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If your home's exterior is coated in stucco—which is made of aggregates, water, and a binder—you might be scratching your head trying to figure out how to hang Christmas lights from it. Luckily, in that location are lots of ways to attach them to this dumbo decorative coating. After finding the right location on your abode to put your lights, you can first attaching them with glue, double-sided tape, or plastic roof clips.

  1. 1

    Tap lightly on your stucco to see if information technology has Styrofoam backing. Hot gum tin melt Styrofoam backing. If the tap makes a deadened sound, your stucco likely has Styrofoam backing and you should avoid using hot mucilage. If it sounds loud, you lot're good to become![1]

    • If your stucco has Styrofoam bankroll and you nevertheless want to endeavour using hot mucilage, purchase a mucilage that melts at a depression temperature and apply a mucilage gun with low-temperature settings. You should besides avoid glues that have stiff adhesive properties.

  2. 2

    Avoid using hot glue if your stucco is painted. Hot glue is smashing for attaching your Christmas lights to stucco but will cause peeling on painted surfaces. Whenever possible, run your Christmas lights along unpainted areas for the best results.[2]

    • If you can't discover a location that'southward non-painted, hang some or all of your lights using plastic roof clips.

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  3. 3

    Remove the light bulbs prior to installing your strings. This will make the process of attaching the lite cord much easier. It too helps y'all avert getting glue on the bulbs. Once the line is firmly in place, you tin can spiral the bulbs dorsum in quick and easy.[3]

    • Gently unscrew the bulbs by turning them counterclockwise.

  4. 4

    Apply a small bead of glue to the side of the first empty bulb socket. Exist sure to practice then to the side opposite from the socket's clip. Never use gum to the base of operations of the socket or you'll experience problems during removal and can cause the socket to detach from its string.[four]

    • Wait 2 minutes for the gum gun to estrus up before applying mucilage.
    • Lightly squeeze the mucilage gun's trigger to apply gum.

  5. 5

    Hold the light socket to the wall for 4 to 5 seconds. One time y'all apply a bead to the kickoff socket, press it firmly in place to the wall. Remove it later on 4 to five seconds or when the gum dries.[v]

    • Gently press on the socket after gluing it to ensure that it'south stuck firmly to the wall.

  6. 6

    Continue attaching the calorie-free sockets to your dwelling. Work your fashion around your dwelling in a clockwise or counterclockwise direction. Take intendance not to skip any lights on the fashion.[half dozen]

    • Infinite each light socket an equal distance from each other for the best results.

  7. 7

    Soften the glue with a oestrus gun to remove the low-cal sockets. If you make a fault and demand to remove a light socket from the wall, heat the glue with a rut gun. Once it'due south soft, scrape it off gently. Just recollect that this will likely leave some glue residual backside, and so try your all-time to place each socket equally accurately as possible the kickoff time around.[7]

    • Remove calorie-free sockets at the terminate of the flavor, or proceed them up year-round to avoid the removal process.
    • Purchase a oestrus gun from a home hardware store or online supplier.

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  1. i

    Make clean the surface of your home where you lot plan to install your lights. Utilize tri-sodium phosphate (TSP) or rubbing alcohol for the best results. Use a small-scale amount to a dry microfiber material and wipe down the surface of your stucco wall.[8]

    • Purchase TSP and rubbing alcohol from pharmacies, big-box stores, or online suppliers.

  2. 2

    Attach double-sided tape to your Christmas lights. Remove the back of the tape and adhere information technology to the dorsum of your start light. Make sure to press firmly against your light for 30 seconds to ensure a proper seal.[9]

    • Be sure to purchase a product that can hold as much weight as possible for the all-time adhesion.
    • For windy areas, double-sided tape holds upwards well compared to plastic roof clips.

  3. 3

    Printing your Christmas low-cal against your abode. Remove the comprehend on the remaining side of the tape and press your Christmas lite confronting the stucco wall. Again, hold it firmly in identify for 30 seconds to ensure a proper seal.[10]

    • Go on attaching double-sided tape to your Christmas lights and pressing the lights to the wall.
    • Work around your dwelling house in a clockwise or counterclockwise direction and be sure not to skip whatsoever lights along the way.

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  1. one

    Purchase plastic clips or hooks. Head to a home hardware store or visit an online supplier and buy plastic light hooks or clips. If you want to connect your lights direct to the gutter edges, buy elementary hooks. If yous desire to clip your lights tighter—which is ideal for rope lights or icicle lights that don't have bulbs—purchase prune types. Clip types besides attach over the edge of the gutter.[11]

    • Make sure there are plenty clips or hooks for the length of your lights.

  2. 2

    Clip your light to a shingle, gutter, or eave. Regardless of the blazon of plastic claw yous use, always start by connecting the start one over the edge of the gutter. For areas that don't have gutters, spike it to the shingle or drip edge—just be conscientious non to lift the shingle and break its bond to the shingle beneath information technology.[12]

    • Accept care not to puncture holes in your siding or shingles.

  3. 3

    Go on attaching your Christmas lights to your home. Afterward the first light is secure, work your way around your habitation in a clockwise or counterclockwise direction. Check that each clip or hook is secure afterwards attaching it.[13]

    • Take intendance not to skip any lights forth the mode.

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Add New Question

  • Question

    How do y'all hang cord lights on stucco?

    Drew Hawkins1

    Drew Hawkins1

    Customs Answer

    Yous could employ hot mucilage or double-sided record to attach the string lights. Add a small dewdrop of glue onto the back of the lights and stick them individually to the wall. Hold them against the wall for 10 seconds so the glue dries and they stick. Nonetheless, if you lot have painted stucco, don't use hot glue. Go with double-sided tape instead. Merely cutting a small piece of record and attach it to the back of your lights. Remove the newspaper to expose the adhesive and adhere the lights to the stucco.

  • Question

    Does hot gum come up off stucco?

    Drew Hawkins1

    Drew Hawkins1

    Community Reply

    If your stucco has been painted, then the hot glue will cause peeling and cracking. If the paint chips off, and so the glue volition come off as well. If y'all're trying to attach something to stucco, go with an adhesive such as double-sided tape. If the stucco is outdoors, consider using roof clips fastened to a shingle, gutter, or eave.

  • Question

    What kind of tape volition stick to stucco?

    Drew Hawkins1

    Drew Hawkins1

    Community Answer

    Most tape volition stick to stucco, but it'southward of import that you clean the surface of the stucco first so grit and dirt doesn't bear upon the agglutinative. Use a strong cleaner such equally tri-sodium phosphate (TSP) or rubbing alcohol which will make clean the surface without damaging it. When you're done cleaning the stucco, dry information technology off completely with a clean towel and then the moisture won't prevent the tape from sticking.

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  • Map out the installation location of your Christmas lights. Use a piece of chalk to mark off your abode or draw a rough sketch on a notepad. Be sure to measure the location and make sure y'all have enough lights and wiring to cover it all.

  • Give yourself 2 to 3 anxiety (0.61 to 0.91 chiliad) of extra wiring to account for mistakes.

  • Brick is another difficult material to hang Christmas lights on, just if you lot accept brick walls in improver to stucco, you can use brick clips, hot glue or permanent plugs for those.

Thanks for submitting a tip for review!

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  • Have a friend watch you in case of a autumn and do extreme circumspection when working from heights.

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