Now that the holidays are firmly in full swing, it’s time to get those Christmas lights hung along!  There’s no question that this is a fun part of decorating for the holidays, but a lot of people will underestimate the amount of potential damage (and harm) that it can involve. Both to your roof and to you!  Keeping your roof maintained year long can help keep your home secure. But now, check out these tips to keep your holidays happy and safe all season long.

Plan your light hanging ahead of time

First, you’re going to want to have a rough plan on how you want your lights hung.  What kind of light strings do you have?  How do you want to blend one in with the other kind?  Do they look good together (not something you want to realize after you’ve got them up and on)?

While you’re at it, take the time to make sure that all of your light strands work!  After all, it’s much more comfortable to see that you’ve got a few burnt-out bulbs from the safety and convenience of your living room, than 10’+ up in the air…. on a ladder…. potentially with cold hands.

Go with LED lights wherever possible

While you can still find all sorts of older light strands in your attic or storage using incandescent bulbs, the best ones to go with are going to be LED ones.  Not only do they look better from afar, but they are also going to be much more energy-efficient and earn you some savings on your power bill.

Plus, LED bulbs are cool to the touch, making them a much safer and easier choice for bushes, trees, and even railways.  Not only are incandescent bulbs going to be more of a fire hazard on your shrubs and bushes, but they can also ruin a good pair of gloves or even burn your hand!

Invest in light clips

When it comes to hanging your lights, you’ll want to skip the staple gun (sorry, guys).  You can find all sorts of options for light clips now that will connect to your lights and then easily attach to your gutters and other roof-friendly surfaces.  This is easier, faster, safer, and makes removal so much easier.

Have an “oopsy daisy” moment?  Call it in!

Okay, so accidents happen.  Maybe you got up on your roof and were taking a look at the best places to clip on lights and accident skidded on a shingle, pushing it loose.  Or maybe you did use a staple gun and it drove a hole in your gutter and/or shingle.

These things happen, but the faster you get them fixed, the safer your home will be.  Even if it’s just a little tiny thing like a loose shingle or a hole in it, don’t slap some duct tape on it and call it a day.  Check out our emergency roof repair tips and if that doesn’t help, call a pro.  A professional roofer can assess and repair the damage so that you are safe and snug as a bug in a rug all season long.

The holidays are bright and cheerful, largely due to your lights rimming your home.  Keep light hanging safe and effective with these tips to guide you!