It’s that time of year, and you know what that means: Holiday lights and festive decorations! But not all decorations are safe for your gutters and roof. Even if your neighbor sets up an “over-the-top” Santa and sleigh every year, it doesn’t mean that you should do the same before understanding the risks and best practices of holiday roofing decorating. Here is a short list of the Do’s and Don’ts of roofing decorations.
Things to Avoid
1: Excess weight. This is the dominant cause of roof damage. Residential roofs can handle a certain weight limit, which is called a “roof load”. Therefore, a heavy decoration that exceeds your roof’s load can strain your it. Instead, use lightweight plastic or inflatable decorations.
2: Don’t put anything in the chimney. Any decoration hanging around or in your chimney is a bad idea. Though Santa’s legs sticking out of the chimney is funny and gets lots of attention, it’s a fire hazard. It goes without mention, but if any decoration is remotely near your chimney, please don’t have any fire in your fireplace.
3. Anything you can’t secure. We love inflatable decorations and plastic light-up figures, but if you don’t secure them, they can be carried away by high winds. Secure your decorations properly so that they don’t become a hazard to your local wildlife and motorists.
- Pro tip: The most dependable inflatable decorations are based on a wooden frame that you place on the roof. This weighs down the decoration securely without overloading the roof.
4. Avoid steep slopes. Putting on a roof with a steep slope is a bad idea. If your roof is more than 45 degrees in slope, then it’s a safety hazard to even attempt putting decorations on it.
5. Avoid proximity to hazards: Holiday decorations should be placed in safe places. This means avoiding chimneys, electrical lines, tree branches, and vents. These spaces can be fire hazards or destroy your decorations.
Things to Do
1: Secure lights the right way: Don’t use staples or nails, but instead use plastic clips to secure holiday lights. This ensures that you’re not pulling up shingles or puncturing any area of the roof.
2: Use yard decorations if you can’t navigate the roof safely. Individuals who have any doubt about setting up decorations on their roof safely, whether it regards physical ability or the lack of safety equipment, should opt for festive yard decorations. Your local hardware store will have fabulous options that range from reindeer, snowmen, sleighs, and lights that you can project upon your house.
Trust Your Roof Replacement to Noble Roofing
Whether you’re looking for better form or function, or simply feel that a new roof is in order, trust Noble Roofing, the preferred choice for roof replacement in Centreville VA and surrounding cities. Give us call at (703) 404-0505 to speak with our roofing experts. You can also request a free estimate through our online request form today.
Recently experience a bad Storm Damage? Sometimes a Roof Repair is all you need!