It’s that time of the year again. Time to bring out the Christmas lights and start decorating! Many people hang lights incorrectly and damage their roofs, so it’s important to learn about the newest techniques and methods of hanging lights. Creating Christmas light displays has evolved and has advanced into an art form. All of this creativity could damage your roof, if you are not careful. There are many products out today that can prevent damage to your roof. It’s a great idea to be updated on the newest lighting methods and seasonal products in order to prevent long-term damage and deterioration to your shingles. Hanging Christmas lights has become easier and faster over the years; it has also become safer too–not only for the person who is creating the light display, but for their roof also.
1) Nails and Staples are a Thing of the Past.
In the past, when hanging up Christmas lights, it would require climbing on your roof and either stapling lights to your roof, or nailing them down one by one. There are many issues that occur when lights are hung in this manner. Not only is climbing on your roof during winter dangerous, but walking on your roof incorrectly can severely damage your roof. Let’s not forget to mention that stapling or putting nails in your roof creates holes and tears. Once holes are created in your roof, water can seep in and create mold and further damage. If this process continues year after year, the hundreds of holes in your roof will make your shingles deteriorate and break apart. Luckily, there are many tools and solutions on the market today that can prevent this from happening.
2) Use Roof Clips.
Using roof clips is a very safe solution as opposed to using nails and staples. The pros of using roof clips is, 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 Christmas lighting endeavors.
3) Use Gutter Clips.
Gutter clips are another product on the market that is efficient and won’t hurt your roof or gutters. They are a slightly different design but are very effective all the same. Gutter clips work very well and may be a safer option for you, as opposed to reaching all the way to your roof. All 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 is 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 then use the quick release to thread in the lights. This makes putting up your lights a lot safer for your roof and prevents 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.
5) Know the Danger of Using Shingle Clips.
Many homeowners are still using a product on the market known as shingle clips. It is recommended that everyone should stay away from using them, as they can wreak havoc on your roof. Shingle clips actually go under your shingles to stay in place and provide a hook, so you can hang your lights. Putting anything under your shingles can not only cause them to break but cause them to lift over time. There have been studies conducted that state that light hits the metal shingle clips and causes heat to be absorbed underneath the shingle. The heat causes the shingle to lift which progressively worsens days after installation. You will have to access your roof to position shingle clips. Many people use these for the very top of their roof to refrain from having to put nails and staples in their roof. However, neither shingle clips nor nails should be used on your roof.
In conclusion, don’t hurt your roof this year with staples, nails, or shingle clips. 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. You may not even have to access or step on your roof at all, with the handy quick-release tools available on the market. These new light hanging advancements can not only help your roof stay safe, but the person hanging them as well!
