It’s the most wonderful time of the year again, and with that, the moment has come for us to put up our winter lights again. Yet, here’s the issue — a roof is prone to a lot of damage if we don’t know how to climb it properly and attach the lights.
There are many things that can go wrong and ruin the holiday season for us, not to mention lower our home’s appearance and appeal. After all, everyone is going to put up their winter lights and ensure they are the talk of the neighborhood — and we definitely don’t want to miss out on that.
With that in mind, here’s a neat guide on putting up winter lights without damaging your roof. All you have to do is follow our guidelines; the results will be as enchanting as the impending holiday season!
Get a Helping Hand to Make Sure You’re Safe at All Times
Although we may think that putting up winter lights is as easy as pie, many people risk injuries every year because they fail to get a helping hand on time. Therefore, ask a friend to come and help you out by making sure your ladder is on level ground and stable.
They should secure the ladder with rope or even bungee cords and keep them steady while you’re on the roof. Besides that, they can also unravel the lights and make the whole process faster and easier.
Test the Winter Lights Before Putting Them Up
You definitely don’t want to go through all this trouble only to find out most of the lights don’t work. So, before even putting up the ladder and climbing the roof, get the lights and test them out.
In addition, try to figure out their placement beforehand. It’s much easier to put them up when you actually know where you want them. Besides, you’ll save yourself hours of work by thinking of a setup in advance!
Putting Up Winter Lights on the Roof: What To Pay Attention To
The Chimney
We all know Santa will have to go down the chimney to deliver presents. However, placing plastic blow-up decorations and twinkly lights on the said chimney could be a hazard.
If you have a working fireplace, we’d avoid decorating the chimney to stay on the safe side. If that’s not an option, though, do it carefully and with decorations that you know will not melt or otherwise get damaged.
The Shingles and the Tiles
Walking up and down over the roof could lead to excessive damage. Therefore, it’s best to avoid stepping on the tiles and shingles as much as you can.
Use the ladder to reach the roof and don’t step onto the tiles or shingles, especially if you haven’t inspected your roof in quite a while. Some might have gotten loose over time, which means you could easily slip and fall!
Also, don’t step onto the troughs either. They could break off easily under the pressure of your body weight.
Plastic Clips vs. Nails
To keep the winter lights up all throughout the holiday season, we’ll have to secure them in place. However, hammering nails into the roof is not an ideal solution at all. Each nail will leave behind a nail hole, which can easily let in moisture from the outside. Before you know it, you’ll have mold issues and dampness in your home!
Yet, there’s no need to fret or give up on your winter lights. There are plastic clips you can use to attach the lights without actually damaging your roof.
Reusable and affordable all-purpose light clips should allow you to put up the lights everywhere, i.e., roof, gutters, and shutters. Some can even be attached to the sides of your home, giving you another reason to decorate excessively this year.
However, if all you’ve got are regular plastic clips, you can use them as well. Just make sure they cannot damage the roofing system; often, such clips don’t bode well with gutter decorations.
Final Thoughts
Hanging winter lights just in time for the holiday season is bound to make everyone admire your home. Yet, there’s no reason to go overboard. Putting a lot of pressure on the roof and gutters with all those lights could lead to trouble a bit later down the road.
Besides, you can always opt for lawn decorations instead. That way, you won’t have to climb the roof, buy plastic clips, or avoid stepping onto tiles and shingles as if they’re the plague! More importantly, you’ll avoid roof damage and ensure it stays in perfect condition!
