conduit, taking back down to safe work areas, drill and screw sections, check alignments back up on the roof and then take it all back down again to paint it, I decided to use 20 mm plastic conduit mounting clips.
I shopped around for these wee beasts and ended up finding them to be the cheapest (and best style) at Bunnings who sell 2 for 38 cents. http://www.bunnings.com.au/deta-20mm-conduit-mounting-clip-2-pack_p4330822

The best I could find on the net was 5 for $1 from China - then I had to pay freight and wait 28 days.
These are fantastic little beasts, so easy to use and best of all - no fiddling around with cable ties.

As a foot note, the saddles are keyed and can be locked together. With the right size conduit and saddles , me thinks this would make "a very excellent" foundation for a pixel matrix (?)
 

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scamper

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I used the same things for all of my conduit mounting, I do a fence which is black so i painted the clips black and screwed them on 2 years ago, there is a wall that is cream and you guessed it, I painted them to match.
It is great that the clips stay all the time and the conduit just clips in then out over xmas.


One footnote, I did a lot of looking around and if you buy a box of 100 you get them at a way reduced price.
I got a box from Masters.
If you only want a few, then the 2 pack at Bunnings is very reasonable.
 

videoman3857

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I tried Masters @ Morayfield - my closest store (35 mins away)
All I can say is I am unimpressed with the person I was talking to.
This guy had no idea what I was talking about at all.
I gave up and went looking myself and finally found them @ 22 cents each.
I found a different person and asked if they had bulk quantities and if they did better on the prices for bulk buys.
I was told I had to have a trade account to get trade prices etc, etc, etc,
I said no I asked if you have bulk prices for bulk prices.
Was promptly told "That's the price on the ticket mate"
Three times I have been to Maters. Three times I have walked out and gone down the road to Bunnings.
I will give Haymans a try next time. I find them to be helpful. Though I 'm not too sure what the clipsal mounting clip is like - only one way to find out :D
 

David_AVD

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I use those conduit clips for holing my candy canes to the fence.

Not all Bunnings stores stock all items, so you may have to get them to order them in.
 

BundyRoy

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Excellent. Thanks for the tip. Didn't know you could get these. Only trouble is my nearest Bunnings is 200km away. Plenty of time for a visit before Christmas though.


Do you just put one at each end or one in the middle too (4m length).
 

videoman3857

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Ouch BundyRoy. That's a wee bit further to go than my nearest store.
You wouldn't want to forget something on your shopping excursion.
I assumed BundyRoy was @ Bundaburg, Qld. Not NSW. Maybe he's a Bundy drinker ?

Great that you now know about these babies. They are so convenient to use - and best of all fast and easy.
It will make set up and pack up so much easier.
Listen to me - a newbie in his first year and I sound as if I know how time consuming set up and pack up can be... LOL
 

scamper

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I agree with the staff issue now. When they first opened over here, they were well trained polite and helpful. I guess lack of job security means the good ones are first to go.


BundyRoy. On my fence I use 3 and it is fine, on the wall I only used 2 but should have used 3 as they tend to bow in the middle, and not necessarily because of weight. The sun tends to make the PVC pipe bend.
 

BundyRoy

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Didn't mind a bundy in my youth. About the time the add with "another Bundy Roy" came out (some of you would be too young to remember). Name sort of stuck even though I don't drink much of it anymore.


I figured 3 would be required. Not much rigidity in 20/25 mm conduit. Thanks.
 

videoman3857

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I am using 20mm conduit on the roof and have mine spaced every 1 metre. I use 5 on a single 4 mtr length of conduit.
I think that due to the direct, reflected and absorbed heat, I will need to go every 500mm.
I have started now and will leave them up and see what happens over the next few weeks.
I know its not summer, but we are still having 29 degree days, and that will give me a better indication.
 

cdjazman

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Apr 24, 2012
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I use the masters clips. I have them screwed into guttering for house outline and screwed into tin roof.

Found useful also to have one screwed into the roof and have attached a small piece of conduit to back of coro star to clip onto roof and not blown away.

One of my lengths is around 6 mtrs and have used one every mtr. 22 cents each cheap enough. I am using the 20mm conduit (also from masters at $3.50 for 4 mtr length).

Sent from my HTC_PN071 using Tapatalk
 

videoman3857

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Glass House Mountains
I purchased my 20 mm conduit from Haymans, Kawana Waters on the Sunshine Coast.
I got mine for $2.00 per 4 mtr length - mind you, I did get 100 lengths and it looks like I'll be going back for more.
I never knew about the mounting clip, so I didn't ask at the time. I came across them at Bunnngs whilst I was browsing the store waiting for the Mrs.
I have made up a jig so I can drill and poke the led string lights through the conduit every 90mm.
A slow tedious task, but worth every minute.
 

abundy

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Dec 27, 2011
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Doncaster East
I am hoping to use 20mm conduit with pixel strip cable tied to it this year to outline the house and roof.
I have got the system of mounting to the facia under the gutters sorted, but am struggling to figure out a mounting system for a tiled roof.
I am thinking or running the conduit along the roof cap and attaching T pieces that will straddle the roof, either side of the cap.
so from the top it would look a bit like this, with the conduit running along the roof cap.




| | | |
| | | |
+===+==+=====+====+====+=====+
| | |
| | |




I will test the theory over the next few weekends and report back.
But if anyone has any other ideas i would love to hear them.


Thanks.
 
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