Every holiday season, people hang beautiful, festive Christmas lights on their roofs. And every year many people wonder what the best way to hang outdoor lights really is.
From simple Christmas light displays to elaborate ones, hanging Christmas lights on your roof is a fun way to show your holiday spirit. But the key is knowing how to hang lights without damaging your roof.
How to Hang Christmas Lights Outside Without Nails
Let's start with the basics. Hanging Christmas lights outside with nails is one practice you want to avoid. While nails are a cost-effective and seemingly quick and easy solution for how to hang your Christmas lights outside, we don't recommend using them. They can damage your shingles, siding, and gutters, and they become a permanent fixture on your home. Getting festive doesn't mean you need to compromise the integrity of your building materials.
The best alternatives to nails are outdoor Christmas light clips. Light clips attach to your siding or gutters, they're easy to remove, and best of all, they don't damage your home. You can easily clip them on for quick removal at the end of the holiday season, or use a staple gun to secure them. Know, however, that the use of a staple gun will leave some marks on your home and will require more time when it's time to take your lights down, so keep that in mind if you opt for that method.
How to Hang Christmas Lights on Brick
People also commonly wonder how to hang outdoor Christmas lights on their brick or stucco homes. Brick and stucco are common and are valuable construction materials because they are aesthetically pleasing, retain heat, protect your home from damage, and are relatively low maintenance.
To maintain the reliability and integrity of your brick or stucco siding, we don't recommend drilling into your brick. Instead, use a hot glue gun or brick clips. Hot glue guns are an effective swap for nails. The glue leaves no damage to your home, is easy to peel off when it's time to take your lights down, and is cost-effective. To use glue effectively, hold your light strand in place and stick it in place with a bit of glue.
The use of brick clips is another great alternative. Brick clips are made to latch onto pieces of brick that extend a little beyond the mortar. If you'd rather not use a glue gun to hang your lights, these are a great choice.
How to Hang Roofline Christmas Lights
When hanging roofline Christmas lights, outdoor Christmas light clips, regardless of your siding or roof materials, are again going to be your best bet. If you have a gutter, you can get clips specifically for your that, but keep in mind that hanging lights that are too heavy on your gutter can damage it. Use a few more clips than feels necessary so that each has a lighter load to bear.
Before hanging any lights, it's also good to clean out your gutters and get rid of any debris that might have accumulated on your roof. Having a clean surface to work with allows you to secure your lights as tightly as possible.
How to Hang Christmas Lights on the Roof Peak
If you're hanging Christmas lights on your roof peak, make sure to pull the strand taut so and secure the lights with shingle clips. When light strands aren't secured properly, they can drag across your roof tearing up shingles and even pulling them off, which can lead to damage and can even cause your roof to leak.
It's also a great idea to use a Christmas light connector. Christmas light connectors allow you to connect strands of lights together without an additional extension cord. Remember: The less material you have on your roof, the better.
Christmas lights are one of the best parts of the holiday season, but it's important to hang them the right way so that you spread cheer and protect your home. If you do notice any damage to your roof while getting ready to hang your outdoor Christmas lights, reach out to the expert team at Latite Roofing, and our team of experts will be ready to help.