Decorating the roof of your home is a great way to splash your festive cheer far and wide. There are just so many attractive Christmas roof decorations to choose from.
No matter how you choose to decorate, there are some important things to keep in mind to make sure your roof decorations don’t bring you any heart aches.
Here is a simple guide with some practical pointers on getting your roof ready for decorating and tips on making this holiday chore easier.
Safety First
Before you begin planning the project, make sure you can accomplish this without injury. You will need a tall sturdy ladder and proper tooling.
Furthermore, you will need to make sure that there are no other hazards in the area. Tree branches can sway about unexpectedly and power lines can pose potential problems for your work and decorations. Be sure to allow for plenty of space all around.
Consider Your Lighting Connections Carefully
The first big question when you pull out the big string of lights to illuminate your roof is going to be how to securely attach the lights to the roof? You will need to choose clips that are sturdy and secure, and will not damage your roofing materials.
Staples seem like an obvious answer because they can be affixed to many types of roofing material. But there are some good reasons NOT to use staples to secure your roofing decorations in place.
- Staples can damage the roofing materials and siding
- Not always a suitable option, especially for cements or stucco.
- Will have to be re-stapled each year
- Not the most secure connection
Considering that this will be an annual task, make things easier by applying Christmas light roof clips. These can be attached to most sections of the home exterior and used each year without damaging roofing materials or exteriors.
Just be careful with this option as it is not made to carry heavy decorations. Furthermore, you don’t want to place too much weight on gutters as this can cause damage.
Don’t Use Screws and Nails
When it comes to placing your larger decorations like inflatable snow, globes, Santa’s Sleigh and other interesting decorations, be careful with your shingles.
The winter weather already puts roofing materials under strain and attrition from the elements. By adding nails and screws, you can increase the potential for roof damage.
Choose Specially Designed Roof Ornaments
You may have all sorts of fun things to place on your roof, but not everything is appropriate for this job. Things like statues, figurines and cutouts may look fantastic, but would be better for your lawn. Too much weight is bad for your roofing and can hasten the need for costly repairs. Only use decorations especially made for roofs.
Tie or Weigh Down Inflatables
To preserve your roof and ensure an especially festive time of year, your Christmas roof decorations should be lightweight inflatable objects. This is because they can be tied or weighed down.
You will not need to use heavy cords and cables and the weights applied can be light enough to preserve your roof. This also protects you from unnecessary dangers while trying to affix heavy decorations to the roof.