We all know how exciting the holidays can be, but the last thing you’d want to worry about is untangling last year's holiday lights. Here at Elite, we have composed some simple tips on how to stay organized and festive for when you’re ready to start decorating!
Follow the tips below to make sure your lighting displays and holiday ornaments are set up in a secure, safe, and festive way in and around your home.
Unfortunately, the one thing we often forget to do before hanging our lights is to plug it in to make sure all the lights are properly working; the last thing you’d want is a huge chunk of the lights to be burnt out. You’d hate to spend your time erecting the most elaborate (and perfect) lighting display only to destroy it to replace dead bulbs. That would be a bummer-especially if you’re competing with your neighbor for “Holiday Lights Best-in-Show” bragging rights!
Select Your Holiday Lights:
The type of lights that you choose for your holiday display may be based on family traditions, the architectural style of your home, or even based on an inspirational Pinterest post that you just saved. Oftentimes, light styles are combined and used in various colors and patterns in order to create more of a fun and interesting visual!
Some of the most popular lighting styles include:
String Lights: String lights are the most commonly used type of lighting for holiday decor. Their bulbs often resemble the tip of a candle, yet they can come in a wide variety of shapes and colors. Some even have special effects that can link to sound!
Icicle Lights: Icicle lights look exactly how they sound; like hanging icicles! This is one of the more aesthetically pleasing visuals found on holiday displays as they add an elegant touch to any lighting display. They’re ideal to hang from windows, porch balconies, ledges, or anywhere their vertical beauty can be displayed!
LED Lights: LED Lights have had a major increase in popularity over these past years as they’re one of the most cost-efficient and luminescent lights currently on the market. With LED bulbs, illumination is provided by diodes that emit light rather than the traditional filament found in regular, old-fashioned string light bulbs. LED lights have different settings that can usually be linked to an app on your smartphone; this leaves room for creativity and festive flair!
Battery-Operated Lights: This type of light comes with its own battery pack so it allows your displays to be set up virtually anywhere! While the range of motion is helpful to bring your creative vision to life, always make sure to read the usage instructions to ensure compatibility with outdoor or indoor use.
C-9 Lights: C-9 Lights resemble large strawberries and are traditionally presented in strings with multiple bolded colors. These lights are often used to give your lighting display a vintage touch, and add beautiful illuminations to your property.
Holiday Lights & Best Fasteners
Adhesive clips are best to use to hang holiday light strings from windows, railings, and columns. Several top brands are available at your local hardware or big box home stores. The best thing about adhesive clips is that the adhesive is strong and durable yet easy to remove. Lastly, they are designed to handle all different weights which help if your lights require a bit more help staying put.
Universal Shingle/Gutter clips can be used to hang lights from your roof’s gutter taking special precautions for safety. As with any activity that requires a ladder, we advise you to express extreme caution when hanging lights. Moreover, as with any activity that is both outdoors and requires a ladder, it should be avoided if the weather conditions are bad- rain, snow, sleet, etc.
Want to know what fasteners to use to hang lights from the roof? If so, read the section below, How To Hang Holiday Lights from Roof Peaks.
How To Hang Holiday Lights from Roof Peaks
Hanging lights off a roof’s peak takes special attention given to the location.
Here are several tips to follow:
1. Do not attempt to hang lights in rain or snow due to the risk of an injury.
2. Be highly alert and in able condition to perform this action.
3. Ensure your ladder is secure against the side of your house and leveled correctly to the ground.
4. Have a partner secure the ladder and provide general assistance during the entire process.
5. Climb the ladder in a safe and secure way using both hands.
6. Use a tool belt for required supplies.
7. Do not overextend your body to reach hard places but rather climb down the ladder safely and move the entire ladder- safety not speed is the end goal!
While your home’s structure is solid, special care should be used when attaching holiday light hooks to your roof and its surrounding material. Make sure to not make any punctures to the roof’s outer materials that could lessen its protectiveness and impermeability over time.
For this reason, nails and staples should not be used to attach lights to a roof’s peak. Specially-designed plastic clips are the best option given they are designed for this purpose, are temporary, and are inexpensive. Removal of these fixtures is also fast and less cumbersome, post-holiday. And, of course, all of the same safety precautions should be taken when removing the lights and related fixtures as during the initial installation.
We can’t say it enough- it’s important that safety be your first priority when setting up holiday displays of any sort! It’s critical that you reduce the potential for fires and other hazards, and have the right equipment on hand if an emergency should arise. For more specifics, review the New Jersey Division of Fire Safety checklist to make sure your holiday displays are being set up properly.
Interested in more holiday lighting extravaganzas? Be sure to check out local lighting displays in your area! Hudson County residents set up some pretty awesome displays that you won't want to miss. Maybe they’ll spark some of your own creativity, and if not, they’ll be fun to see in person nonetheless.
Lastly, our family here at Elite would like to wish you and your family a wonderful holiday season and a very happy New Year!
Would you like some additional tips or advice on setting up your holiday lights? Elite Roofing is here to help! Please contact us at (2011)436-1011 or shoot us an email at eliteroofinginc@hotmail.com for any further questions or help with your holiday display!