How to Install Christmas Lights Without Damaging Your Roof

Every year, around mid to late November, many homeowners put up Christmas lights on their home for the holiday season. Many of which hang lights directly from their roofs.

Doing so safely and properly can make any home look beautiful for the holidays. But did you know that if not done carefully, you can actually damage your roof simply by putting up Christmas lights? Nails, staples, as well as walking on your roof are all small ways that can bring minor damage to your roof.

Note: We’ll start out by saying, anytime you are installing Christmas lights on your roof, extreme caution should be exercised – particularly when using a ladder. If you feel even slight discomfort climbing ladders, we highly recommend avoiding this altogether. Instead, consider hiring a professional contractor to hang your lights for you.

With that being said, here’s how to put up Christmas lights safely this year, without damaging your roof in the process:

1 – Try to Avoid Using Nails and Staples

Often, when homeowners put up Christmas lights, they will default to using a staple gun or nails to put up their lights. If you decide to use either of these, you’ll just want to avoid stapling or nailing directly into the shingles on your roof.

If you do this, you create holes in your roof which allow for water to enter, which can create serious damage for your roof over time. Not to mention, lead to mold and other mildew issues.

Instead, try using Christmas light hanging clips such as some of the ones shown here. These clips allow for easy hanging of your lights directly onto your roof. Best part? They do not damage your roof whatsoever with holes or staples.

2 – Determine Whether to Attach Lights to Gutters or Shingles

Depending on the style of light you are installing on your roof will help determine the best point to hang your lights. If you don’t have gutters, then you can default to installing lights directly on the shingles of your roof line.

If you do have gutters, however, icicle style lights work great when installing on gutters with all-purpose clips. You’ll just want to determine what works and looks best for your particular roof and light style.

3 – Clear Out Leaves from Gutters Beforehand

This is one to-do we tend not to think much about when installing Christmas lights on our roofs, but it is an important one. Lights get warm and dry leaves in your gutters from Fall create a fire hazard if lights touch the leaves on your roof or gutters.

So as a precautionary step, it’s always best to make sure to clear out any leaves before finishing your light setup. The last thing you want is create a fire hazard from the hard work you put in setting up your lights.

4 – Tread Lightly on Your Roof if You Must

Hopefully you are able to set up your lights without having to get up and walk on your roof. However, if you must, be sure to walk gently on the shingles of your roof to avoid loosening granules as this can speed up the wear and tear of a roof.

But above all, use extreme caution and safety if getting on top of your roof to hang lights. Again, if this is something you are not comfortable doing, there is no need to be a hero. Rather, consider hiring a professional who specializes in Christmas light installation.

Need to ensure your roof is in good shape this holiday season?

If it’s been some time since you’ve had your roof assessed, now is a great time to do so before hanging your holiday lights this season. Give yourself a little peace of mind knowing your roof is in great shape so can make your Christmas lights display be the talk of the neighborhood this year.

Contact us for a free estimate.