Whether you’re decorating for a party or just looking to make your house look more festive during the winter months, hanging lights is an easy way to get that warm and cozy feeling. Hanging lights can be tricky, though, if you don’t know how to do it properly. Here are some tips on how to hang up lights without damaging your roof!
Avoid Using Nails and Staples
Nails and staples are a simple way to get your lights up quickly but can cause some severe damage. When you staple or nail directly into the shingles on your roof, you create holes in the material, allowing water to seep through. Over time, this can lead to mold and mildew issues and potentially shorten the lifespan of your roof.
Instead, try using Christmas light hanging clips. These allow you to turn lights directly onto the roof without causing any damage or creating holes that let in water. You can usually find these types of fasteners at your local hardware store for a few dollars each.
Christmas Light Clips Make Hanging Lights Easy! Often when people put up Christmas lights, they will default to using a staple gun or nails. If you decide to use either of these, just be sure not to nail into the shingles on your roof. Doing this creates holes in your roof, allowing water to enter, creating severe damage over time, and leading to mold issues later on down the road. Instead, try using Christmas light hanging clips such as the ones shown here. These allow you to easily hang lights directly onto your roof without causing any damage or creating holes that would let in water. You can usually find these types of fasteners at your local hardware store for a few dollars each (they are also super easy to install).
Determine Whether to Attach Lights to Gutters or Shingles
When attaching lights to a roof, you have to decide whether to install them on your gutters or the shingles. If you choose to hang lights on your gutter system, it’s best not to attach anything else at the same time. That means that if you’re working with another Christmas decoration like an inflatable Santa Claus, leave enough room in between for the air to circulate. If you’re hanging lights on your shingles, attach only one strand of lights at a time.
Clear Out Leaves from Gutters Before installing lights
Before installing lights on gutters, it’s best to clear them out first. If you don’t and leaves get stuck in the lights, they’ll be more difficult to remove after installation than before.
Walk Lightly on Your Roof if You Must
If you have to walk on your roof, it’s best to tread lightly. Only a few light steps should do the trick. Walking heavily can cause damage and make working on gutters harder than necessary, as well as potentially causing leaks in other areas of the house where water might seep through onto furniture and floors below.
