Avoid Roof Damage when Installing Holiday Lights
Are you thinking about decorating your home for Halloween or the winter holidays? Holiday lights and decorations can make your home beautiful, but did you know that you can cause damage if not done carefully? Here are a few tips to help you avoid inflicting roof damage.
- AVOID STAPLES & NAILS: Putting staples or nails in shingles or other parts of your roof causes holes or gaps in the seals that keep out water. These holes allow water to enter, creating damage over time. Not to mention, it leads to mold and other mildew issues.
- USE ANCHORS & CLIPS: Use plastic clips and ties instead of staples when you need to secure lights or decorations onto your roof. There are a variety of shingle and gutter clips to choose from. Here are a couple of sites that offer a good variety of different types of clips. Christmas Lights Ect or Outdoor Lighting Hooks
- MAKE SURE TO REMOVE LEAVES FROM GUTTERS AND ROOF: We tend not to think much about this, but it is important. Lights get warm, and dry leaves on your roof or in your gutters can create a fire hazard. So as the first step in decorating, clear out any leaves or foliage.
- TREAD LIGHTLY WHEN WALKING ON YOUR ROOF: If you must get on your roof, be sure to walk gently on the shingles. You will want to avoid loosening granules, as this can speed up the wear and tear of a roof. But above all, use extreme caution and safety if getting on top of your roof to hang lights.
- DON’T ADD TOO MUCH WEIGHT: Before adding decorations to your roof, pay attention to how heavy those items are- and calculate the total weight. A small piece here and an inflatable there can add up and can begin to stress your roof’s shingles, supports, and other structures! You can always move some of the displays to the lawn instead. It is flat and easier to decorate, safer to navigate, and poses minimal risk to your home.
- CONVERT YOUR OLD HOLIDAY LIGHTS TO LED LIGHTS: There are some great reasons to invest in new LED Holiday lights: They last longer, shine brighter, run cooler, and save you money in energy costs. But what to do with your old lights? In the past, True Value, Home Depot, Ace Hardware, and Lowe’s took in used Christmas lights for recycling and offered discount LED light coupons as a reward for recycling. You’ll want to check with your local store to confirm this is an option this holiday season.
