If you haven’t done so already, it is time to start taking down your holiday decorations.
Hopefully, you put your outdoor lights up using gutter clips. These are simple to use and inexpensive accessories that slip onto the edge of your rain gutters and provide a hook for your light strand to rest on. Gutter clips are the highest recommended method for installing holiday lights to the outside of your home.
Sometimes, people opt to install their holiday lighting directly to the shingles or awning material of their homes. This is not at all recommended and could lead to significant damage to your roof and roofing materials.
As you are thinking about which day and how you will take down your holiday decorations, keep these tips in mind for getting the job done safely:
- Schedule accordingly. Any time you are taking on a project around the house, it is important to make sure that you allot the right amount of time to get the job done. Being rushed or up against a deadline can lead to you making rash decisions that are not the safest. Put your ladder up in an area that is sturdy and make sure that you have a spotter nearby to help you.
- Don’t pull. Never stand on the ground outside of your home and tug on the strands of lights in an effort to remove them from their place. This is the most dangerous and damaging way that you can take your lights down. Not only could this lead to damage to your roofing materials but it could damage your holiday lights to such an extent that they could cause electrical fire if used in the future.
- Store them properly. Make sure that you keep your lights stored in a plastic tub that seals tightly. Plastic will protect your lights from being damaged by water, moisture, and rodents. If you store your lights in a cardboard box, you will not get this same amount of protection and you could find your lights damaged beyond use when you go to use them next year.
Whether you have a full installation of lights, decorations, and lawn inflatables or just a simple bit of holiday cheer, it is important to take down and store all of your holiday decorations safely and properly.