Installing Christmas Lights Could Damage Your Roof

Holiday decorating is a great way to bring in the season with cheer. Lights may twinkle and warm our hearts but attaching them to your shingle roof usually will cause issues. QE Roofing has a few tips to avoid roof damages.

1. Simple foot traffic on your roof can cause damages to your shingle roof. Not wearing proper foot wear can scuff shingles. Walking on ridge caps can cause them to crack and break loose. Since its usually cold when these decorations are installed the shingle will be brittle and can crack by simply walking on them.
2. Attaching lights or other decoration to your shingles could compromise the roofs performance. Often shingles have to be separated for the light clip to attach the decoration. Rarely do shingles reseal after seals have been separated. When shingles are unsealed, they are vulnerable for wind uplift and blow off. These simple mistakes could cause you catastrophic roof and interior damage.
3. The weight of attaching decorations to your roof may cause the shingles to pull over the nails and fall off. Shingles are rated and manufactured specifically to perform based on its designed weight, nothing more.
4. Securing decorations to the roof surface with nails or screws will cause leaks. Even the tiniest of holes in your shingles or roof components will allow moisture in and rot roof components.

To prevent decorations from damaging your roof consider attaching them to other components that aren’t as vulnerable like:

1. Attaching the decorations to the gutters. Always put safety first when using a ladder and having a helper hold the ladder can prevent injury. Gutters are more durable and can hold more weight than a shingle.
2. Attach the decorations to trees and shrubs. It’s much harder to damage shrubbery than your home.
3. Use projector lights to shine on your home. This is by far the easiest way to decorate and much safer!

Please refer to these tips so that you can help protect your home and enjoy the Holiday season. If you have sustained damages to your roof contact QE Roofing to inspect and repair the damages for you. QE Roofing services: Franklin, Brentwood, Nashville, Smyrna, Nolensville, Murfreesboro, College Grove, Thompsons Station, Spring Hill, and Columbia. We provide 24-hour service. Contact us as 615-505-7663 or www.QERoofing.com.