Holiday Decorating Ideas

The holiday season is finally upon us, which means it is time for holiday decorating! I love driving through my neighborhood while it’s festooned with holiday lights. There’s no shortage of light and style options to choose from if you want to get into the holiday spirit. Check out these tips for holiday lights, light clips, and the most secure way to secure your decorations to your roof.

Roof Clips for Holiday Lights

While hanging lights during the holidays, be careful not to damage your roof. Hang holiday lights without using any fasteners that will puncture the shingles or other parts of the roof. This includes nails, screws, and staples. Even a small hole can cause a huge leak. In addition to allowing water to leak, small holes in gutters can cause your fascia board to rot. 

What’s the most effective way to secure your roof’s holiday lights? It is possible to use specialized clips that fit snugly around the gutters and do not leave a permanent mark on them. You can have a huge display without having to worry about leaving holes in your roof when you use these clips.

How To Use The Clips

So, how do you use these clips? They’re pretty simple! Attach the clips to the roof’s drip edge or shingles, but be careful not to lift the shingles too much, as this can compromise the sealant bond. Do not puncture the siding or shingles. You can also attach the clips using adhesive strips. Your choice of clips and rooftop lights will depend on the type of roof edge you have.

Hook Clips

These are so easy to use. It only takes a few seconds to place the lights into the hooks. Simply hook the clips over the gutters and enjoy!

Clips To The Line

Clips like these also hook onto the line of the lights, but they achieve a tighter grip. The most suitable are icicle lights or rope lights with no bulbs to align. These are installed by hooking them over the gutter edge.

Clips To The Bulb

This clip holds the bulb tightly to ensure maximum accuracy. The bulbs point the same way, making the lighting look neater. Choose a clip that matches your bulb size. Before you buy, you should decide if you want your lights to point up, down, or out. Furthermore, some of these clips do not allow the light to be removed unless the bulb is unscrewed. Although this requires more effort, it makes the lighting more durable. This type of clip is installed by hooking it onto the gutter or the drip edge.

Roof Peak Clips

Professional holiday light installers most often use these clips, as they require getting close to the top of the roof, which can be challenging. These clips are installed by perching them on the roof peak. Shingle edges are gripped by the clips.

Types Of Clips You Need To Avoid

In order to protect the integrity of your roof, you should steer clear of a few other types of Christmas light roof clips. You should do your part to avoid clips that are designed to clip under shingles. You don’t want to risk lifting your shingles off to hang lights. Deck clips are also not recommended. Those are meant for railings, not roofs.

Gorgeous Options for Holiday Lights

Is the pure white LED light your favorite? Would you consider yourself a traditionalist who prefers incandescent lighting? Whatever lights you choose for your roof, they should be outdoor-rated.

Regardless of the lights you choose, make sure they are rated for outdoor use. Ideally, they should be tested by Underwriters Laboratories (UL), Intertek (ETL), or the Canadian Standards Association (CSA). Decorate for the holidays with safe bulbs.

Holiday Roof Lighting Types

Incandescent Lights

There is no doubt that incandescent lights are cheaper than LED lights right out of the gate, but they use more energy, generate heat, and pose a serious fire risk. As a result of their larger energy requirements, you’ll only be able to have three to six strands of light per outlet. In general, incandescent lights provide a much brighter light source than LEDs, as well as a softer light that is not as cold as LEDs. Some people like the nostalgic quality of incandescent lights.

Lights with LED Technology

Lighting with LEDs is more energy-efficient than lighting with incandescent bulbs. You’ll also have the ability to power more lights from a single outlet, which means you’ll spend less on your energy bill. LED lights are often your most practical choice if you want a large holiday display since few people have more than two outlets outdoors. It is possible to connect up to 25 LED strands to the same outlet, but the specifics will depend on your home and which lights you choose.

There are different hues of “white” LED lights. For instance, some LED lights have a bluer hue, while others have a yellow hue. Hence, it makes sense to buy all of your LED lights at once, including backup bulbs, in case the manufacturer changes the color of the product the following year.

Battery-Powered Lights

Some people might consider battery-operated lights if they do not have adequate outdoor outlets. The most durable string will have a weather-resistant battery box. The non-weatherproof container will need to be protected from rain and snow if you can’t find one. To round out the pack, you may also wish to purchase rechargeable batteries. Usually, they use simple double AA batteries that may not last for the whole season.

Final Thoughts

Don’t forget to follow our safety tips for hanging any holiday lights. Let us know your favorite type of holiday lights in the comments. This is definitely not the end of our holiday-themed blog series. Stay tuned for the rest! If you need some help with your roof, as always, give us a call at (636) 699-0449.