Be safe first and foremost we do not recommend walking around on your roof for safety concerns.
How to stay safe on roof hanging lights.
Don t lean your ladder on your gutters.
Use extension cords rated for outdoor use.
For example don t try climbing.
For another thing don t use a rickety ladder.
Be sure to unravel any knots in the strings of the lights prior to heading out the door.
Callen has a few tips on how to safely hang holiday lights without damaging the roof.
Be sure you do not strip the lights when you re removing them as pulling the clips off in one motion can damage your gutters.
Untangle strands of lights to save you time and effort while on the roof.
Before you set foot outside and begin hanging the first set of string lights on the exterior of your home it s important to examine the lights themselves.
However if you want to actually put up lights on your roof walking on it gently once a year won t hurt too much as long as you re careful.
The one we have linked here is fairly complex but the basic idea is to heave a line over the house.
So the best thing to do is to stay off the roof and put up lights from a ladder.
One idea is to use a vertical lifeline.
Walk gently and wear soft shoes like sneakers.
If you don t have a heavy duty beam to attach to you still have options for fall protection.
Then connect the lifeline and pull it over.
These could be signs of electrical damage which poses a potential fire hazard.
The correct and safest way to hang your holiday lights without damaging your roof is by way of roof clips on your gutters.
It s not safe for you or the gutters.