Christmas is just around the corner. And we all know what that means! In just a few days, your roof will be turned into a landing spot for Santa’s sleigh and eight reindeer (nine if Rudolph comes too).
Therefore, some proper maintenance is due, and we’ve got all the tips. Let’s see how you too can prepare your roof for Santa this year!
First things first — don’t overdo it with the decorations
Although Santa loves when houses are decked out in lights from top to bottom, there’s always a chance his reindeer will wreak havoc if they accidentally get tangled up in them. Thus, it’s always better to put up just a small amount of these lights on the roof for Christmas. After all, Santa’s a busy guy, so it’s important for him to keep a strict schedule!
However, what we do recommend doing with your lights is to create a landing strip on. Think about it — this time of year is colder, darker, and foggier and Santa’s not really that young anymore, so it’s safe to say he’ll need some help finding your house. So why not make it easier on him this time? Create a landing strip out of the Christmas lights so that he knows exactly where to park his sleigh!
Get a proper roofing inspection
Since Santa comes only once a year, it’s better to prepare for his arrival in advance. Therefore, it’s time to check the shingles and ensure all tiles are safe and secure by giving us a call and having one of our roofing professionals prepare a proper inspection of your roof.
Santa’s sleigh is quite large, and those reindeer are not very lightweight either. Thus, any sorts of cracks and damages will surely prevent Santa from doing his job properly.
If there is damage, you’ll want to fix the roof before Santa comes, and not just because he’s about to park a sleigh that weighs more than the roof can handle. Broken shingles or missing ones won’t do much for your home, as they won’t be able to protect it from water damage and debris properly. So in essence, by fixing them, you’ll not only make sure the roof over your head is secure but also that Santa has a firm landing spot!
Feel free to pour a glass of ‘nog and catch up on all of our preventative maintenance blog posts for tips and tricks to keeping your roof in top shape all year round.
Clean that chimney
Sure, Santa’s a big guy, and he’ll have to go down the chimney to deliver the presents. But if the chimney is dirty and full of soot, then that red suit of his won’t look impressive at all! Moreover, he’ll get soot in the living room as well. Trust us — that won’t be fun to tidy up on Christmas morning, that’s for sure.
Pick any chimney sweeping method you want, put on the Christmas tunes and maybe even call a friend to help you out. Make sure the chimney’s spotless before Santa comes!
Unclog and clean the gutters
He’s making his list, and he’ll check it twice, but if Santa sees some disastrous gutters, he might consider putting you on the “naughty list” next year! Therefore, always make sure your gutters are in top-notch condition.
The health of the gutters goes even beyond the importance of Santa’s arrival. When the gutters are a mess, i.e., clogged, the health of your home is in grave danger. If they’re filled to the brim with debris, dirt, and leaves, they could easily break away from the house. Just imagine how awful that would look on your impeccably decorated lawn!
So what can you do? Well, try to keep the gutters clear of debris during the whole year. If you haven’t been paying attention to them recently and think they might cause problems during Santa’s gift delivery, then perhaps it’s time to set up that ladder and give them a proper cleaning.
Leave some carrots (or some other vegetables) for the reindeer!
Traveling all the way from the North Pole can easily make a reindeer tired and hungry. So, since Santa will get some delicious cookies and a glass of milk, why not give the reindeer something to eat as well? You can scatter some carrots or some other types of vegetables around so that they know you’ve thought of them too.
Leave a present for Santa!
Santa will surely appreciate it if you’re able to leave a small gift for him. But if you have a present make sure to leave it somewhere Santa will be able to find it without much searching!
Santa’s the one who needs to have presents for all the children around the world, but who remembers him every year? Sadly, probably not many. So be different this year and make it count — leave a gift for Santa to show him how much you appreciate his hard work.
Make sure Santa doesn’t get caught in the branches
Lastly, before Santa comes, you ought to remember to trim overhanging branches. That way, you’ll ensure he makes a clean landing on the roof and doesn’t get caught up in them. Just imagine it — if Santa gets hit by a branch or two, that could certainly affect his schedule. So if you want him to drop the presents off as smoothly as possible, make sure there are no obstacles in his way.
Place a STOP sign
The landing strip will certainly let Santa know that he’s welcome in your home. However, just to be safe, if you happen to have a STOP sign and you’re able to put it on your roof or in your yard, don’t hesitate to do so. Back at the North Pole, these signs carry the same meaning as in our world, so Santa will definitely understand what it means. Moreover, if you can wrap it in some lights as well, that would also help him out a lot.
Remember — Santa’s back this year for one night only. Therefore, earn some “good” points and allow him to do his job as best and quickly as possible. Clean those gutters, address any roof damage and make sure your home is nice and tidy — he’ll undoubtedly appreciate it!
Tell him about US!
Remember that if you refer a friend (Santa included) for a free estimate from Tadlock Roofing, we’ll reward you with $150 when they sign the agreement for their roofing work to begin. Just let us know here and we’ll handle the rest.
