Roofing Upkeep

Holiday Light Hanging Techniques, Tips, & Safety Measures

Make Your Home the Brightest in the Neighborhood

With the holidays approaching, now is the perfect time to smell the refreshing pine, spend time with family, blow up the inflatable Santa on your lawn, and celebrate with festive decorations! 

However, before participating in the festivities, it is essential to research techniques, tips, and safety measures to ensure your holiday goes smoothly. Ridgeline Roofing & Restoration, your trustworthy roofing and exterior professionals, are here to guide you with some light-hanging tips and tricks this holiday season.

1. A Little Planning Goes a Long Way

Before heading to the store, climbing up the ladder, or throwing on a festive sweater, plan and organize what you need to decorate your home with cheer!

Map Out Your Christmas Display

Mapping out your display will help you better understand what your home will look like. Don’t be afraid to get creative and light up your walkways, door frames, and roof railings. Mapping out your display will save you time in the long run and help you create an accurate list of supplies.

Measure Twice, Buy Once

After you’ve mapped out your display, it is time to measure where you want to hang your lights and solidify the dimensions. By measuring before leaving home, you’ll save time and money at the store when purchasing lights, hooks, and extension cords.

2. Check Your Electrical Components

Don’t blow out a fuse over Christmas lights; it is not worth it! Here at Ridgeline Roofing & Restoration, the safety of our customers is paramount. We recommend double-checking your extension cords, prongs, and additional electrical components before installing your light display. Ensure these electrical accessories are approved for outdoor use, have good insulation, and have no exposed wire. 

Utilize GCFI Outlets

GCFI stands for Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter. These outlets monitor the balance of electrical currents moving through a circuit. If the power goes where it shouldn’t, a GCFI outlet cuts off the electricity. In short, these outlets prevent electrical shock. These are fantastic for your home’s safety (and may bring your home up to code)!

Your Safety Is Imperative

While beautiful home exteriors are our passion, safety is our top priority. Ridgeline Roofing & Restoration takes pride in being a safe, dependable roofing contractor throughout Central Alabama. Contact us today for an inspection, gutter services, or roof replacement!

3. Use Best Practices for Ladder Safety

As roofing contractors, we know our way around ladders. When decorating your home, Ridgeline Roofing & Restoration recommends utilizing the best ladder safety practices to ensure no accidents occur.

Use the Correct Ladder for the Job

Make sure to use the best ladder for the job. Ladders have different types, lengths, and qualities, so choosing the right one will help make your life a lot easier this holiday season. We recommend extension ladders to ensure you can reach every spot in your home. The Electrical Safety Foundation International (ESFI) recommends using wooden or fiberglass material ladders over metal ladders to avoid electrical shocks.

Use Common Sense When Using the Ladder

While this may seem silly to highlight, please use common sense when decorating your home. Don’t be under the influence; lean outside the ladder rails, overload your ladder, place it on unstable surfaces, or use it in a cluttered area. It is also essential to take into account the weather. If it is rainy or windy outside, delay hanging up lights until another day when the weather is clearer.

4. Keep an Eye Out For Your Roof & Gutters

While hanging Christmas lights, it’ll be far easier to inspect the state of your roof and gutters. Check to see if your gutters are rusting, have cracks and holes, and are leaking. While inspecting your roof, keep an eye out for algae, moss, and buckled, curled, or missing shingles. If you check out your roof and gutters and notice these things, or are unsure of their state of them, feel free to reach out to roofing professionals for help. Ridgeline Roofing & Restoration proudly serves Central Alabama and Tennessee.

Reach Out to a Roofing Professional in Time for the New Year

While Ridgeline Roofing & Restoration does not offer light hanging services, they help keep your home in tip-top shape. Whether you need to have your gutters cleaned out and maintained, your roof replaced or inspected, or storm restoration services, trust our team to do so. Serving Central Alabama and Central Tennessee, contact us today!