The holiday season is rapidly approaching, which means you’ll likely be decorating for the season soon. If you plan on hanging Christmas lights on your roof, it is important to be careful to do it safely. Here are some best practices from the roofers at Home Re-Nu for safely hanging your Christmas lights.
Check Your Lights
It is an essential step to check your lights for damage before you begin to hang them up. Take a careful look at the cords to see if there is any damage or fraying. If there is, immediately throw away the lights. Damaged strands of light are a fire hazard.
Additionally, check the rating of your lights and make sure that they have the proper rating to not be considered a fire hazard. Safe lights should have been tested and given a rating by Intertek (ETL Semko) or Underwriter’s Laboratory (UL).
Lastly, while checking these elements of your lights, plug them in and test whether or not they work. The last thing you want to do is finish hanging Christmas lights, only to plug them in and realize that they don’t work.
Safety Tips
Now that you’ve tested your lights and checked them for damage, it’s time to hang them. There are a few safety tips that you should follow.
Weather: Only hang your lights during mild weather. Hanging Christmas lights in wet, slippery weather is incredibly dangerous. So, before hanging your lights, make sure that the weather conditions are safe for hanging lights.
Follow Directions: Make sure that the lights you are hanging outdoors are meant for outdoor use.
Don’t Do It Alone: Recruit a friend or family member to help you out when you are hanging lights. They can hold the ladder, help hang the lights, and generally just help make sure that everything runs smoothly.
Be Safe this Holiday Season
When hanging Christmas lights this holiday season, be sure to practice these safety tips. Holiday lights are beautiful, but don’t let them be the cause of injury or harm.