It’s hard to believe that we’re already to the time of year when decorations go up on homes and businesses. We love seeing holiday decorations a much as anyone else, but what we don’t love is the damage some homeowners mistakenly make to their homes. We wanted to share some safe holiday decorating tips to help you avoid the mistake many homeowners make that damage their windows or siding.
No Nails
We have seen the damage done by nail holes in both siding and windows. Although your windows may have a wood or wood-like element to the exterior, they may not really be wood. If that’s the case, when you nail into them to hang a wreath or other decoration, you may damage the seal on the windows. A damaged seal will result in your window failing. If you’ve nailed into your window frame and later noticed the glass fogging up, or worse, water coming into your home, you need a replacement window.
Even if you have wood siding, you shouldn’t nail into it. When you put a hole into the side of your home, you’re creating an entrance for pests and water. Even a small hole can lead to big problems. If you must affix something to your siding, consider using a hook made for vinyl siding or a suction cup style hook. Just clean the area where you want the suction hook to attach since dirt will interfere with the suction. If you have James Hardie fiber cement siding, use a wire hook from your soffit trim. Although you can drill into Hardie Plank® it doesn’t have the strength to hold much weight and it isn’t advised.
No Duct Tape
Or any other type of tape! Although duct tape is the most common homeowner use to affix things to their home and may seem safer than nails, it is not a safe holiday decorating technique. When you use tape on your home it either fails to stick at all or sticks too well. When it doesn’t stick well, you end up with broken decorations. When it sticks too well it’s usually because the sun heated it up and bonded it to your windows or siding. Although it’s possible to get off with some work, you may need a product like Goo Gone to completely remove it. Sometimes the tape and/or solvent you use to remove the adhesive also removes the protective layer from your siding or window frames which leads to fading or discoloration.
The safest way to attach decorations is to use clips on your gutters, Command Adhesive hooks or suction hooks on windows, and to put your decorations in the yard rather than on your home. We hope everyone enjoys a safe and happy holiday season, no matter which holidays you celebrate. If you do find yourself in need of new siding or windows, Affordable Replacement Window Systems can provide a free estimate. Call (817) 264-6509 to schedule your appointment.
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