Everyone wants to have a beautifully decorated home for Christmas, but no one looks forward to the tedious task of hanging lights on the outside of their house. Learn how to hang Christmas lights on a house safely and efficiently to impress all your neighbors.
Tis’ the season to deck the halls… and the roof, and the windows and siding. Decorating your home with Christmas lights can transform it into a magical winter wonderland. However, it will likely involve repeatedly climbing on a ladder and the roof, so safety and proper planning are essential. Hanging Christmas lights also provide a great opportunity to check your home’s exterior for any maintenance needs before winter fully sets in.
Is your home winter-ready? Follow our checklist to winterize your home to keep your family warm and safe.
How to Hang Christmas Lights on a House
How do you put up Christmas lights outside? The best way to hang Christmas lights is to follow a step-by-step procedure. This ensures you are fully prepared and safe throughout the process.
Awe-inspiring Christmas light displays don’t just happen. They come from careful, creative planning. Before hanging outdoor Christmas lights, have a clear plan of where you want to put lights to make decorating a smooth and pleasant experience.
Expert tips on how to hang Christmas lights on the house:
- Measure the exterior areas of your home and the distance to exterior power outlets
- Understand what types of materials your home’s exterior is made of
- Research Christmas light displays online for design inspiration
- Make a detailed sketch of your layout plan
- Decide what kind of lights you will use
- Gather all necessary materials before starting
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1. Inspect Your Home’s Exterior
It’s essential to examine your roof, gutters, and siding for any wear or damage before hanging Christmas lights outside. Installing Christmas lights on a damaged area can be dangerous for you and potentially cause further damage to your home.
If you notice any potential issues, schedule a professional inspection before hanging exterior Christmas lights. To ensure you have enough time to decorate before the holiday season, start this process as early as possible. This will help prevent stress and frustration when the busy holiday season arrives.
2. Plan Your Design and Layout
A well-planned layout will save time and enhance the visual effect of your light display. Think about the unique architectural features of your home. You may want to highlight those features by lining them with lights.
For a classic look, light your exterior windows and roof line with white lights. If you plan to set up holiday decorations in your yard, your light display could strategically accentuate them.
Before buying any new lights for the season, measure all the places you want lights based on your design plan. If you want to wrap lights around trees, bushes, or columns, you can use a string to measure those.
Also, keep in mind where your exterior outlets are and how many lights you can safely plug in at one time. Check the safety tag on your Christmas lights to see how many strands you can connect. Overloading a circuit with too much power draw can cause a fuse to blow, or worse become a fire hazard.
3. Choose the Right Christmas Lights
Various types of outdoor Christmas lights on the market can provide different looks for your holiday display. There are also energy-efficient lights if you are looking to save some money on your electricity bill this holiday season.
- Classic Christmas String Lights: Choose from warm or cool white lights or multicolored lights. White lights provide a clean, timeless look while colorful lights are fun and festive.
- C7 and C9 Christmas Lights: These are similar to string lights but have larger strawberry-shaped bulbs. C9 lights are the largest variety, and C7 lights are slightly smaller.
- Icicle Lights: Icicle lights are a type of string light that hangs down to mimic the appearance of icicles. People commonly install these lights on gutters and overhangs.
- Twinkling Lights: These string lights flash on and off, creating a twinkling illusion. Some may have different speed settings.
- LED Holiday Lights: LED lights are often more cost-efficient, durable, and long-lasting than incandescent lights. They also come in different color options.
- Battery and Solar-Operated Lights: Free yourself from being tied to a power outlet with battery or solar-operated lights. Solar lights may cost more initially but can save you money on electricity in the long run, especially if you use them year after year.
No matter which type of lights you choose, untangle and inspect them thoroughly to ensure there is no damage to the lights or the wires. This is especially important for lights you are reusing from previous years. Plug in each strand to make sure it works. Replace any burnt-out bulbs as needed as it’s much easier to do this before installation than after.
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4. Gather Tools and Supplies
Choosing the right supplies when stringing Christmas lights ensures a secure installation without risking harm to your home’s exterior. Avoid using a staple gun or nails. While they may be the fastest and easiest way to hang Christmas lights, they can damage your home and the lights. But don’t worry, we will explain how to hang Christmas lights outside without nails in the next steps.
