Get Your Roof Ready for the Holiday Season

It’s November, so you know what that means! It’s just about time to get your home decorated for the holiday’s! As you prepare the outside of your home for the elaborate decorations, you should know how to keep your roof and shingles safe before getting to work. Midland cares about the wellbeing of your roof, so be sure to keep reading to understand how to keep your roof safe this holiday season.

First, perhaps the most important thing you can do when installing lights on your roof is to make sure there is no snow or ice on the roof before you get on. Just one slip on a wet patch on your roof can be extremely dangerous. We suggest having a professional on the roof to ensure as little shingle damage as possible. Especially if you have a certain type of medical condition, installing lights and being on a roof by yourself can be an extremely dangerous thing for you to do by yourself. Having a professional install your lights on your roof eliminates the risk of you falling and hurting yourself.  

If you do choose to install lights on your home yourself this season, you must keep note of a few things. If you need to climb a ladder to reach your roof, make sure you have a trusted person at the bottom of the ladder to keep it still for you. Too often, there are accidents this time of year that could be easily avoided if there was a person keeping the ladder safe.  

Now, to keeping your roof shingles in good condition. When you hang lights on your roof this season, be sure to not use any fasteners that puncture a shingle or any other part of the roof- this can be done with nails, screws and even staples. We understand that this can seem like an easy way to get those lights up, but it can be harmful to your roof. When there is even a small hole in your shingle, wet weather conditions can cause a leak into your roof and home. When there is a small hole in your gutter, water can end up leaking where it isn’t intended to go.  

You are now probably wondering how to make sure holiday lights can be secured on your roof. The best solution is plastic clips. Plastic clips hang onto the part of your roof where you want to put your lights, and they don’t leave any marks or punctures in your roof and/or gutter. Plastic clips are the way to go!

This next tip may sound silly, but it is a common mistake made among homeowners. Before climbing up on a ladder and installing your lights, you should plug your lights in to make sure the bulbs work. Even though holiday lights are typically stored away mostly all year, the bulbs can still be damaged and not work anymore. Also, check to make sure no wires are exposed. Exposed wires could be a serious fire hazard. So be sure to plug those lights in before you install them on your home!

Something we see among homeowners with flat roofs is the installation of fixtures or large decorations placed on top of the roof. While this may look cool and is certainly entertaining for children, decorations like these can add extra weight to the roof and cause damage, thereby resulting in a shorter lifespan. If you have a yard, an easy solution to this is to place the fixtures in your yard. They are still visible to passersby, and they can even look better when snow has fallen!

Don’t forget these tips when gearing up for your very own holiday display. This time of year sees too many casualties resulting from inexperienced homeowners trying to decorate the outside of their homes. Be sure to remember don’t hang lights from your roof, use plastic clips instead; don’t put large fixtures on your roof, place them in the yard instead; make sure you have someone hold the ladder below you, and always check the string of lights before you put them up! From all of us at Midland Roofing, we hope you have a happy and safe holiday season! Don’t forget to call us for any of your roofing needs. (401) 738-8282.