Stay safe for the holidays with these tips from your favorite roofing company!
With the holidays fast approaching, it’s just about time for many homeowners to deck the halls. While some folks go more all-out than others, chances are part of your decorating vision involves hanging holiday lights and other decorations around the outside of your home. But before you get started, make sure you’re aware of the top holiday decorating safety tips!
Here at Dolan Roofing & Construction, we’re very familiar with the risks and dangers of climbing around your home’s roof and exterior. Over the years we’ve spent as your trusted roofers, we’ve learned several tried and true methods for staying safe. So here are our top decorating safety tips for this holiday season!
Start out with a plan
When it comes to climbing around and decorating your home for the holidays, things tend to go the smoothest when you don’t need to improvise. That means planning is important!
Before hanging a single strand of lights, figure out your plan of attack. Where will everything go on your home? How will you reach that spot, and how will you hang your decorations? Prepare everything before getting started to minimize goof-ups and trips up and down your ladder.
This is also a good time to make sure all of your decorations are in good working order. Frayed wires create a hazardous situation. Additionally, nothing is more frustrating than hanging string lights only to find out half of them don’t light up!
Practice good ladder safety
Speaking of your ladder, make sure you know how to use it safely! Falls are perhaps the biggest danger when it comes to decorating for the holidays, so good ladder safety is among the most important tips to keep in mind. Here are five excellent rules to always apply for Basic Rules of Ladder Safety:
- Pick the right ladder, meaning one that can support your weight and extends at least three feet above your roof line.
- Inspect your ladder before using it, as any problems will make your ladder unsafe.
- Set up your ladder with care, away from any swinging doors and with the feet firmly planted on the ground.
- Climb and descend ladders cautiously, making sure to keep three limbs in contact with the ladder at all times.
- Use common sense while on your ladder; avoid leaning or lunging to reach spots farther away from you.
Clean up your roof and gutters beforehand
Now might be the time for decking the halls, but it’s also time to clean your gutters if you haven’t yet. Gutters clogged with leaves and other debris won’t drain properly. What’s more, trying to clean your gutters after decorations have already been added to your home can be a tricky process. Make sure you’ve completed your roof and gutter maintenance for the fall before hanging any decorations!
Pick the right day
Climbing ladders, hanging lights, and potentially walking around on your roof all present their own dangers. The last thing you want is poor weather, such as rain or high winds, adding to that risk! Before going out to decorate, make sure the forecast is clear, with relatively sunny skies so you can see what you’re doing. While overcast conditions can work as well, it’s important to be absolutely sure that rain isn’t in store as you work on decorating your home.
The Dolan Roofing Family Wishes You a Safe and Happy Holiday!
As you prepare for the holiday season this year, remember: the most important thing is being together and staying safe! So long as you follow these holiday decorating safety tips, your home is sure to shine—and you’re sure to have a much happier holiday. The Dolan Roofing San Antonio family wishes you and yours the best this holiday season.
For more roofing and safety tips, be sure to keep up with the Dolan Roofing blog and follow us on our social channels: Facebook, Instagram, and X.
