As soon as you pack away your pumpkins for the year, it’s almost time to hang your wintertime holiday decorations. Before you break out the lights, wreaths, and holly, learn about how to safely hang your decorative pieces without damage to your roof or gutters. The following guide offers a few key tips to promote your health and safety while preserving property integrity.

Gutter-Safe Holiday Decorations

1. Bring a Buddy

Avoid leaning the ladder directly against your roof and gutters when hanging lights. While it may seem like a simple-enough solution when you don’t have a friend or ladder stabilizer on hand, too much pressure on these components can cause damage to them, including dents or detachment. Instead, enlist support, which will also keep you safer.

2. Use the Right Lights

Before you climb up on the ladder to hang your lights, make sure they are untangled and functioning properly. Carefully inspect every strand for faulty bulbs and frayed wires. Then, plug them in and look for any that flicker. Don’t use any strands with flaws, as they may pose fire hazards. Use lights and extension cords certified for outdoor use.

3. Avoid Nails & Staples

Never nail or staple lights to your shingles, gutters, or any other part of your roof, as doing so will let moisture seep in that could lead to rotting and structural degradation. Instead, use clips to hang your lights. If you plan to secure other decorations to roofing structures, use sand bags or zip ties — just make sure that your Santa or reindeer doesn’t weigh more than the structure can comfortably support.

The experts from Nate’s Clean and Screen Gutter Service wish their neighbors a safe, happy holiday season. For over two decades, the seasoned team has provided residents of Onalaska, Holmen, West Salem, and La Crosse County, WI, with the high-quality gutter, downspout, and screen and guard services they need. The local professionals are so confident in their services, they offer a lifetime guarantee on many of their products. To learn more about their installation and cleaning services, visit the business online or call them at (608) 526-4010.