Holiday Exterior Decorating Do’s and Don’ts

How-To

It’s time to deck the halls this holiday season, and there’s some important holiday exterior decorating rules to follow to keep your home’s exterior damage-free.

Here’s what to avoid when it comes to holiday exterior decorating:

Don’t use indoor-rated lights outside.

A box of indoor holiday lights, which should not be used for exterior holiday decorating. — *_{Photo Credit: Getty Images}*

There are two types of Christmas lights:

Indoor-rated holiday lights: not crafted to withstand severe temperature fluctuations
Outdoor-rated holiday lights: built with higher safety standards due to exposure to the outside elements

Be aware of what type of lights and extension cords you are using for holiday exterior decorating projects to illuminate your home safely. Both types of lights also come in LED options, which is the most energy-efficient choice.

Don’t overload circuit breakers.

Homeowner working on an electrical panel. — *_{Photo Credit: Getty Images}*

One too many strings of lights plugged into a circuit breaker can cause it to overload.

Understanding your electrical system helps you distribute the load of your decorations across different circuit breakers, reducing the risk of overloading. If a circuit trips the breaker, it indicates that you should move some of the lights to a different circuit.

Since outdoor plugs for lights and inflatables can be exposed to rain, snow, or dew, which could lead to circuit overloads, always use outlets with GFCI (ground-fault circuit interrupter) protection. These outlets, commonly found in bathrooms, are designed to shut off if they detect a fault, such as water causing an electrical arc, offering protection against electric shocks.

Don’t puncture exterior products during installation.

A homeowner installing holiday lights using plastic clips that do not cause damage to the roof or gutters. — *_{Photo Credit: Getty Images}*

When decorating your home’s exterior with wreaths, lights, garlands, or other outdoor decorations, consider using methods that won’t harm your home.

Avoid screwing, nailing, or stapling into your home’s fascia, trim, siding, doors, or roofing shingles. Holes in these materials can expose them to the elements and further damage.

Heavy duty light clips that attach to your shingles, gutter, siding, or fascia could help keep holiday lights secure and in place.

Don’t overload your gutters.

Lights hanging on roof of house, part of exterior holiday decorating. — *_{Photo Credit: Getty Images}*

Gutters may pull away from your fascia board due to any overloaded weight. If gutters become compromised, it could mean precipitation is getting behind the gutter and dripping down. Refastening the gutter to its proper position is a key step in allowing it to function properly.

Due to this, avoid hanging heavy holiday exterior decorations from the gutters themselves.

To ensure your home looks like a winter wonderland, here are holiday exterior decorating tips to follow:

Protect your doors and windows.

A wreath is hung on a window using an adhesive hook for exterior holiday decorating without the damage.

Front entry doors and windows are popular spots to display winter wreaths, but hanging them correctly is key for proper holiday exterior decorating.

Be careful with over-the-door hooks. Although they conveniently hold wreaths and other decorations, hooks can damage your door and create a gap between the door and its seal. Even with the smallest gaps, heat and AC can slip out, causing your energy bills to increase.

Exterior friendly options include:

Adhesive hooks: Hooks that can attached to any type of surface and be removed without damage are great options for holiday decor that isn’t permanent.
Ribbon: Take a wide, long strip of ribbon, weave it through a wreath, place the excess ribbon over the top sash of the window and close the sash. The sash will act as an anchor to the wreath.
Suction cups: A suction cup can provide an easy installation for window decor on glass, sans the damage.
Magnetic hanger: If you have a steel door, a magnetic hanger is a perfect option for a front entry-way wreath.

While no option will completely avoid damaging the exterior of your home, there are ways to reduce potential damage.

Secure lawn inflatables.

Inflatable figures of Santa Claus, Christmas tree, Santa's wife and boxes with gifts in the snow. — *_{Photo Credit: Getty Images}*

The last thing you want this holiday season is your decor flying away due to inclement weather. Keep lawn inflatables or outdoor decor secure by using zip ties and lawn anchors when applicable. That way, there will be no need to worry about heavy wind, rain, or snow.

Follow safe installation practices.

A man installing Christmas lights on the roof of his house, dangerously steps onto the top of a tall ladder — *_{Photo Credit: Getty Images}*

Don’t forget to follow proper ladder safety at all times to avoid risk of injury.

If you need to set up a ladder against your home’s exterior, be sure to wrap a cloth around your ladder’s edges or use a standoff (a brace or stabilizer for your ladder) to prevent your ladder from scraping your house’s siding or leaving damaging marks or scratches.

Avoid leaving cords on the floor or crossing doorways, as they can pose tripping risks. If it’s not possible to keep the cords out of the way, consider using a cord cover to minimize the chance of accidents.

Is your home in need of some holiday cheer? Check out POWER’s exterior services to learn more about our offerings.

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