It’s hard to believe it’s November already! And you know what that means? The celebration season is almost here, and it’s time to get in the holiday spirit with family, friends, and home decorating.
Exterior Christmas Displays Spread Holiday Cheer
For those who love celebrating the holidays, the joy of the holiday season, spreading the cheer often extends to outdoor decorations. Every year, homeowners decorate their homes with beautiful lights and intricate designs that look great and brighten up the neighborhood during festive times.
And, not surprisingly, among the most common questions that homeowners have is, “is it safe to decorate my roof for the holidays?” In this post, we’ll discuss some concerns and finer points to ensure safety for decorating the exterior of your home this holiday season.
Follow These Tips For Holiday Roof Decorating Safety
We shouldn’t have to mention it, but homeowners should always use their better judgment when decorating the roof for the holidays. We don’t want anyone getting hurt! So we’ve compiled some best practices to follow before getting started.
Check Your Roof’s Load Bearing Capacity – Before you start decorating your exterior roof, it’s essential to check its load-bearing capacity. Simply put, this means that you need to ensure you’re not laying too much weight on your roof as it could cause damage.
Inspect Your Roof For Signs Of Damage First – A roof is a significant investment, and it’s essential to be sure that you’re not putting yourself, your home, or your loved ones in any harm. So before putting up holiday decorations on the roof, inspect it first to ensure there are no loose or missing shingles or debris that needs to get cleared first. Once you’re confident that your roof is in good condition, then you can go ahead with decorating it.
Work On The Project During Favorable Weather – Weather plays a huge factor in working on exterior projects, especially decorating the roof. Avoid attempting to work during extreme cold or heat. Bad weather, rain, and snow can create slippery surfaces, so you work on the project during a dry, clear, and calm day. For added safety, use a stable ladder that’s tall enough for you to hang your decorations at roof height. Avoid climbing or walking on wet roofs, especially if it’s raining or snowing.
Choose The Right Holiday Lights – After inspecting your roof and ensuring it’s safe, you’re now prepared to decorate the exterior of your house for the holiday season. When attaching lights to your roof, we recommend using rope lighting as opposed to string lights. String lights are typically more flimsy and aren’t the best type of holiday light for outdoor use, whereas rope lighting is sturdier (and safer) and can hold up better in the outdoor elements.
Avoid Using Nails And Staples – Avoid using nails or staples to secure lights to your roof. Instead, opt for plastic clips that affix to your shingles or gutters. Sharp edges can pierce the wires of your lights or cause harm to their insulating cover, increasing the risk of electrical hazards. Insulated clips and hooks increase safety when fastening Christmas roof decorations 100/m.
Have a Helper – This is probably the most important tip for safe and efficient holiday exterior decorating: get help from a family member or friend! It’s easy to feel like we can do it all independently, but one of the best ways to ensure that your project goes off without a hitch is by having someone to help. Not only can they assist in holding decorations for you, but they can keep an eye on you, too. There’s safety in numbers!
Don’t Rush – If putting up bulky or oversized decorations on your rooftop, keep in mind that they could be challenging to install or dangerous if not done correctly. So avoid rushing through the project. If you work slowly and deliberately, chances are things will go a lot smoother and safer for everyone involved!
Create A Temporary Anchor Point – A good rule of thumb is to create a temporary anchor point for anything getting hung from a roof-mounted exterior of your home. By doing so, you’ll reduce the load weight of any decorations and provide stability and support. For example, consider using bungee cables to attach vintage plastic light-ups to the roof, and avoid holiday decor or displays that are too heavy for your shingles or roof.
Remember – Safety First!
While you might want to go “all out” on a rooftop holiday display, keep in mind that giant inflatables or figures mounted to your roof are at the whim of the weather. Strong winds, excessive cold, and heavy precipitation can cause damage to these items. Also, always use common sense when decorating your exterior roof for the holidays by only hanging smaller lights or decorations, avoiding adding too much weight to your rooftop display.
To not waste time or work, test your light strings and replace any burned-out bulbs before putting up the rooftop decorations. This simple test is always worth doing first and ensures your exterior lights look and operate their best. Also, double-check the lights are designed for outdoor use and aren’t high-voltage, as these could pose a fire hazard.
Never forget the safety of your roof and the people around you is worth more than a rooftop holiday display. If in doubt about any aspect of exterior decorating, don’t be afraid to ask for professional advice or help to complete the project safely and efficiently.
At Flynn Roofing, our experienced roofing team is available to help homeowners in Middlesex, Norfolk, Plymouth, and Suffolk Counties, MA, with their roofing needs. Our professional roofing technicians have the knowledge and expertise to get the job done right from roof repairs to new roofing installation.
We’re proud to offer free, no-obligation roofing estimates to homeowners in Newton, Wellesley, Dover, Hingham, Norwell, Needham, Cohasset, and Scituate, so reach out and contact us today to get your free estimate!