Here are some essential tools and materials you will need:
- Ladder
- Tool belt to keep your hands free
- Measuring tape
- Damage-free clips, hooks, or other type of fasteners
- Light stakes for lining sidewalks and driveways
- Outdoor-rated extension cords
How to attach Christmas lights to houses varies depending on where you are putting the lights and the material you are attaching them to, so the tools you will need vary slightly as well. When you inspect your home’s exterior, note what type of materials the roof, gutters, siding, and window frames use.
Choose clip shapes that will work for your home and light design plan. The next steps explain the best way to put up outdoor Christmas lights on different areas and surface types.
5. Hang Lights Along the Roofline
The best way to create a polished, professionally-looking Christmas light display is to work from the top down. That means climbing on the roof, which comes with serious safety risks. Taking necessary precautions is vital.
The last thing you want is an injury during the holiday season. Have a spotter present anytime you are working on a ladder or the roof.
Choose a day with good weather to hang exterior Christmas lights. If there is a chance of rain or high wind, you will want to wait. Before you climb on the roof, untangle the lights on the ground and attach damage-free plastic light clips to the light strand. If you have a metal roof, you may choose magnetic clips instead.
Attach clips about every 6-12 inches apart to achieve a balanced look. It’s much easier to attach Christmas lights to the clips on the ground than on the roof. Then, carry one set of lights up the ladder at a time. Use the pre-attached clips to fasten the lights under the shingles to line your roof as per your design plan.
6. Add Lights to Siding, Windows, Gutters, and More
Once the roof is done, you may be asking, how do you hang Christmas lights on other parts of the house like the siding, windows, and door frames? The best way to attach Christmas lights to the house depends on the area and material.
- Vinyl siding: Use vinyl siding clips that slide under the siding. They are damage-free and easy to reposition if needed.
- Brick, stone, and stucco siding: Use a hot glue gun to attach clips to your home’s exterior. It will peel off easily when it’s time to remove the lights.
- Window and door frames: Use adhesive clips that stick directly to the window and door frames.
- Gutters: Use gutter clips that slide over the lip of the gutters to securely hold the light strands in place.
- Columns, railings, and trees: Zip ties work great to secure lights on these surfaces.
Check for any potential signs of wear or damage to their home’s exterior as you install lights in each area. Consider whether it’s the right time to replace any damaged windows before winter. Contractors are often in lower demand in the fall, and replacing your windows now can prepare your home for the colder winter months.
7. Secure Cords and Set Timers
Secure cords properly to prevent accidents and ensure a tidy setup. Tuck away cords and plugs wherever possible. For ground lights, confirm there are no tripping hazards. As an extra precaution, you can wrap the connection points between light strands and the unused ends in electrical tape to keep water out.
Consider using timers for convenience, energy efficiency, and an effortless holiday lighting experience. You can use a smart plug to set a timer for the lights on your phone. This saves energy and reduces your electric bill.
Learn about home improvement financing options available so you’re ready for renovations and updates after inspecting your home.
Winter Safety and Maintenance Tips
If properly installed, your exterior Christmas lights and decorations should remain in place throughout the entire holiday season. However, after heavy snow or wind, it’s a good idea to check all your exterior lights for damage and re-secure them as needed.
While you are checking the lights, you might as well check the roof and gutters for storm damage too. It can be hard to spot roof damage, so don’t be afraid to call in professionals. As temperatures drop, you may also notice ice build-up on your roof which can cause water damage down the line. Consider hiring an ice dam removal service for safe maintenance.
Make Your Home Shine with FREE Gutter and Roof Inspections From MEI
Now that you know how to hang Christmas lights outside, you are ready to become the envy of your neighborhood, and a beautifully lit home starts with a safe and well-maintained exterior. Schedule a free gutter and roof inspection with Minnesota Exteriors (MEI) to ensure your home’s exterior is in perfect shape for the season.
MEI has an incredible team of industry professionals dedicated to service, quality, and excellence for over 75 years. No exterior home improvement project is too large or small for us.
Want to install gutters before putting up Christmas lights this holiday season? Or need a few exterior windows replaced before winter? We are here for you.