Christmas is here and regardless of our expertise, we all like to light up our houses. At the same time, we don’t enjoy nail holes in our siding or roof from hanging lights. After reading this post we believe you will know how to hang Christmas lights outside without nails.
The traditional and old way of hanging the Christmas lights outside is simple and most people use nails for it. However, if you have had a fresh paint job or you don’t want holes in the walls, you’ve got to find a way to hang your Christmas lights outside without nails.
So, we are here to help you with an answer to this question. Yes, you should be happy as you don’t need nails and you can avoid holes in the walls of your house. For someone who lacks hammering, drilling, etc. skills, hanging lights can be quite a task. But you don’t have to worry about that anymore. Today, you will know not one but many ways of hanging Christmas lights without using nails. Let’s take a look at some of these methods.
- Gutter Clips
- Roof shingle tabs
- Hanging lights on vinyl siding
Before we begin explaining and giving you tips on how to make these methods work, let’s see the tools you need in order to set up hanging your lights outside without nails.
- Clips for outdoor lights
- Ladder
- Outdoor Adhesive
- Glue Gun
- Extension Cord
- Gutter Hooks
- Energy providers for lights, such as portable batteries, etc.
Keep all of the supplies in mind to plan your budget accordingly. Most importantly, the more prepared you are, the more smoothly you will complete the process.
Once you have bought all the supplies from a reputable supplier, you can begin the task. Keep in mind that it might take you a couple of hours to complete the task. If you want to expedite the process, you can ask your family members and kids to help you. This will make the task more fun.
Pro tip: always check the faulty bulbs in your lights before you begin with the hanging process. If you find any faulty bulbs, try wiggling and twisting or just replace with a new one. Another best way to test the lights is to use a light tester. You can add this item to the list of supplies you need for Christmas decorations.
Outdoor Light Hanging Tips
There are many different types of lights available in the market. If you are shopping right now, you can find the conventional mini-lights, icicle lights to mesh, and style light strings. All of them can be used for different purposes. You can even light up your Christmas tree with them.
The choice of lights is up to you. You can choose the white, colored, blink, or chase lights as per your taste in decorations. Check out the way your home looks great.
Steps How to Hang Christmas Lights Outside without Nails
1. Check the electricity source
This is the foremost step to hang the lights. You should have an electricity outlet nearby before you start hanging the lights. Make sure you are taking proper safety measures before connecting the lights to the outlet. Don’t let kids wander around this area.
2. Find an electrical receptacle
Find the best electrical receptacle. They can help you connect the lights and if you can buy any heavy-duty extension cords from a working 120-volt electrical outlet, they can be a great choice for overall protection.
3. Measure the length of the area you want to cover
The next step is to measure the length of the house. You will have to measure the height at which you want to hang the lights. In addition, you will have to measure the dimensions of all the different areas where you want to hang your Christmas lights. For this reason, it is important that you define a focal point first. If you are going to hang the lights on the windows and doors, you will then have to measure their heights and widths too.
4. Test the lights
Once you have the lights, the electricity source, you need to test the lights. Check out the bulbs using a light tester. They are available at any store and you can add them to the list of your Christmas lighting supplies. Take out any faulty or non-working bulbs. Replace them with new ones and then test the lights again. Once you are sure that every bulb is lighting up, you are good to go.
Note: Remember to wear your safety gear, such as gloves while performing even the simplest tasks like this.
5. Choose your method of hanging the lights
If you’re using the gutter clips, attach the lights with the clips or fix them in the roof shingle tabs. Otherwise, you have a vinyl siding method to fox your lights in the wall. However, it depends on your choice.
6. Set up your ladder
Now, time for the exciting part of the whole process. Set up your ladder in the right place. Place it firmly on the ground. You have to be very careful with how much you lean to set up the lights when you are on the ladder. Have someone hold the ladder for you.
7. Hang lights along the eaves
Use plastic clips to attach the light with shingles and gutters to maintain the grip of the lights.
8. Attach lights to trim
You can use rope light lips to attach lights to the windows and door outlines.
9. Checkout some Youtube videos
If you are still unsure of the method, you can always check out YouTube videos. It is best that you see someone hanging the lights in a video than reading the instructions in text-only form.
Now, your house walls are glowing up. You glimmer with them when they sparkle and shine. However, the sight is not that exciting when you look at your roof. It still looks dull, doesn’t it? That’s not a problem at all. You can hang Christmas lights on your roof as well and complete the look of your house. Lets’ see how we can help with the steps of hanging lights on the roof.
How to Hang Christmas Lights on the Roof
You already have all the supplies for the Christmas lights from the ladder to the measuring tape, etc. Now, you might need extension ladders, as the roof peak can be high and your ordinary ladder will not be enough to reach it. Use a stepladder; they are available on a rent basis too. Buying a ladder is also an option. It might be a bit expensive but will help you with other works on the roof in the future.
- Make sure to rest the ladder on the wall firmly before climbing on it.
- For convenience, you can carry all the supplies in your bag. A hanging bag would be great because it will allow you to keep all the supplies you need within easy reach.
- Now, take the clip, slide it on to the shingle, and let the tabs grasp the shingle. Plastic shingles can be a great convenience, as they don’t require any nails.
- Now you can start hanging the lights. The most important thing is to clip them in such a way that their direction is consistent.
- You don’t have to leave your lawn/garden undecorated. A light-hanging pole is a great device that can help you hang your lights on the trees.
- Before you finish hanging the lights, make sure you ask someone to stand at a distance and notice any flaws. If there are any missing lights or oppositely facing bulbs, fix them before you come down.
Turn off and turn on the lights a few times to make sure there are no faulty bulbs.
Hire a Professional
The best recommendation is that if you don’t have anyone to help you around with all the house decorations, you should consider hiring a professional. This way you don’t even need to know how to hang your Christmas lights outside without nails. You can simply pay a professional to complete the job without any accidents and mishaps. Also, they have the right tools to perform the same job in half of the time that you would otherwise take to hang the Christmas lights. The only concern is that you may have to book them for the job way before Christmas because many people are looking for the same services.
Bottom Line
Even though it is not difficult to hang Christmas lights, completing the job perfectly can take some time. Still, you can make it a fun activity by involving every person in your family. Kids learn new things during these sessions and can help you with a lot of stuff without getting tired. Whether you choose the DIY method for hanging Christmas lights or hire a professional, always take safety measures.
If you notice any missing shingles, cracked siding, or any other type of home exterior damage, give us a call today. At Above The Rest Roofing And Siding we want to make sure your home exterior is protecting you during the holidays and the rest of the year. Happy Holidays from everyone in our team, and we hope everyone enjoys their holidays.