Make Sure Your Shingles Don’t Jingle

Installing festive lights on your home or business can be fun, but can also potentially cause damage to your roofing system. Here are some tips to help you make sure your shingles don’t jingle after the lights are up!

Some Assembly Required — Before you even get up on that ladder, take time to untangle your lights, test them and organize all the decorations. Set them out in the order in which they need to be installed. That way, once you are up there, you don’t have to climb up and down numerous times.

Safety First — When setting up your ladder, do it on level ground. You can even secure it to the house or building by a bungie cord to prevent it from shifting as you climb.

Use Clips — Hanging holiday lights from your shingles is a huge no-no. Even the tiniest of holes in a shingle or any roof component for that matter will allow moisture into the layers of your roof. One tiny hole can cause one giant headache down the road. The best way to put up lights is by using clips that hang from the gutter or eaves. The same goes for securing large inflatable or wooden decorations to your roof — find a way to secure the items so the wind won’t blow them away without penetrating the roof structure!

Awe Not Shock — Keep all decorations away from power lines. Make sure all decorations are rated for outdoor use including extension cords and outdoor circuits. Finally, don’t overload your breakers.

Santa’s Helpers — Don’t hang Christmas lights alone. It is always a good idea to have a Santa’s Helper to steady ladders, carry items, hand you lights, or call for help in case of an injury. If you don’t feel up to hanging the decorations yourself, there are plenty of companies out there that will act as your Santa’s Helpers, so call on them to do the job for you.

Take Down — When it comes time to take down your holiday decorations, don’t just rip them off the house. Ripping things down is a good way to damage eaves and gutters, so take your time and do it right.

Following these tips can help your protect your biggest investment from damage and allow you to safely bask in the season’s glow.