As the holidays approach, one way of showing your holiday spirit is by hanging up Christmas lights across the roof of your home. When you decide to do this yearly activity, there are certain safety precautions you need to take for the safety of your roof as well as yourself. If you're trying to figure out how to hang Christmas lights on a house properly, here is some key information about how to secure them, safety tips and steps to follow.
Securing Christmas Lights Without Damaging Your Roof
You should never use staples or nails on your shingles or gutters since they cause punctures which lead to leaks. The last thing you want to worry about during the holidays is repairing a leaky roof.
If you're wondering how to hang holiday lights and decorations without doing damage to your roof, the answer to that is to use plastic clips. There are different types of plastic clips depending on what part of the roof you want to hang the lights on. These range from tile clips, gutter clips and shingle clips. You can always buy all-in-one clips, which can be used for any part of the roof as the name implies.
Safety Tips
You should try to avoid walking on the roof as much as you can. Apart from being a safety hazard, you can also accidentally damage your shingles if you put too much pressure on them. This might be unavoidable if you plan on hanging lights on the roof peak; luckily walking on the roof once a year probably won't hurt it too much. If you do plan on walking on it, use rubber-soled shoes to avoid slipping. Also, avoid attempts to hang them when the weather conditions are unreliable and when it seems like it might rain or snow. Even if you're not walking on the roof, you don't want to place a ladder on the icy or snowy ground, since there is a chance of slipping when climbing.
How To Hang Christmas Lights on Your Gutters
Hanging Christmas lights on gutters isn't too difficult, but there are certain things you should avoid so you don't accidentally damage your gutters.
Steps:
- Make sure to bring a partner with you in case any accidents happen.
- Go to the power outlet that you plan on connecting the extension cord to and set the ladder down nearby.
- Climb the ladder and, when you reach the gutters, start attaching the plastic clips using only one hand. If you start at the end of the gutters, always attach the clips a couple of inches away from the edge.
- If you want the line to be straight and secure, so don't attach the plastic clips too far from one another. On average it might be around 1 foot.
- You should never be extending farther than your arm's length. Reposition the ladder as many times as you need to during this process.
If your home doesn't have any gutters then you might be wondering how to hang Christmas lights on a roof without gutters. Well, it's possible to attach the lights to the shingles instead! The process for doing that is exactly the same as the process for attaching them to the gutters, except you just simply attach them to the shingles. There are certain clips that are specialized for hanging on the shingles you can buy, otherwise, you can use all-in-one clips too.
How to Hang Christmas Lights on a Roof Peak
For better visibility and overall appearance, you might also want to hang the lights on the roof peak. A lot of professionals know how to hang Christmas light high on a roof, but for the average person, it may seem daunting. Since this will require you to walk on the roof, make sure you follow the proper safety procedures when you do this. As a quick tip when you step on the shingles always try to step in the center of them to reduce the stress you put on them.
Steps:
- As always bring a partner with you in case of an emergency.
- Bring an extension ladder. Place the ladder against your home, and when you extend it be sure to lock it in place. Your partner should hold the ladder while you're climbing it for added support.
- Climb the ladder and when you reach the top, hold the top rails of the ladder with both of your hands before you step out. Place one leg around the ladder onto your roof slowly while still holding on to it and then place the other one on it.
- If the peak is straight, then start at any edge, but if there is any type of slope, then start at the lower peak.
- Using a shingle clip, attach it to both ends of the shingle on the ridge. Go higher on the peak and continue attaching the clips while you ensure the line is tight and straight.
- When you reach the other side of the peak, slowly go down the side while attaching the lights with the clips.
Always use extra caution when moving about on your roof. Use these holiday-decorating tips along with our guide to get the job done. And, while you're up on the roof, if you happen to find any damage or unusual spots, safely climb down the ladder and give us a call.
