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How do you attach to a roof (for a grid)?


chuckd

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I have a good sized roof, and am running 32 strings of lights spaced about 6 inches apart. Each strand is about 50 feet long. What I've been doing is stringing long electric fence wire, and attaching it to the peak about every 7 feet. Then I zip tie the light strands to the fence wire. This just barely works, and the lines aren't as straight as I'd like.

Is there an easier way without stapling to the shingles (standard shingle roof)?

I've seen people strip plywood and staple to it, but that's a LOT of plywood.....(I calculate it'd be about 1600 feet of plywood strips) not practical here at all.

Thanks guys,

Chuck

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chuckd wrote:

Is there an easier way without stapling to the shingles (standard shingle roof)?

What is wrong with stapling them? It would be the easiest way and you are not going to damage your roof if that is what you are thinking. I have been using staples for 15+ yrs and never once had a leak from it. It never penetrates the wood under the shingles and as soon as you pull the staples out the hole will self close from the heat.
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Texan78 wrote:

chuckd wrote:
Is there an easier way without stapling to the shingles (standard shingle roof)?

What is wrong with stapling them? It would be the easiest way and you are not going to damage your roof if that is what you are thinking. I have been using staples for 15+ yrs and never once had a leak from it. It never penetrates the wood under the shingles and as soon as you pull the staples out the hole will self close from the heat.

Do you use a "standard/office" stapler or a bigger one?
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I just use a Arrow T50 stapler. It is heavy duty but perfect for hanging lights. It is normally the one you see in the Christmas section they sell. The hole it creates in the shingle is not large enough to cause any damage. The hole is so small that water really can not penetrate it and it only goes through the shingle. Also the hole will seal back from the heat of the sun because of what they are made off. I even use them to hang my icicles.

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I've been stapling lights for years. Nothing beats a stapler gun that has a wire guide on it. No matter how hard you try, especially with as many staples as you plan on using, you will hit a wire if you don't have a wire guide. I string my lights while they are plugged in, and that ZAP scares the hell out of me. Getting scared while on the roof is not a good practice. Buy a staple gun with a guide and make sure that the enitire stapler is held flat against the roof. if you go at an angle there can be misfires.

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I stapled a ziptie or bag tie to the roof and then tied the lights to those. That way there is no zat. Takes a litle bit extra time, but even with a wire guide I'd hit one 90 percent of the time.

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  • 1 month later...

I live in an area where we get alot of snow on our roof(probably about a foot at any given time). Does anyone have a system for placing lights on the roof in these conditions?

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