4 Tips for Hanging Holiday Lights & Avoiding Roof Damage

If you love the look of holiday lights on your house but hate the potential roof damage, you’ve come to the right place. Timberline Roofing understands your plight and wants to help you make hanging holiday lights easy and stress-free. Read on to learn four tips on how to make your house look merry and bright this holiday season.

1) Safety First

Your safety should always be your first priority when hanging holiday lights. Don’t try to hang lights when it's raining or snowing outside, as the adverse weather makes this task more dangerous, and you’re prone to slipping.

Make sure when you use a ladder, it’s on firm, solid ground and that you have a partner with you to hold the ladder steady. You should always use a toolbelt when climbing the ladder to free your hands.

2) Prepare Your Roof

Before winter hits, it’s a good idea to schedule a roof inspection, so you know whether or not you’ll have problems once the snow starts to fall. Plus, while you’re up on the roof hanging lights, you could also check your gutters for any damage or clogs. Ensuring proper gutter drainage is important to prevent ice dams from damaging your roof and your holiday lights.

3) Plastic Clips Instead of Nails

Using plastic clips is the easiest way to hang holiday lights without damaging your roof. These are an alternative to nails and staples, which can cause damage and are harder to remove later. Never puncture your roof with a nail or staple gun.

This can cause rain and melting snow to find a way inside your home. A good tip when using plastic clips is to attach them to the string of lights before you climb the ladder. This will make the process much easier and safer.

4) Measure First, Hang Once

Before affixing any clips to your house, ensure your lights can reach a power source. Use extension cords if needed, but never plug an extension cord into another extension cord, as this can be a potential hazard.

There are also smart plugs you can control from your phone to turn the lights on and off, rather than unplugging the cords. If you have any cords crossing a walkway, make sure you tape the cords down or use a cable trip guard. An alternative is to use battery-powered lights.

Call Timberline Roofing for Ice Dam Removal and Roof Repairs

If an ice dam forms on your roof during the winter, or if you need any roof repairs, you can trust Timberline Roofing to do a quality job. We’re experienced with storm damage repairs as well, and will work directly with you throughout your roof repair project to ensure your complete satisfaction with our work.

Call us today at 612-284-5329 or send us a message online!