The Best Way to Decorate Your Roof this Holiday Season
The festive season is nearly upon us, which means the streets are about to get really decorative. It’s great to be able to join in with the festivities and deck out your home for Halloween and Christmas, but sometimes it can be hard to know exactly how to hang your decorations or the best spots for them.
Once you know how, it’s a simple job to hang decorations and lights from your roof, so here’s some tips to get you going!
Planning
For starters, you should either measure or make an educated guess as to how many strings of lights you’ll need.
Before you head up the ladders, you should also know where you plan to hook up the different strings of lights to the outlet. If you have too many connected to the same outlet you’ll likely blow the power, so it’s good to plan for a couple of different ones.
Securing Lights to Your Roof
You should never punch a hole through shingles or any other part of your roof, so no staples or nails. This can compromise the integrity and lead to leaking.
Instead, you can use fasteners that clip onto your gutters. You can use as many as you need, and they don’t leave any kind of lasting impression on the gutter. They’re also super easy to use.
For areas of your roof where there aren’t any gutters, you can attach the fastener onto the drip edge or the shingles if necessary. Be sure not to break the sealant bond between the shingle and the roof if you choose to attach the clips this way.
If you have any blow up decorations, they usually have strings by which you can tie them to the roof so they’re secure. The fasteners work great for these types of decorations, too.
Safety
Hanging lights and other objects from your roof is the cause of hundreds of accidents every year, so you should first be aware of all the hazards and outline some safety measures.
When using ladders it’s best to have somebody stood at the bottom of them to keep an eye on their sturdiness and balance.
If you have enough people, have somebody inside holding the cord up to the power outlet before you begin hanging the lights so that you know it will definitely reach. Don’t plug them in until the job is finished, though. You should also work your way from the power outlet and around, as opposed to working your way toward the outlet—this way you know it’s definitely going to reach.
When working from the ladders, never shift your center of balance in an attempt to reach out to hang the next clip. It’s much safer to take the extra minute to move the ladder and go from there.
You should also inspect the surroundings of your roof to make sure there aren’t any hanging branches that may interfere with the lights or decorations. This has the potential to short the power and even start a fire, so it’s imperative to make sure the surroundings are clear.
If you have any questions about your roof, don’t hesitate to give us a call here at Peach State Roofing!