Well, once again, the time has come. Time to take down your Christmas lights, put away your holiday decorations, and get ready for a new year. However, when January rolls around, there are always a few people who can’t help but wonder, “can you leave your Christmas lights up year-round?”
For starters, whether you can leave your lights up all year is a different matter than whether you should leave your lights up all year. Sure, technically, you can keep those Christmas lights up until the weather takes them out or they fall off because of old age (potentially taking part of your roof with them.) But this is a bad idea for multiple reasons. First and foremost, keeping Christmas lights up year-round is considered by most to be tacky, and may seriously piss off your neighbors, who are probably trying to maintain your area’s curb appeal. But moreover, keeping Christmas lights up year-round can cause problems for your roof, and may force you to repair unnecessary damage in the long run.
At Divine Roofing, Inc., we highly recommend removing those Christmas lights ASAP, both for the safety and the aesthetic appeal of your property. Keep reading for more on how to safely remove Christmas lights from your roof, and remember, no matter what time of year it is, you can always count on Divine Roofing, Inc. for your residential roofing needs.
Our Top 3 Tips for Safely Removing Holiday Lights from Your Roof
- Always Take Them Down One at a Time: Most Christmas lights these days can be clipped on your roof, making it tempting to just pull the string and rip them off all at once. But as appealing as this proposition may be, it’s an extremely bad idea for your roof. You could end up with damaged drip edges, flashing, gutters, or shingles (not to mention damaged lights!) if you don’t take the clipped bulbs off one at a time. Trust us, while this may take longer, it’s safer for everyone in the long run.
- Avoid Climbing On Your Roof: Speaking of safety, we must once again stress the importance of not standing on your roof unless it is ABSOLUTELY necessary. Professional roofers like our team at Divine Roofing, Inc. are trained to stand on roofing systems, and know how to do this properly, without risking the safety of themselves or their property. When amateurs walk around on their roofs, they are more likely to cause damage or hurt themselves; in a worst-case scenario, you could even end up making a hole in your roof! Bottom line: just like you use a ladder to put your lights up, you should also use one to take them down.
- Always Have a Spotter: As we alluded to above, leaving lights up too long can damage to your roof. That’s why it is a good idea to have another person there while you are taking your lights down, so you don’t miss anything in the process. Having someone else accomplish this task with you ensures cords don’t get tangled and cause you to fall down, and obviously, a spotter will also be able to hold the ladder for you (in fact, you should really have a spotter there anytime you use a ladder.) Also, no matter how safe you are being, accidents do still happen, so if you accidentally break a shingle or a tile, hopefully your spotter will see it if you don’t. After that, just call Divine Roofing, Inc.. and let our experts inspect your roof to see if it needs any repairs.
Divine Roofing, Inc. is available by phone at (719) 497-1005, or you can send us a message online.