One of the most exciting parts of the holidays is adorning your home with a gorgeous display of lights. But before you bring out the twinkle lights, you should read up on these simple guidelines. They’ll help you plan the perfect light displays to celebrate the joy of the season and keep you safe!
Select the Best Lights for Your Purposes
When you’re trying to figure out the best methods for hanging festive lights on your roof this year, you’ll want to start by considering which type of lights will work best for your purposes. To illustrate, if you’re going for something bold yet simple, you might choose to adorn your home with colorful, traditional bulbs around your roofline.
However, suppose you lean more towards something detailed and extravagant. In that case, you’d likely prefer netted twinkle lights that will easily cover the entire area of your roof, as well as the roofline. Of course, you’ll also want to contemplate which bulb colors will coordinate well with the rest of your decorations.
Prepare and Plan Your Lighting Displays in Advance
The next step is to develop a logistical, detailed plan for your arrangements. So, before you crack open that new box of icicle lights, consider how you’re going to use them to enhance your display. Will you hang them from just the lower peaks of your roof? Or do you like them so much that you want to use them on each feature of your home?
You’ll also want to consider how you’re going to secure the lights to your roof. For instance, it might be best to use adhesive hooks if your roofing is shingle or slate. On the other hand, if you have a slick metal roof, you might like to go with plastic clips that won’t lose grip or slide around as easily.
Finally, it’s wise to ensure that you prepare your roof adequately before hanging your lights. This means checking to see if there might be any pre-winter home projects you need to do. These types of projects usually entail cleaning your roof, clearing gutters, or trimming nearby trees. Doing this ensures that nothing on your roof could become hazardous once you set up the lights and plug them in.
Be Careful When You’re Setting Up
Of course, we can’t discuss how to hang festive lights on your roof this year without mentioning safety. Because you’ll likely be climbing a ladder to the highest point on the exterior of your home and securing tiny strips of electricity to it, you must handle the setup stage of decorating your roof with care. First, you’ll want to ensure that you test your lights before you start hanging them up. Simply take them out of the box, unwrap them, and plug them in.
Then, check for breakages, exposed wires, or anything else that might be potentially hazardous. Once you’re confident that the lights are in working order and you’re ready to climb that ladder, make sure you have a spotter nearby. If something should happen while you’re up there, you’ll be glad to have someone around to help you.
And most importantly, once you get all the safety and setup stuff squared away, remember to have fun and enjoy your stunning light display all season long!
