It’s the holiday season, and there’s a lot on everyone’s mind. From remembering gifts for everyone on your list to making it to each concert and party, it’s the most wonderful—and the most hectic—time of the year.
As festive decorations make their way out of storage, many of us are eager to turn our homes into cheerful holiday spectacles. It’s fun to adorn the house with twinkling lights, but don’t forget that all those decorations, not to mention the winter weather, can take a toll on your home’s siding.
The good news? Great residential siding companies can patch up any harm that comes to your home from winter weather or the decorations. And with a little extra care, you can keep your home merry, bright, and damage-free throughout the season.
Prepare for Winter Weather
‘Tis the season to be ready— before that first snowfall hits, you might want to take a moment to check your siding for cracks or gaps. Sealing any problem areas now will keep out moisture and cold air, helping your home stay warm and cozy—better a little toasty than having icicles forming in the walls.
Once winter’s in full swing, regularly clearing away snow and ice that piles up against your siding can help prevent water damage and dangerous ice buildup. And when you’re de-icing the driveway or sidewalk, go easy on the salt, or even opt for calcium chloride, which is a safer alternative that won’t corrode your siding.
Think About the Walls
When you’re decorating for the season, keep your siding safe by using removable mounting equipment like gutter clips for string lights—no need for nails or screws. Your future self will thank you.
Do you want that big light show without all the house damage? LED lights are the way to go. They’re energy-efficient, won’t overheat, and are less likely to pose a fire risk, so your home (and wallet) stays safe while shining bright all season long.
Think about what you use to hang or set up your decorations. Adhesive hooks, siding clips, or magnetic hooks are excellent siding-friendly options to make your home merry without causing harm. For banisters or columns, soft decorative ties like rope or ribbon will be gentler than wires or rough materials that could scratch the paint.
Wreaths
Wreaths are a welcoming and fresh way to decorate your home’s exterior. But figuring out how to hang them can be a pain.
Whether you’re placing them over the windows or on the door, it’s best to use wire hangers or door hooks instead of nails or screws to prevent damaging your siding or door paint. You want to hang a wreath to say “Welcome,” not “Help! I’m hiding scratches on my door.”
Safety First
When you’re up on the housetop installing lights, it’s a good idea to wear your non-slip, rubber-soled shoes to avoid slipping or damaging your shingles and needing to add “roof repair” to your wishlist. Sadly, we can’t all have jolly magic boots to keep us stable on the roof in the wintertime.
And if you don’t use a ladder that’s stable, you could find yourself in the emergency room on a cold evening instead of at home by the fireplace. Plus, a stable ladder is less likely to slip and scratch or crack your home’s siding.
While you’re at it outside anyway, it might be time for an inspection of your outdoor electrical outlets. Look for wear and tear, burn marks, or loose outlets—these could all cause big issues. If you find any of those on your home’s exterior, it’s time to call the pros. You want your home to glow but not from a fire hazard.
Post-Holiday Cleanup
If you’re like Taylor Swift, you might be keeping your Christmas lights up until January—or maybe even February. Everyone knows that the worst part of the holidays is cleaning it all up at the end. It’s so glum, so blue. But it must be done.
So, when you’re taking down your lights, garland, inflatables, or whatever else it may be, carefully remove any hooks, clips, and other mounting equipment. That way, you can avoid peeling paint or cracking siding. After all, your siding successfully survived the frigid Utah holiday season. Don’t let a hasty cleanup be the reason you need to call in a Salt Lake City siding repair company.
And as you send your decor back into storage for another 11 months, it’s a good idea to inspect for any damage. If you catch small cracks or gaps in the siding early, they can be repaired easily before they grow into bigger headaches.
Light it Up
Don’t believe the Scrooges who tell you that a cheerful holiday home exterior will ruin your home’s value or paint job. We say that festive decor and a well-maintained home can go hand in hand. It just takes a little careful installation on your part. But if it all sounds like too much, you could hire a team of Christmas light installers.
So go ahead, deck the halls, light up the night—just don’t scratch the siding.