Hazards of Taking Down Your Own Christmas Lights

Not many people particularly enjoy the grueling task of taking down all of the Christmas decorations that they put up at the beginning of the holiday season.  Aside from just having to bundle up and go out into the cold weather and snow (or ice, sleet or rain—it could be anything if you’re from Cleveland), it takes a long time to take apart all the hard work you did not too long ago, and it’s just a miserable job.  Very few people wait for the day they get to throw on layers of clothing and head out into the freezing cold just to undo their hard work.

First, it is highly recommended that Christmas decorations are taken down sooner rather than later, because the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) states that the longer these decorations are up, the more risk there is of them catching fire.  So, first thing’s first, no more putting it off.  Don’t be those neighbors who keep them up year-round and leave them off, hoping nobody else will notice until you turn them back on around Christmastime.

Once you actually get the motivation to get up on the roof—or just on the ladder—to start taking down the decorations, there are dangers that come along with doing it.  Below are some reasons why taking down your own Christmas decorations is just plain miserable.

1. Risk of falling.  You can take all the precautions, including having the right gear set up properly, but anytime you put yourself that high up off the ground, you’re at risk for falling.  A fall from that high up could lead to serious injury, and many people get up on their roofs—even more so this time of year—without the proper training, and they end up in the hospital.
2. Did we mention the cold?  In case you didn’t see us mention it the first time, the winter in this part of the world is cold.  Up on the roof, it’s even colder.  On some days, it can be just bitter, and if that’s the only day when you have time to get up there, you’re going to have to brave the appendages that become so cold it hurts and work through it while trying to handle everything with heavy gloves.  Keep in mind, the weather tends to be different when it’s time to take down the decorations than it was when you put them up, so now you’re battling ice that probably wasn’t there before.
3. You’re at risk of getting shocked.  Handling all the electricity that comes with Christmas lights is dangerous because with electricity comes a risk of getting shocked.  Even though the lights you put up last month may have been in perfect condition, the weather and wear causes fraying, which leads to electric shock and can even cause burns.
4. Cuts are common.  Holiday decorations may not go up with sharp edges, the same wear that causes electric shock brings out sharp pieces.  When you’re reaching for pieces that may not be within eyesight, sometimes cuts happen.  These cuts may be minor, but they can also be more severe, resulting in trips to the hospital for stitches, tetanus shots, and sometimes even antibiotics for infection.

What are your options?

Believe it or not, there are brave souls who can be hired to go up on your roof for your and take down all of your holiday decorations for you.  They will even properly prepare your decorations for storage so you don’t have to deal with pesky tangles next year.  Triple Peaks Roofing has contractors with the proper equipment and training to be able to safely remove your Christmas lights and decorations so that you don’t have to put yourself at risk.  We can save you time and keep you from having to risk the danger that removing holiday decorations brings and from having to brave the cold unnecessarily this holiday season.