Welcome to the new year! Another holiday season is behind us, and you are likely on the path of cleaning up your holiday décor, storing away wrapping paper, and finishing off the last of those holiday cookies. If you haven’t done so already, you are likely debating when and how to remove your holiday lights.
When Should You Remove Your Holiday Lights?
What a loaded question…! Honestly, it is whenever you want to! However, many would vote that holiday lights should come down the first week in January, but how often do people actually get around to taking them down so quickly? In all reality, most homeowners typically end up removing their lights the second or maybe third week in January.
Of course, you do have those die-hard holiday light lovers who keep their lights up into February, but most would agree that that is pushing it, especially if you make it to Valentine’s Day without a change.
So, what should you do? We recommend considering the costs and your neighbors. Cost-wise, the longer your lights are up, the higher your energy bill is going to be. As for your neighbors, if your lights negatively impact them or do not fit in well with the overall aesthetic of your neighborhood, you may want to remove your lights to keep the peace.
However, if you have subtle, white holiday lights that mesh well with a winter theme, then your neighbors most likely wouldn’t have a problem keeping them up for a while longer. We advise just speaking to them about it and offering to have a set timer for them to turn off when most convenient for everyone.
How to Remove Your Holiday Lights
When removing holiday lights, you want to employ the same care and safety measures that you utilize when hanging lights. For example, you should:
- Never remove lights without a spotter
- Never place a ladder on the shingles
- Never get on the roof when there are icy or wet conditions
- Never climb on the roof without safety equipment
Additionally, while it is oh so tempting, you NEVER want just to pull the lights off. We know that it may seem like an easy and quick way to get it done, but the chances of it causing damage to your roof, gutters, and lights are almost guaranteed.
Oops…What Do I Do Now?
Making a mistake while removing holiday lights is expected, so don’t feel bad. Whether you ripped off a shingle, bent a gutter, or something else, we are here to help! Any time roof damage occurs, you want to get it fixed immediately to prevent more extensive and expensive damages from coming about. Even a single ripped shingle can lead to interior and exterior roof damage that could cost you thousands in repairs if not fixed right away. If you had an “oops,” we highly recommend making an appointment with Lance Roofing today.