The best way to secure decorations on flat roof is by using heavy duty tape, nails or screws that are long enough to go through the shingles and into the framing of the house. There are various ways to achieve this, but it’s important that whichever method you choose provides an adequate seal so water doesn’t leak under the tape or roof nails into your home, causing more damage than you intended when you were only trying to display your Christmas lights in style! Here are few tips you might like to know.
What’s the Best Approach to Decorating Your Roof without Damage?
When it comes to decorating your home for the holidays, many people think of hanging lights and inflatable snowmen on their front porch. While this might be a time-honored tradition in some neighborhoods, it’s not always advisable. Although you can find a wealth of information online about how to hang things from porches, there is less info available when it comes to securing holiday decorations on flat roofs. Here are some tips if you’re considering putting up items like reindeer or snowflakes:
- Hang lights along pillars and windows
- Limit your walking time
- Don’t attach any decorations to your roof
- Ask a buddy to help
- Make sure you use to the right ladder
Inspect All Lights and Cords
If you have any lights or cords that are not secured, you should inspect them for wear and tear. You can buy replacement light bulbs and electrical cords from a hardware store. Make sure the cord is in good condition before plugging it back into the socket. If you need to replace a light fixture, use a screwdriver or nut driver set to remove it and install the new fixture over top of it. You will also want to take care when positioning this type of decoration so that it does not block venting or allow water inside the house. Be sure to test the light fixture by turning it on, checking for safety hazards and replacing any burned out bulbs before leaving your home during the holidays.
If you notice any loose wires, simply twist them together with your hands as tightly as possible without cutting through them. Use tape if necessary to secure them in place while they’re running along an exterior wall.
Plan Ahead
Planning ahead will help make sure your rooftop has a safe holiday season. Here are some tips for how to securely decorate your roof.
Use lights that have been approved by an independent testing lab like Underwriters Laboratories (UL) or Intertek for outdoor use. UL is the country’s oldest and most trusted third party tester of products, and their seal of approval means the product meets national safety standards. Avoid lighting systems with loose wire connections, damaged insulation, broken parts or any other visible signs of wear. Be sure to keep them out of reach from pets and small children.
Prewire your home before the holiday season so you don’t forget anything when it comes time to decorate for Christmas. A string of mini lights around the outside perimeter of your home can be festive as well as functional if you use them as motion sensors at night; they’ll turn on automatically when people approach them.
Using the Ladder
It is important to make sure that your ladder is sturdy and stable before attempting anything. Find a spot where you can set the ladder without it being too close or too far away from the object that you are attempting to decorate. You also want to make sure that the ladder does not have any defects in it, as this will make for an unsafe climbing experience. Once you are sure that the ladder is safe and stable, use a few of your most heavy-duty zip ties and attach them securely around one of the rungs in order for it to be more stable when using it as a decoration holder. There are also other options available, such as bungee cords or rope. You can loop a cord or rope over the ridge of your roof so that it hangs down at each side. Place decorations on top of the cord or rope and then tie the ends to either side of your roof so they stay put. Bungee cords work better than ropes because they hold items in place better.
Get a Buddy
When it comes to securing decorations onto a flat roof, the best way is by getting a buddy. First, you’ll need some rope. The length of the rope will depend on how far apart the rafters are and how high you want your decoration to hang from the roof. Secondly, tie one end of the rope around your decoration and loop it around one side of the rafters so that there’s enough slack for you and your buddy to stand up straight. Thirdly, have your buddy hold onto the other end of the rope while standing on the ground below you while you stand up straight with both hands grasping tightly onto either side of the rafters. Fourthly, lower yourself down until your feet are dangling just above the ground. Finally, pull hard in opposite directions until the rope tightens around your feet like a tourniquet before releasing and dropping to the ground below. Congratulations! You’ve now secured an item on top of a flat roof without any assistance!
Hanging the Lights
The most important thing about hanging lights is safety. Make sure you have a ladder or step stool that can reach the desired height, and don’t forget to wear shoes with non-slip soles if you’ll be walking on the roof. If there are any gutters, use these as guides for where to place your lights. If not, make sure you put them along the edges of the house so they will be less likely to fall off. Once everything is in place, simply plug it in and turn it on! When turning on the lights, always make sure they are turned off first before climbing down from the roof. Otherwise, if the cord is tugged or pulled, this could result in an electrical hazard up on the roof. There are plenty of other safety precautions to take when stringing up lights on the roof, but this is just a few helpful tips that should hopefully provide some assistance when trying to decide how best to hang decorations for Christmas.
Big Decorations
The key is to make sure that you put the weight of the decoration on something solid and not just relying on a small nail in the shingles. This can be as simple as placing some bricks under your decoration or if you want something more creative, you can use ropes, weights and stakes. You will want to tie a few strands of rope around your base and then use those same pieces of rope to tie off the entire length of your decorating piece. The last step is simply tying a large rock or two onto the ropes at either end and then burying them into the ground so that it is level with the rest of ground.
This should ensure that your decoration will stay up for at least one season without any issue.
Walking on Your Roof
It can be a little nerve-wracking when you need to decorate your rooftop space. If you’re not used to heights or working at high altitudes, the prospect of walking on your roof is daunting. But there are a few simple things you can do to make it more manageable. The first is having the right shoes for the occasion—a stiff pair of sneakers will allow you to move more quickly and easily than flip-flops or slippers. You’ll also want gloves for gripping and protection from any sharp edges or pointed corners, plus an ice pick or screwdriver for prying up stubborn staples. Lastly, don’t forget your ladder! Make sure you put it as close as possible to where you’re going so that you don’t have to walk too far back and forth. And remember: always watch your step while ascending or descending the ladder, both on your way down and once safely standing again on terra firma. That way, instead of worrying about securing decorations securely in place, you can enjoy them from afar with peace of mind!
Taking Down the Lights
It’s that time of year again where the Christmas lights are coming down and we have all this extra extension cord lying around. The first thing I usually do is look for a place to store them so they don’t tangle. However, if you have an attic like me then you might need some storage racks or something else, depending on how big your collection is. Once the cords are stored away it’s time to start taking down the lights themselves. This can be a painstaking process depending on how many strings there are and which direction they go in from top to bottom. If possible try using a ladder or step stool that can get close enough for you to reach up and grab the cords without fear of falling off the edge.
Conclusion
If you have a flat roof, it can be difficult to find the perfect way of securing your Christmas tree or other decorations. Here are some techniques you can use in order to make sure your rooftop is safe and secured.
Place a piece of plywood across the top of two walls and screw them together with a few screws. This will prevent anyone from coming up onto the roof and also give you an area where you can place your tree securely.
Use a large bowl filled with sand as an anchor for your tree by placing it down so that the bowl goes over the edge of one wall while still hanging over the end of another wall. Drill through the lip of the bowl into both ends of the wall to hold it in place. Lastly, drill holes into one side of your plywood and hammer metal stakes through them before pushing them through the holes at different heights until they come out on the other side. You may need someone else’s help to do this!
Drill holes all around your house’s gutters and thread strings through each hole that hang freely on either side.
