Holiday Decorations 101: Safely Securing Decor to Your Roof
Decorating your home is the first step to getting into the holiday spirit. Once you blow up the inflatable Santa and put up your twinkling lights, it feels like the holidays are real.
While decorations can make your home feel holly and jolly, the last thing a homeowner wants is to damage their home. Which brings up the question: how do you safely secure holiday decor to your home?
Rescue My Roof has survived many years in the cold Wisconsin Winter, and we’re the roofing experts on protecting your home. We’ll teach you everything you need to know to keep your roof safe and leak-free during your holiday decorating extravaganza.
This article will cover our secret tricks for safely decorating your home and roof. Ultimately, you’ll have the best decorations on the block and a leak-free roof.
5 Tips for Safely Decorating Your Roof for the Holidays
Having the best holiday decorations on the block will give you street cred – we get it.
However, are decorations worth damaging your roof or costly repairs?
Luckily, you can decorate your home damage-free. Here are five tips to get you through the process.
1. Minimize Walking On Your Roof
While it is safe to walk on your roof, it’s essential to minimize the time you spend on it,
The longer you’re on your roof, the more likely you will cause damage. Walking on your roof for too long and too often can cause granule loss and increase general wear and tear.
Additionally, constant walking around on your roof in cold weather may result in slips and falls.
The view from your roof may be pretty, but once your decorations are secure, you should carefully climb down.
2. Gutter Clips
Securing decorations to your roof with staples and nails is a big no-no.
Any method of holiday decorating that involves putting holes in your roof can lead to leaks and costly repairs.
No staple or nail guns doesn’t mean all hope is lost. You can purchase gutter clips that clip to your gutters and have space for hanging lights.
This way, your home can shine, and your roof can stay leak free.
3. Slip Resistant Shoes
If you have to trek all over your roof in cold weather, it’s best to do it safely.
Wearing shoes with good tread and traction will reduce the risk of slips. After all, you don’t want a trip to the hospital or an embarrassing story to share with your in-laws.
Before you climb on your roof, always inspect your shoes to see if they are safe to wear.
4. Careful Ladder Placement
If you’re using a ladder to decorate, you want to be careful where you put it.
You always want a clear space with no ice, debris, or uneven ground. This reduces the risk of the ladder jolting or slipping, keeping you safe.
5. The Buddy System
Decorating alone is a safety risk. You will want another person there to help if you slip and fall. Additionally, they can hold the ladder steady and lend an extra hand.
Turn on the holiday music, grab some cocoa, and call a friend to break out the exterior holiday decor.
Decorating Your Roof For the Holidays
If you want to make your home feel extra festive this year, holiday lights are the way to do it.
But, there are tips you should follow to ensure your roof can continue effectively doing its job for a lifetime.
Wear slip-resistant shoes, minimize time spent on your roof, ice gutter clips instead of nails, and buddy up to decorate safely.
Decorating isn’t the only struggle homeowners have during the winter. You can read more about winter woes with “Ice Dams: The Main Culprit of Winter Roof Issues” and “6 Steps for Winter Roof Prep.”
Is your roof experiencing leaks, granule loss, or is showing its old age? Call Rescue My Roof to get a free roof estimate.