For East Coast Roofing, the holiday season is a time for celebration and family. East Coast Roofers want to help their neighbors enjoy this time of year by giving them some helpful tips on how to light your roof for Christmas securely. Christmas lights can bring a lot of joy to the holidays, but they can also be dangerous if you don’t know what you’re doing when it comes to decorating your home. Plus, Christmas light nails aren’t always best for holding up various different types of lights. We want everyone to enjoy themselves this time of year and put their best foot forward with their roof decoration, so East Coast Roofing has compiled a list of the most common mistakes homeowners make when decorating their roofs with festive lights. We hope you find these points helpful!
Mistake #1: Not Cleaning the Roof First
Living in Florida, we don’t necessarily think about how often we should clean our roof. However, when you start decorating with lights, it’s time to think about cleaning your roof! Over one year, our roofs are exposed to a lot of pollution that can cause damage if it is not cleaned off first. Not only will this help protect your investment (and keep Santa from tracking all kinds of trash into your home), it will protect you, the homeowner, from potential injuries.
Mistake #2: Climbing on the Roof with Lights Already in Place to Secure Them
You may think it’s easier and faster to climb up there while your lights are already hanging, but it’s not safe! The top of a roof is one of the most dangerous areas around our homes for obvious reasons. First, you want to make sure the ladder is on a solid surface and that it’s not too tall. Once you’re up there, look for any hazards such as loose or missing shingles. Don’t just assume your roof was built to withstand this kind of weight – check first!
Mistake #3: Using String Lights Where They Could Easily Blow Off
You want to decorate your roof with outdoor string lights, but remember that they could easily blow off! As cool as it is to decorate the outside of our home during Christmas time, you don’t want to put yourself in danger. It may be best to choose another type of lighting for this area – maybe even battery-powered LEDs if possible.
Getting battery powered-LEDs saves you both time and money!
Mistake #4: Forgetting to Test Them Before Decorating Your Roof
There is nothing worse than decorating your roof for Christmas, only to find that the lights don’t work! Make sure you test them first. You can do this by running an extension cord from inside your home up to where you want to hang these lights outside – make sure it’s not too close so water can get in, or they may blow off.
Mistake #5: Not Securing the Cables to a Solid Surface
Here is a pro-tip: secure the cables to a solid surface. This way, you can ensure that they won’t go anywhere or get damaged by all of the wind and rain your roof will face throughout the wintertime. Florida doesn’t get snow, but it is not uncommon to see some wind and rain during the wintertime.
Plastic clips sold in most hardware stores should do the trick instead of nailing them to shingles.
Mistake #6: Decorating alone
If you’re decorating your roof for Christmas, make sure that someone else is there with you. It’s hazardous and not safe to do it by yourself – especially if you have a ladder or an extension cord.
Mistake #7 Unreliable Resources
Are those Christmas light nails not holding up? Figuratively and literally? Christmas light nails not only struggle to keep your Christmas lights from blowing off your roof, they also damage your home! If you have to hammer decorations in your new roof just to take them down in a month or so; maybe an alternative option is on the horizon for your decorating needs?
Christmas light clips are fantastic for holding your lights up. There are also a variety of different types to create a diverse selection that can handle all kinds of Christmas light designs. Most of these are plaster, glue or tape based and easy to remove. You can find some brands that are reusable as well so that way you can recycle them year after year! Don’t complicate your decorating!
Now You’re Ready For the Holidays!
While some people enjoy decorating their roofs for the holidays, others may want to steer clear of that kind of work. If you’re not up to all of this roof-decorating business yourself, hire an East Coast Roofing professional! We’d be more than happy to help with anything from simple repairs on your roof to installing shingles. East Coast Roofing will get the job done for you quickly, safely, and with meticulous attention to detail. We service Melbourne County, from Cape Canaveral to Viera, so our roofing services are never too far away.
Hire Professional Roofers You Can Trust
You can trust that we will respect your property and treat you with the utmost courtesy. When it comes to commercial roofing, our team is always on top of things! Contact us today—you won’t regret it.