How to Put Christmas Lights on Your Roof

Whether you’re young or old, you likely look forward to seeing the Christmas lights on display in your neighborhood each year. Christmas lights on the roof are the sparkling icing on the cake. Are you ready to add them to your own house? Let’s talk about how to put Christmas lights on your roof.

How to Put Christmas Lights on Your Roof

Should I Do It Myself?

You may think to yourself, “Sure, it doesn’t look that hard!” However, it’s important to put safety first. In order to put Christmas lights up, you will need to be able to comfortably reach your roof, hold your arms up for long periods of time, and maneuver various tools. Likewise, you also want to think about the architecture of your house. Is the roof too high to reach with a ladder? Is the roof unusually complicated, with eaves and gutters at various levels? Seniors, individuals who are uncomfortable with heights, and anyone who feels unprepared should call in a professional. A small investment in professionalism can save you a lot in time, stress, and medical bills. For example, did you know that an average ER visit costs over $1,000? That’s a lot of Christmas presents!

But let’s say you have a simple roof and you feel confident you can do it yourself. How do you do it?

Get the Right Lights in the Right Quantity

Make your life easier by starting with the right lengths of Christmas lights. You can calculate the length you’ll need by measuring along your roofline and gutters. If you’re more of the free-spirited type, start with at least 200 feet of lights and add on as you go. Be sure the lights you purchase are rated for outdoor use to avoid any potential fire hazards. Also, be sure to plug your lights in and check for shorts before you start hanging them up! Believe me, you’ll be happy you did.

Get the Right Tools

Make sure you have a safe, sturdy ladder that reaches your roof and allows you to work comfortably. A person’s maximum “safe reach” on a ladder is four feet higher than the ladder itself. In other words, if your roof is twenty feet up, you will need a twenty-four-foot ladder to put up your lights. You should also make sure your ladder is in good shape, with no loose or wobbly steps. If you don’t have the right equipment, hire someone who does.

You’ll also want to invest in some Christmas light clips. And yes, some people do still use a staple gun to affix lights to their roof. Those people don’t know they are causing damage to their shingles and shortening the lifespan of their roof! Do yourself a favor and use light clips instead. There are Christmas light clips for every type of roof you can imagine.

Finally, you will most likely need an outdoor extension cord to plug in your lights. Be sure this cord is rated for outside use, so rain and snow won’t short it out.

Use the Buddy System

As with any activity where you will be on a ladder or outdoor scaffolding for an extended period of time, this isn’t a safe activity to do alone. First off, any job is easier with a second pair of hands! Secondly, your work buddy can hold the ladder for you and even call for help if something goes wrong. If you don’t have someone who can help, it’s time to call in the professionals.

It’s Time to Light the Lights!

If you have all the tools you need and you have a plan, you’re ready to start hanging up lights. With the help of your buddy, position your ladder so you can easily reach the eves of your house. From here, you will work your way around the perimeter of your roof, moving your ladder frequently so you do not have to reach an unsafe distance to attach clips to the roof. Attach one clip to the edge of your roof at about every twelve inches, being careful to space them equally, and attaching a light to every clip. Make sure lights are clipped in the same direction. Once you’ve made it around the house, plug your lights into an outdoor outlet, using an outdoor extension cord if you need more length. 

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Putting Christmas lights on your home for the first time can be an intimidating task. However, if you follow these easy steps, you’ll be able to get your roof ready for Santa in no time!