It’s the most wonderful time of the year! Christmas season is finally here, which means one thing. Time to hang up the Christmas lights. There are many ways to hang Christmas lights on your house, most of which involve your gutter. But, does this timeless tradition damage your roof? Let’s find out.
First, before you get up in the attic and attack the endless amount of Christmas boxes to find the outdoor lights, make sure your roof system is ready for the added pressure. Give a simple inspection of your roof. Look for any missing shingles, make sure your gutter system is tightly secured, and look at your eaves and along the flashing to make sure everything is in proper condition.

Once you’ve inspected the entire roof system and it’s in good condition and can handle the added pressure of the Christmas lights, go ahead and get them out and test them. Make sure all of the bulbs are working properly. If so, get your attachments ready.

This is the part that can make or break your roof system. If you have the wrong attachments, you could do some serious harm to your roof. With all of the advances in technology, you would be surprised at how many options you have! From the more traditional plastic clips that can attached to the gutter or the roof shingles to the magnetic clips that are a beautiful invention, there are endless options when it comes to attaching your Christmas lights.

The plastic attachments create a pull on your shingles or gutters, but with even distribution, won’t cause any significant harm to your gutters or shingles, especially if they’re only hung for three to four weeks of the holiday season. For those who procrastinate on taking them down, you’re doing more harm than good!

Another really great option for attaching your Christmas lights is to use the magnetic attachments. These attachments convert plastic light string sockets into magnets. Then you can simply place the lights onto anything magnetic—gutters, metal roofs, and even gates.

Hanging Christmas lights is festive and fun, but you want to make sure that your approach isn’t costing you more than just the electric bill. Don’t take shortcuts and damage your roof. Hang Christmas lights the right way, distributing the weight of the strand evenly so that no one spot receives more pressure.