‘Tis the season to be merry! It’s that time of year again, which means it’s time to drag your holiday lights and decor out of storage and deck the halls to ring in the season. Whether you decorate like Clark Griswold or keep a more modest arrangement of lights, how you hang them matters as […]
‘Tis the season to be merry!
It’s that time of year again, which means it’s time to drag your holiday lights and decor out of storage and deck the halls to ring in the season. Whether you decorate like Clark Griswold or keep a more modest arrangement of lights, how you hang them matters as much as what you hang. More specifically, if you’re not careful, you could damage your roof.
In this post, we’ll discuss best practices to prevent roofing damage so you can keep your holiday season merry and bright.
One of the biggest light-hanging no-nos is nailing in your lights. Never use nails, staples or screws to attach lights to your home, as these components can damage roof shingles and lead to leaks, mold growth and other issues. It may also void any roofing warranties.
Instead, use plastic clips to hang your holiday lights. These clips slide easily onto the lip of your gutters or under the edge of roof shingles without causing damage.
Don’t just be careful when hanging lights; also be mindful when you take them down at the end of the holiday season. Many homeowners yank on light strands to remove them quickly, but any added convenience can quickly turn into roofing damage. Aside from potentially damaging your light strand wiring and increasing the risk of broken bulbs, forceful pulls can bend, crack or rip shingles off your roof.
It’s a risk not worth taking. Pick a mild day and gently remove your light strands by unclipping them individually.
While we totally understand how the holiday season can bring out the spirit in many of us, we’d also caution you against overloading heavy rooftop decorations. Keep any inflatables and other heavy decorations on the lawn or atop your front porch. Such decorations are likely to add excess weight to the roof, which could lead to shingle damage, sagging or even a partial collapse.
Beyond potential roof damage, rooftop decorations are also a significant safety hazard because installing and removing them requires working at heights.
You never know when snow will fall in Michigan. Some years, flurries fall on Halloween. Other years, the first big snowfall isn’t until January. Still, we’re always dreaming of a white Christmas, so it’s best to know how to safely remove snow from your home this holiday season.
First, know that most roofs are designed to support a significant amount of snow, so in many cases, removal isn’t required. Yet if you want to avoid the risk of ice dams forming or just want to clear snow around your lights, it’s important to know how to do it safely.
To start, here’s how you absolutely shouldn’t remove snow from your roof:
The safest, best way to remove snow from your roof is with a roof rake. Roof rakes feature a flat blade that’s designed to glide over shingles without damaging them. These rakes also have extra-long handles, letting you remove snow from the edges of your roof while standing safely on the ground.
Ice dams form when snow melts off the roof, only to refreeze as it reaches the colder gutters. If the dam becomes too significant, snowmelt can’t drain safely off the roof and may seep under shingles and into the attic. When they form, many property owners will use heating devices and salts to melt them instead of addressing the underlying problem.
First, you should never use salt on the roof because it’s corrosive and can damage gutters, flashing and other components. Heating cables are generally ineffective at melting ice dams because they’re only designed to address narrow channels.
Instead, the best way to prevent ice dams is to keep warm air from escaping the attic. This is what melts the snow on your roof deck. To address these issues, check for air leaks and assess attic insulation and ventilation. Again, you want to prevent warm air from escaping through the attic so snow melts off the roof only when temperatures warrant it.
Whether you’ve noticed roofing damage that you need to repair before cold weather sets in or you just want to learn more about holiday decorating best practices, L&S Home Improvements is here to help. As a family-owned roofing company serving Southeast Michigan, we’re known for our workmanship and transparency. We also work year-round, so you can count on service anytime you need it.
Contact L&S today to schedule an inspection or free estimate for any known roofing issues so your house is ready for the holiday season.
