Christmas is a wonderful time. There are a multitude of traditions which many families partake in year after year. One of those time-honored traditions is decking your halls (quite literally) with Christmas decorations, while also sprucing up the outside of your property with lights and other various knick-knacks.

The joy of being able to recreate that Christmas magic each year can bring out the inner-child of even the most icy-cold scrooges amongst us. Some homeowners painstakingly plan out their Christmas decoration barrage months in advance; measuring, plotting, and surveying every minute detail, while also keeping an eye on those yearly holiday decoration specials offered up by the likes of the Home Depot.

On the flipside, there are also those homeowners who sprint last minute to get their decorations and lights put up the day after Thanksgiving, and in the process leave their roof open to varying levels of damage.

While we at RocStout Roofing applaud the festive spirit of both types of homeowners, we would nonetheless like to offer some tips on how to side-step damaging one’s roof during the holiday season.

• Know Where To Attach Your Lights and Decorations

A simple, yet often overlooked, way to avoid damaging your roof during the holiday season is to know where to secure your lights and decorations. The easy way may seem to be to just nail lights to your roof or edging. While the edging may provide the “best” option of the two, you really should avoid nailing anything to your roofing system all together. Most hardware stores have connection pieces (think glorified clothes clips) which are specifically made for outdoor decorating. The weight and amount of decorations also plays a role in where you should or should not put them. There is also the option (although admittedly not wildly popular) of forgoing hanging lights on your roof and sticking to trees, shrubs, the driveway area, etc. While it’s certainly not necessary to avoid your roof altogether, just make sure to take into account all of these factors before proceeding.

• Know Your Role When Using Your Ladder

The use of a ladder is almost a forgone conclusion for any homeowner when stringing up Christmas lights. While this is understood, just take extra precautions to avoid resting your ladder on “soft” spots of your shingles, or directly on top of your gutters. The added weight of your body, coupled with the amount of time the ladder is pressed up against these vulnerable areas can cause significant damage to your roof and gutters; something you and your wallet certainly don’t want to be dealing with during the holidays.

Beyond these hopefully helpful holiday decorating tips, RocStout Roofing wants their loyal customers and wonderful community members of the greater Bryan / College Station area to know that we are here for you, even during the holiday season, to help with any roofing situation which may arise, large or small. In addition, from all of us here at RocStout, we would like to wish you and yours a very happy holiday season.