When you think of Christmas movies, its hard not to include National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation. Clark Griswold has the ability to not only make us extremely uncomfortable through all his struggles, but his passion for family, holidays and spirit is what warms our heart.
In Christmas vacation, it was a struggle. from stapling christmas lights on the entire roof, to holding on for dear life to his gutters, Clark Griswold truly offered some tips on safety and holiday decorating. So what did we learn?
Stapling Christmas Lights To The Roof
It might be beautiful, however stapling Christmas lights to your roof can put even more stress on your shingles. Shingles, especially in New England, are under a lot of stress from natural weathering. When you use a staple gun, you are putting small holes that could allow for water to penetrate. It also will weaken the shingle and potentially take life span off of your roof. If you leave the staples in, they will corrode and make the small hole even worse.
Test your lights before putting them up
Not everyone is as neat and picky about their Christmas lights as others. If you have your Christmas lights in a beautiful ball, make sure you test them before putting them up as some of the bulbs may have been compromised in that tight, ball like position. Do NOT cut any Christmas light strands while plugged in.
Ensure safe electrical outlet usage
Besides making sure that your outlets and light strands are in the correct position for use, over loading an outlet is not a safe idea. Make sure that you follow directions and maintain the safe limit for the Christmas lights and your outlet. As many of us are aware, CL&P costs are going up here in Connecticut. Christmas lights are also available in LED and other options so make sure to do your research before buying your Clark Griswold kit of lighting! While the savings may be small, every bit helps!