How to Hang Christmas Lights on Gutters Without Damaging Your Gutters
Holiday parties are booming, and it’s almost time to hear the sleigh bells ringing and adorn your home with Christmas lights. You probably have some experience from previous seasons, but it may be your first time attempting to hang Christmas lights on your home.
Whichever your case, it’s essential to be extra cautious to avoid accidents, injuries, or damaging your roof and gutters. The last thing we want is to get stuck with expensive repairs after the season that are avoidable, to begin with.
For this reason, our experts at Above All Gutter Vac Service recommend these tips to hang your Christmas lights on gutters without causing damage.
Where Should You Install Your Lights: Shingles or Gutter?
Hanging Christmas lights requires some thought as it’s not simply placing the lights haphazardly around your home. Different lights also require particular positioning and look better with some roof types.
The best move is to hang the lights from the gutters instead of directly on your shingles or roof. It ensures a lower risk of damage to your roof and gutters.
However, if your home has no gutters, you can hang the lights from the lowest line of shingles. Remember that there’s a higher risk of damage to your entire roof without gutters.
Get in touch with our experts, and we’ll take care of the installation process before this Christmas or the next one.
How to Hang Christmas Lights on Gutters - Best Practices
1. Clean the Gutters Before Hanging the Lights
Generally, it’s essential to schedule regular gutter cleaning. It’s vital to clean your gutters before you hang the Christmas lights.
Hanging Christmas lights and roof safety go hand in hand because most rays heat up with prolonged use. As the heat increases, the area and debris near the bulbs become drier.
Dry leaves in your gutters are a fire hazard, but the risk becomes even higher if you add the heat and electricity from the Christmas lights.
So, remember to clean out the gutters to remove debris and leaves before you hang the lights. Gutter cleaning also benefits your home and roof, especially this time of year.
For instance, it’s an excellent way to protect your home during snowstorms where we experience large water volumes. Clogged gutters interfere with the water flow, causing overflows, flooding, or water damage.
We have extensive experience with gutter installation and gutter maintenance. Talk to us immediately to ensure you have enough time to hang your Christmas lights before the bells.
2. Measure Your Lights and Gutters
Before climbing up to hang your Christmas lights, confirm that the lights you have are enough for the project. You can start by measuring your railings, gutters, and lights to compare the lengths.
Next, you need to consider the location of the nearest electrical outlet. If you need extension cords, ensure you measure the lengths to see if they will cover the distance to the outlet.
3. Avoid Using Staples or Nails
Nails and staples are tempting to use when hanging Christmas lights because you’re sure the lights will remain in place. However, there are significant risks because the nail or staple can penetrate the gutter or roof shingles.
These holes will likely create more problems in the future. For instance, they can allow water to leak into your home and damage the structure. The moisture can also encourage mold and rotting, posing a health risk to your loved ones.
Instead of nails and staples, you can use plastic clips to hold the Christmas lights in place.
Types of Plastic Clips
When choosing plastic clips to hang your Christmas lights, it’s essential to consider bulb positioning. Some clips position the bulbs to point upwards towards the sky while some bulbs face straight forward, parallel to the ground level.
You can also look for clips that position the bulb straight downwards or at 450 degrees from the gutter surface.
There are several types of plastic clips you can use, including:
All-in-one Clips
These clips are the most appropriate choice when hanging Christmas lights from your gutters or shingles. However, it’s best to avoid pivoting the lights from the shingles directly and use the gutters or eaves instead.
Shingles are likely to get some damage because they are lightweight. Lifting the shingles can also damage the seal on the tar line beneath the shingles, which keeps them attached. The next storm could easily blow the shingles off your roof.
- Clay Tile Roof Clip
These roof clips have a design that particularly suits clay tile roofs. They aim to lower the risk of damaging your roofing material when hanging your Christmas lights.
- Eave Clips
If your home has asphalt shingles, the best way to hang Christmas lights is from the eaves instead of directly on the roof.
Eave clips have a design that’s particularly for this purpose.
Adhesive Light Clips
These clips have an adhesive back that attaches directly to the gutter surface. They are moisture-resistant, allowing the lights to remain in place without affecting the water flowing into your gutters.
4. Maneuvering Gutter Guards
Most home gutter systems have good gutter guards, which is an excellent addition. Gutter guards prevent debris accumulation, allowing easier and less frequent maintenance.
However, hanging Christmas lights safely from the gutter guards can be challenging. The easiest solution to this challenge is using moisture-resistant gutter clips. The adhesive back allows you to attach the lights to the surface of the gutter guards.
Adhesive clips are readily available this time of year, so you can check your local hardware or retailers.
Stringing Your Lights Using Gutter Clips
It’s easy to mount or install gutter clips because you simply clip them onto the gutter. You’ll then attach the strings of Christmas lights to the clips.
You can achieve a gorgeous yet orderly look by using one clip for every bulb, spaced evenly at one foot (30.48 cm). Using more clips ensures the light display is neater and remains tight. They prevent the lights or bulbs from sagging, swaying, or coming undone when it rains, or the wind is strong.
It’s best to avoid straining your power outlet by connecting less than three strings of Christmas lights. If you have an elaborate light display, you can use two or more exterior outlets to support the power needs.
Light Up the Christmas Cheer!
We trust these insights will guide your Christmas light installation. When climbing the ladder, remember safety precautions and take time for the best results.
If your roofline is high, don’t hesitate to ask for help because your safety is the priority. Our team will help you clean your gutters to ensure your home and loved ones remain safe even after the festivities.
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