Your Guide to Holiday Decorating & How to Prevent Roof Damage
Christmas lights, leaky roofs, & fallen gutters to repair!

‘Tis the season to repair holes from lights & damages you may accumulate from holiday decorations
Halloween has passed, Thanksgiving is right around the corner, and stores are skipping right over November and stocking the shelves with holiday decorations. Attention is now focused on Christmas trees, twinkling lights, presents, wrapping, and of course the timeless Christmas tunes that takeover our radio stations this time of year.
What, you may ask, does roofing have to do with Christmas?
Holiday decorations and lights.
Outdoor Christmas lights can be put on trees, shrubbery, rooflines, or gutters. There is a correct and incorrect way to hang holiday lights from roofs and gutters.
How to Avoid Damage Caused by Holiday Decorations
The biggest danger during the holiday season is roof damage caused by holiday decorations. These mishaps are often due to the weight of the decorations on top of a tree, or when putting up Christmas lights on a roof.
Before you decorate your home this holiday season, consider these helpful tips that will help you avoid or reverse damage caused by holiday decorations.
Tips for Using Holiday Decorations Safely
Decorating your home during the holidays is not only fun, but also a long-standing tradition. However, there are certain safety risks that are associated with holiday decorations. The following are some safety precautions that you should take before decorating your home to keep both your family and roof safe.
- Consider a roof inspection by a professional before starting your holiday decorating.
- It is vital to make sure your roof and/or gutters are strong enough to hold your Christmas lights. There may be hard-to-see storm damage creating danger for anyone stringing the lights. Loose shingles are another issue that can lead to injury.
- Having a reliable ladder and trustworthy friend to hold the ladder for you can help avoid fall injuries.
- Try to steer clear of actually walking on the roof. If you haven’t had a recent roof inspection, you may be unaware of weak spots that can give way under a foot. The less you walk on your roof, the less likely you will be to damage your roof as well.
- Be sure to use the correct material to adhere the lights to the roof or gutter. You DO NOT want to use nails when hanging Christmas lights. Any hole you create in your roof can open your home up to leaks and also make it more susceptible to future damage and increase your likelihood of of seeing issues down the road.
- To safely hang holiday lights without damaging your roof, we recommend plastic or magnetic clips. There are also special clips for along the ridgeline of your roof, but be careful to ensure that there isn’t damage to your roof. Loose shingles may be shifted even more causing them to blow off in strong winds more easily. Make sure the weight of the lights and clips is distributed properly so they don’t tear your gutters down.
- If you choose to hang lights from trees, please consider where the branches end up with lights on them. Do the lights weigh down the branches or cause drooping making them scrape against the roof, siding, or rest on top of a gutter?
- Having a roof inspection before starting your holiday decorating can give you the peace of mind to know your gutters are attached correctly before hanging weight from them.
If your roof inspection showed potential problems or if leaking has been an issue for you, we recommend holding off on exterior Christmas lights until the issue is remedied to prevent any further damage to your roof!
These are just general precautions to take when it comes to holiday decorating to avoid any accidents or damages in the future.
Feel free to reach out to us with any questions about roof repairs or click below to schedule your roof inspection today so you can get to decorating!
Have a safe and happy holiday season!
- Becker Roofing & Exteriors










