Better Safe Than Sorry

Holiday lights and decorations can be huge safety hazards. But in the chaos of holiday preparation, it’s easy to forget to be careful. Use these tips to stay safe as you decorate your house for the holidays.

Have someone hold the ladder

This might seem obvious, but we’ve all known someone who will do everything on their own if no one offers to help. If the person in your house who’ll decorate for the holidays is one of those people, or if you’re that person, make sure someone holds the ladder for them or you to prevent injuries.

Avoid Nails

If you want to be safe and avoid tools as much as possible, you could use command strips or hooks instead of nailing things. They’re sticky on one side and usually hold up to 3lbs. It’s an easy way to avoid tools and still get the job done.

If You Have to Go On the Roof

Using a big blanket or a thin mattress on the roof can protect your knees from getting scratched up. The roof is the last place you want to be in pain or feel physically unstable at all.

New Cords Are Cheaper Than a New House

Check your extension cords for cracks in the coating, because that could burn your house down. Use heavy-duty extension cords, and make sure cords outdoors are meant for outdoor use. You want to make sure the amperage of your lights and decorations match the amperage of your extension cord, particularly for big decorations. And, as a safety measure, use no more than three standard sets of lights per extension cord because more than that is a fire hazard.

Surge Protectors

In case bad weather causes a power surge, surge protectors will protect against fires and protect the bulbs from burning out. There’s a difference between surge protectors and power strips; both allow you to plug in multiple devices, but power strips won’t provide any protection in case of a power surge, while surge protectors will. Just how much a surge protector will protect against depends on the number of joules it has.

Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter (GFCI)

If you’re plugging in lights or decorations outside, make sure the outlet is GFCI-protected to prevent electric shocks or a house fire. A GFCI monitors the electric current, so if there’s an imbalance, it trips the circuit.

Don’t overlook safety in the midst of holiday preparation. Use these tips to decorate without risking electric shock, house fires, or injuries.

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