Once a year or even a few times a year, you want to decorate your house exterior with lights. Be careful when you are doing this and hang lights without damaging your roof, because you don’t want holes on your roof. Here is some advice to hang lights and show your holiday spirit.
Try your lights first
The most sound advice is to try out your holiday light before you climb on a roof with them. You would be surprised how many people forget to test the lights before they hang them.
So, test them on the ground first to see if they all work. Depending on the type of your lights, maybe they won’t work if one bulb is burnt out. With this type of lighting string, you have to fix or change that one bulb, and the others will work as well. Even if other bulbs function, and If you have one or more bulbs that don’t work, it will be noticeable. Don’t wait to hang them to see how much it shows.
Another thing you should check before you hang them is their label. You have to have outdoor lights so you can hang lights without damaging your roof or even your house. Putting indoor lights outside is a fire hazard and it simply is not worth the risk.
After you test the lights you could also use this opportunity to inspect your roof as well as hiring some of the roofing companies in DFW. It doesn’t hurt to be extra careful. The next step is to hang the lights using one of these safe methods.
Use eaves to hang lights without damaging your roof
The most important thing to understand is to avoid punching any holes in shingles. They are very fragile and you could cause serious damage to your roof, just because you wanted your house look festive. Also, avoid moving shingles and walking on them. In case you have to step on them, try to step on the center instead of stepping on the overlap of shingles. This will minimize the possibility of moving them with your feet and damage shingle roofing.
The eaves of a roof are the best solution for hanging your lights or any other holiday decorations. If your roof doesn’t have eaves, if it is flat you can also hang lights without damaging your roof and having to repair the roof. Use parrot clips or Christmas light clips to hang them. At the end of the holiday season, you can take off only the lights string and leave the clips for another season. It will save you a lot of time and trouble, for the next holiday.
Be careful and avoid walking on the roof
We already said that you should avoid walking on the roof. Because it is a risk for both you and your roof, you have to be extra careful. If you have recently done the roof inspection Dallas, and you are not completely sure in what condition is your roof, then steer clear. Old houses usually have a roof in bad conditions and you could fall through while hanging lights. Use the ladders to hang lights without damaging your roof and risking your life.
How to hang lights without damaging your roof and without clips
When you can’t or won’t use clips to hang lights, for any reason, you can use adhesive hooks. They are very simple to use and they don’t require any additional tools, except the ladders. Anybody can hang lights with these hooks. The only requirement for this method is to have siding or other smooth surfaces. Adhesive hooks can’t work on textured surfaces.
Place the hooks approximately 8 inches apart, so you have enough space to spread the bulbs nicely. If your place hooks closer together, you will use too many hooks and it can look crowded and messy. Make sure that you measure the length of your lights and the distance to the power outlet. Be sure that lights are long enough so they can reach the power outlet. In case you want to plug light strings in an extension cord, use the one for outside use. Always switch on the lights once you finish hanging them. Don’t hang lights that are already turned on, for your safety.
Be cautious and get the right equipment
Hanging holiday lights is something that most people do by themselves. Some of them are experienced enough to do this safely. To hang lights without damaging your roof is important, but even more important is to be safe and avoid injuries. You wouldn’t believe how many people get hurt every year, trying to decorate their house for holidays.
Have somebody help you go up the ladders. Large ladders are dangerous if you use them without help.
Decorate your entrance and front yard instead of a roof
If all this sounds a bit too much work or too risky, then skip it all. The best way to hang lights without damaging your roof is to hang them somewhere else. For example, decorate the entrance with lights or some taller plants or bush.
It can look very nice and festive as well, and if you are afraid of heights, you will be alright. Be inventive and choose whatever method suits you the best. Just remember that the holiday season is a time to enjoy with friends and family so it is important to be safe and avoid any possible injuries.
