Short answer: no, not if they're hung with clips. Damage comes from nails, staples, screws and glue, and from pulling frozen lights off in January.
How lights are hung without damage
Professional installers use plastic clips made for Christmas lights. There are two main kinds:
- Gutter clips hook over the front lip of the gutter and hold the bulb upright.
- Shingle clips slide under the bottom edge of the first row of shingles. They grip by pressure, so there are no holes.
Both come off by hand in January and leave nothing behind.
What actually causes damage
- Nails, staples and screws. Every hole in fascia or trim is a spot where water can get in.
- Adhesive hooks. They can lose their grip in the cold, and they can pull paint off when you remove them.
- Pulling lights off when they're frozen. Ice locks the wire to the gutter. Yanking it can bend the gutter or crack the clips and shingles.
- Walking on icy or steep roofs. This is a safety risk first, and it can scuff shingles too.
Is it safe to leave them on all season?
Yes, with the right lights. Outdoor-rated LED bulbs stay cool to the touch and use very little power. A C9 LED bulb uses under 1 watt. Plug them into an outdoor outlet and put them on a timer so they come on at dusk and switch off at night.
How we hang lights
- Clips only. No nails, staples, screws or glue.
- Outdoor-rated, commercial-grade LED bulbs, cut to fit your house.
- We stay off steep and icy roofs, and we don't install in freezing rain.
- We take everything down in January on a dry day, so nothing gets pulled off frozen.
Got questions about your roof? Text a photo of the front of your house to 647-873-4935 and we'll tell you how we'd hang it.