The holidays are finally here, which means it’s time to decorate your home with festivities! Holiday light displays become more and more extravagant every year as people get increasingly enthusiastic about the season. It’s also an opportunity to showcase your creativity and dedication to the holiday spirit. After all, what better way to tell the world than to deck your halls with boughs of holly?

Although you’re probably no stranger to stringing lights on your roof and propping up other kinds of decorations, there are a few things you’ll want to know to decorate smartly. That way, you’ll avoid any potential holiday mishaps that can put a damper on your celebration. Here are three tips to keep in mind when decorating your home for the holidays:

• Always Prioritize Safety

It’s always exciting to start putting up your holiday lights, but things can quickly go south if you don’t take safety precautions when installing them. Make sure to read the fine print of all your decorations and inspect your electrical connections. They need to be clean and thoroughly dry before plugging your lights into them. 

You’ll probably have a truckload of lights you’ll want to put up, but don’t be tempted to overload one socket with all of them. Doing so will put you at risk for fire, which is the last thing you’d want! Delegate your light-to-outlet ratio accordingly and make prudent use of your extension cords. Make sure not to put any flammables near the outlets, either, just in case sparks fly and catch onto anything, causing a fire.

If you are hanging decorations on your roof or windows, you’ll want to have a safe and sturdy ladder by your side. Be sure to use it properly by maintaining three points of contact with it; it can be a combination of two hands and one foot or two feet and one hand. When you expect to use a ladder, be sure to wear slip-resistant gloves and clean, dry, slip-resistant shoes. It’s also a good idea to use a ladder that has traction on each step to keep you from falling.

• Don’t Use Staple Guns

Many people like to use staple guns when attaching holiday lights and decor because they’re quick and easy to use. However, these materials, along with nails, staples, and screws, can damage your roof and sidings. You’ll be creating holes in your house, making way for leaks or other complications, which you definitely wouldn’t want in frigid temperatures!

Apart from damaging your home, you can also risk damaging your lights. A single staple mishap can quickly wreck a whole strand of lights, so you’ll want to do away with staple guns entirely. 

• Use Clips

If you can’t use staple guns, what can you use, then? Well, the answer lies in clips! Siding contractors in Edmonton highly recommend clips over staple guns because they’re safer and less destructive. There are numerous types available to hang your decorations without damaging your home or compromising your safety. They’re often easy to install, allowing you to put up your decorations without breaking a sweat quickly. You can take your pick: plastic clips, hooks, and many more!

These clips are handy for outlining your home with cheerful lights. Apart from the easy installation, they also give you even more creative control over the design you’d like to create. Clips also work well with icicle lights, allowing you to take them out without tugging on the wires carefully. 

You can also use vinyl siding clips to attach decorations to your siding. All you have to do is install them under the siding. When it’s time to take the decorations down, just lift them off the clip, and your siding will remain pristine. 

Conclusion

There’s no better way to reflect the holiday excitement you feel than decorating your house, which makes for an exhilarating experience. However, some mistakes can quickly turn your holiday around. With these three tips, you’ll have the most effortless holiday decorating sessions like never before!

MCM Home is a team of contractors specializing in siding, windows, roofing, and exterior installation in Edmonton. We use only qualified installers and materials from reputable manufacturers. With our award-winning services and leading exterior design solutions, we’re the certified professionals to call for your projects. Call us today to get started!