It’s that time of year when we dig out the boxes of Christmas decorations and start to make our homes festive. One of the most popular ways to decorate is to adorn your home with Christmas lights. Remember the movie National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation? The Griswold’s home (and roof) had so many lights on it, it could probably be seen by the International Space Station.

While it’s a funny movie, we do cringe a little when Clark Griswold brings his staple gun onto the roof and starts stapling strings of lights to his shingles. Your roof was manufactured and designed to protect your home from the elements, not to hold your Christmas decorations.

Attaching Lights

Never staple or attach Christmas decorations to your roof. This damages the shingle and puts your home at risk of water intrusion. Instead, look for alternative ways to hang your Christmas lights. Most stores that sell Christmas lights will also have plastic clips that slip onto your gutter or under your siding that can hold your lights.

Safety First

It’s also very important to keep safety in mind when decorating. The American Ladder Institute writes, “Factors contributing to falls from ladders include haste, sudden movement, lack of attention, the condition of the ladder (worn or damaged), the user’s age or physical condition, or both, and the user’s footwear.”

If you are using a ladder, remember that you should always have three points of contact with the ladder. Whether that is two hands and one foot, or two feet and one hand, you always want to be sure you are holding on. You also want to be sure that your ladder is set up safely on a flat surface and wear the right shoes! Rubber soles are best as they can prevent your feet from slipping off the ladder rung.

Stay off the roof

Resist the urge to climb onto your roof. As mentioned earlier, your shingles were designed to withstand the elements and protect your home from water intrusion. If you walk on the roof, you will contribute to granule loss from the shingles, putting your protection at risk.

Addressing issues

If, after decorating for the holiday, you do experience an issue with your roof, the team at Texas Traditions Roofing is here to help. Our trusted roofing advisors can assess the situation and make recommendations to make your roof watertight again. Contact us today for a free inspection.