How to Hang Lights or Decorations Safely Without Damaging Your Roof or Gutters

Decorating your house for the holidays or a special event is a fun perk of owning your home. Like most things you do outside or to your house there are precautions that need to be taken to ensure you aren't injured or that you don't damage anything structural in your home. Many people hang lights incorrectly and damage their roofs, so it’s important to learn about the newest techniques and methods of hanging lights. 

With so many new products out today that can help prevent damage to your roof, it is a good idea to make sure you do your research before you begin decorating your home. So show off that creativity but in a safe way for you and your home! 

First, if you are hanging decorations high you want to have a strong sturdy ladder that grips the ground below you. Ladders can easily slide or slip out from under you causing you an unwanted and expensive trip to the emergency room.

You do not want to lean the ladder on your gutters. The ladder can damage the gutters but by bending and denting them the ladder could slide off of the gutters causing you to fall or get stranded on your roof! Checking your lights and decoration before hanging them can also save some time for you. Make sure the cords are all intact and not frayed before plugging them in! Damaged cords or plugs are a fire hazard! Before finishing make sure all the bulbs are intact not only can one bulb cause a whole strand to go out it can also pose a fire hazard. Taking these precautions can make decorating your home for the holidays as fun as it should be.

Now that we have covered the basics, let's talk about what you should use to hang your lights and decorations:

1) Staples and Nails are a thing of the past!

 For a long time, staples or nails were used when hanging lights and other holiday decorations. Every year you would climb up on your roof and staple your lights to your roof. Well not only is it very dangerous to be climbing on your roof in the winter it can also damage your roof! The staples and nails that were the go-to fastener for so long actually cause damage to your roof and home. Putting holes on any kind in your roof can cause tears and once you create a hole in your roof water can seep in and create mold and water damage.

2) Roof Clips

Using roof clips is a safe solution when hanging decorations on your food. The pros of using roof clips are, that instead of puncturing your roof with holes, you simply feed the light strand through the clip and place it on the edge of your roof. It’s important to know your design and focal points before installing the clips. Be proactive and plan your design before installing the clips. Preplanning will give you an idea of how many clips you will need or if your design is too elaborate or impossible. Preplanning will also help you to decide which roof clip on the market is the best for your project and design. There aren’t many cons with using roof clips other than cost. Purchasing many clips over time can get pricy. Luckily, they are reusable as long as you don’t lose them, but you can use them for several years! If you don’t have complete access to your roof from the ground, there are other options on the market to help you with your holiday lighting endeavors.

3) Use Gutter Clips

Gutter clips are another option that is efficient and won’t hurt your roof or gutters. Gutter clips work very well and may be a safer option for you, as opposed to reaching all the way to your roof. Gutter clips come in different shapes and sizes, so they not only fit your gutters perfectly but can help you achieve the design you want. It’s important to note that your gutters should be cleaned out and completely free of debris before you install gutter clips. The use of electricity around dry leaves in your gutters can be a fire hazard and extremely dangerous. While cleaning or hanging your lights, it’s important to access your gutters with a ladder to refrain from hurting your roof or yourself.

4) Use a Quick Release Tool

To make light hanging safer, there are quick-release tools on the market specifically for light hanging. You can stay on your ladder the whole time and never have to step on your roof again. These quick releases are on poles that have a trigger mechanism button for you to push, and the end will open and close to grab and release the light clips. To use these quick releases you can thread in the light first and then use the quick release to hang it straight on your roof/gutters, or you can put it on your roof first and then use the quick release to thread in the lights. This makes putting up your lights a lot safer for your roof and prevents the breaking and lifting of shingles. Products like this can be very helpful and can prevent damage to your roof. There are products on the market today that can actually damage your roof.  It’s important to do your research before using any product on your roof.

In conclusion, don’t hurt your roof or yourself this year. Always do your research to find what kind of clips would work best with your project and plan accordingly. With all the different types of clips on the market, anyone can find the right kind to fit what project they’re wanting to tackle. This year, refrain from putting holes in your roof with nails and staples, and use roof clips and gutter clips that will safely hold your holiday lights in place.