How to Put Christmas Lights on the Roof: A Complete Guide

Equally the temperatures dip and the holiday season approaches, many homeowners are start to programme a Christmas lite brandish. But earlier yous dig your favorite holiday lights out of storage and dig through your garage for the ladder, it'south a good idea to have a moment to consider the best mode to complete your project. For many, hanging Christmas lights is a large DIY project that can be difficult to consummate. Luckily, information technology doesn't take to be. Acquire how to put Christmas lights on the roof without hassle or damage with the right tools and a comprehensive plan.

Can Hanging Christmas Lights on My Roof Damage My Shingles?

Without the right tools, hanging Christmas lights tin can cause minor damage that leads to leaks and all-encompassing impairment over time. If you hang Christmas lights on your roof, it'south essential to avoid puncturing your cobblestone shingles, tin can surfaces, or other protective roof coverings.

While it seems harmless, even minor holes from nails or staples can cause harm to your roof. These holes allow h2o to seep below your roof's protective surface. When temperatures drib and the water freezes, the ice expands and creates more impairment to your shingles and the roofing materials beneath. Holes in your gutters will cause h2o to leak where information technology shouldn't, and holes in your fascia boards tin cause them to rot. E'er utilise plastic clips designed to hang Christmas lights then you tin avert damage. They come in a variety of styles to give yous the power to attach lights in several means.

Your Christmas Lighting Supply Listing

For a hassle-free low-cal hanging session, information technology's essential to take the right tools and supplies available for your holiday decorations. Instead of making several trips to the store or making use of any y'all have on mitt, gather the right supplies before you begin working. You'll need these supplies to put Christmas lights on the roof safely:

  • Ladder: Unless you lot utilize a hanging pole or rent a bucket lift, you'll likely need a ladder to reach your gutters or eaves to hang clips and adhere the lights.
  • Plastic Clips: These handy tools are the way to hang your Christmas lights without damage to your home. Shingle clips and gutter clips are the virtually common varieties.
  • Lights: Whether you prefer LED bulbs, icicle lights, simple white lights, or colorful C-ix lights, make sure you have plenty working lights to acquit out your dazzling program.
  • Low-cal Tester: Y'all must cheque all lights (fifty-fifty new ones) to make sure they're working correctly.
  • Hanging Pole: If you adopt to avert the ladder, a hanging pole tin can get in possible to decorate from the footing.
  • Outdoor Extension Cord: You'll likely need an extension cord to reach from your outlet to your roof.

Pro Tip for How to Put Christmas Lights on the Roof:

Before you stock up on long strings of lights, consider the benefits of curt 50-light strands. They're easier to handle and can exist speedily and inexpensively replaced if a string goes out during the flavor.

How to Put Christmas Lights on the Roof: Your Step-by-Step Guide

Man hanging Christmas lights along a house's gutter

Your roof provides you lot with the all-time mode to make your holiday lights stand up out and actually exist seen. Unfortunately, it's non the most easily accessible place to work. Planning alee and taking careful steps volition brand your chore safer and easier. No matter what type of house you live in, it'southward possible to create a beautiful Christmas display. Take these steps for a successful afternoon decorating your abode.

1. Make a Program

Before yous even step on the ladder to hang outdoor Christmas lights, you should know exactly where you desire everything placed and accept the measurements to know it volition actually work. Begin by locating your outdoor plugin. That's where your starting point will be. Measure out your roof and ensure you lot take plenty lights to correspond with that length. The best Christmas lights begin with a careful program.

Pro Tip for How to Put Christmas Lights on the Roof:

Discover a family member, neighbor, or friend who can aid you on the day y'all're planning to hang your lights. Any time yous're required to use a ladder or step on the roof, it'due south a good idea to take a helper nearby.

two. Prepare Your Supplies

Y'all'll likely be spending a considerable corporeality of time on the ladder. Having your supplies lined up and gear up to go will help y'all save time. Make certain you accept all the light strings and clips y'all'll demand to comprehend the distance and design you take planned. Call back that placing clips too far apart will leave you with saggy lite strings that look less attractive.

three. Test the Lights Before You Outset

You lot don't want to discover out those new lights are defective when y'all're standing at the top of your ladder. Audit each calorie-free string for faulty wires and missing bulbs. If wires are exposed, dispose of the entire string to avoid fire hazards. To remove bulbs, use needle-olfactory organ pliers to pull out any mini lights and simply unscrew the larger C-7 or C-9 bulbs counterclockwise. If an entire string fails to light up, check for a blown fuse. If a fuse replacement immediately blows, discard the entire string.

4. Attach the Clips

Since y'all have a plan already in place, y'all know how far your lite strings will reach. Attaching the low-cal clips first will make hanging the lights a breeze. Carefully plant your extension ladder firmly on flat ground and extend it well above the eaves. Make sure your ladder is at a comfy angle for climbing before you begin working. As yous put the clips in identify, make sure they're all in the same management. Place clips effectually 12 inches apart or as recommended past the manufacturer.

Pro Tip for How to Put Christmas Lights on the Roof:

When you're standing on a ladder, never accomplish far plenty to disrupt your center of gravity. Instead, but work where you can reach comfortably before moving the ladder to the next position.

5. Hang the Lights

When your clips are in identify, start dorsum at the showtime with your first string of lights. Whether you attach lights to your gutters or shingles, work strategically. Also, make certain your lights are pointing in the same management. Avoid attaching strings of lights together ahead of time since shorter strings are easier to work with. Work forth the roofline, making sure the line remains taut and in a directly line without pulling too tight.

6. Ready a Timer

Certain, your lights are spectacular. Just y'all don't want them staying on all night. Your light bear witness could continue your neighbors awake and run upward your electric bill. Plug your lights into an outdoor timer that will ensure you never forget to plough off the lights. Some outdoor timers even have calorie-free sensors that will plough your lights on automatically at dusk. So, fifty-fifty when yous aren't abode, you're bringing the holiday spirit to your neighborhood.

seven. Flip the Switch

It'due south finally showtime. When your job is complete, gather the family exterior to admire your handiwork. While waiting until dark to turn on your lights the first fourth dimension volition have the biggest event, you probably don't want to face potential repairs at night. Turn lights on once yous've finished working to ensure everything goes as planned.

Christmas Light Removal and Storage

After all that work, leaving your lights up throughout the twelvemonth may seem like the best solution. Unfortunately, it's non a great idea. Having a storage plan is an essential part of how to put Christmas lights on the roof. Extended exposure to sunlight tin can fade your lights, making them announced dim and faded next flavor. Additionally, many homes get more than sunlight on one side of the home. This ways your lights can fade unevenly and looked mismatched when you lot're set up to use them.

When it's fourth dimension to remove your Christmas lights, avoid the urge to merely pull the string and watch everything autumn. You could harm the lights (fifty-fifty if they're LED lights), your gutters, and anything the strings hit on the way down. This can lead to costly roof repair. Instead, carefully remove your lights one clip at a time. Roll them carefully to avoid kinks and broken bulbs. This practise will also make the light strings easier to manage next year.

Advisedly pack your lights in boxes with sufficient padding and store them in a dry place while they're out of use. If you similar to really deck the halls each yr with a specially extravagant brandish, consider finding a rubber storage solution to keep all your Christmas decorations in perfect condition while they're out of use.

Learning how to put Christmas lights on the roof is a great way to create a festive display at home during the holiday season. In one case you accept the fourth dimension to learn all the details and collect the proper supplies, recreating the consequence again and once more will be elementary.

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