You’ve barely finished off the last pound of turkey but your mind is already reciting the epic Clark Griswold line from National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation. "250 strands of lights, 100 individual bulbs per strand, for a grand total of 25,000 imported Italian twinkle lights." For the few that have yet to see the 1989 classic, this is the line Chevy Chase’s character (Clark) pronounces as his whole family gathers on the lawn for the initial turning on of the lights. Clark then plugs the lights in and … nothing. Both the strand and house is as dark as a starless sky. And Clark dedicated the lights to the family and all. It was a huge disappointment and embarrassing to boot. But don’t be like Clark, here are a few helpful tips to have the perfect time when stringing the Christmas lights on your roof.

Safety First

“There are about 250 injuries a day during the holiday season.,” reported Robert Adler, Acting Chairman of Consumer Product Safety Commission. “Adding safety to your checklist can keep a holiday tradition from becoming a holiday tragedy.” With this being stated, safety starts with your electrical outlet. The DIY Network recommends you use a ground fault circuit interrupter (GFCI) outlet to plug in your lights. This way if there is overcurrent, you are safe and secure.

With the right outlet in place, make sure you’ve got a sturdy ladder; it is a long way down. And there is nothing worse than everyone gathering during future holiday events as talk will surely turn to the time when you tried to hang lights on the roof and came tumbling down. There are over 90,000 people treated at the emergency room each year due to ladder accidents. The added weather elements should heighten your awareness also.

Once you’ve got the proper outlet to plug your lights in, and a ladder to match, this is where the real danger lurks, the above mentioned weather elements. When hanging your lights, if you already have snow on the rooftop, be cautious of ice dams or sliding snow. You don’t want to try and get onto your roof and cause an avalanche effect. So to avoid this all together, go with adhesive light clips and stick them on the gutter or other nearby surface.

Transition to LED Lights

Every year families string up lights along the roof with little thought other than choosing between multi-color lights and clear lights. But if you consider the electricity used during the holiday season, you may reconsider your take on how you spread holiday joy. Most families probably still utilize the old incandescent conventional lights that they’ve used for years. Why, because they still work. There’s no extra effort other than pulling them out of storage. But if you consider saving electricity (and maybe more importantly saving money) as a factor, then you might want to switch to LED lights.

While LED lights are a little bit more expensive on the shelves, they will save you nearly $10 per holiday season via your electric bill. And while that may not sound like that big of a difference, just think how long you’ve had your traditional lights, the savings does add up. And to bring it back to safety, LED lights stay cooler than traditional lights, making them less of a fire hazard for your home.

Always Accessorize

Keep in mind when it comes to Christmas lights and your roof, it never hurts to utilize accessories. For one, you could cover safety and costs in one swoop with the help of a gutter hanging kit. Basically it is a giant arm extension. You won’t have to worry about falling as you can hang your LED lights from the ground. Another convenient way to go is purchasing a timer. This way you never forget to turn your lights on, and they never stay on too long. You get to spread the joy and save some electricity all with the help of this easy to use accessory. And if you like to get creative in your design, there are blackout caps. Now you can get extra spacing if needed with the help of these quick slip on covers.

These are just a few tips for hanging Christmas lights on your roof this holiday season. Because if you’re looking to make a statement to your neighborhood or even just to the family, you want to make sure you get it right. So remember, safety first, save when you can, and accessorize and you’ll be sure NOT to have a Clark Griswold moment.