Patio lights help in making your patio more comfortable and improve the outward appearance of your house. To maintain the beauty of the patio, sometimes you will need ways to hang the lights without drilling. Nails and holes drilled can affect the aesthetics of your patio.
Adhesives and hooks can be used to hang your patio lights. You can use posts, trees, or bushes if you have them near your patio. Lanterns also provide great options for lighting patio ways without drilling. In this guide, we will look at different ways we can hang the lights without the nails or screws.
Reasons for Installing Patio Lights Without Drilling
I would like you to understand the benefits and reasons for not drilling when hanging patio lights. This is important before we go into the different ways you can hang patio lights without the drilling. They include;
- Using nails and drill holes can damage the elements of your house. If your siding is made of stucco, drilling nails damage it. Also, nails are limited in terms of flexibility. When you want to move the patio lights somewhere else, you will have to remove the nails.
- The home’s curb appeal will be improved if you do not use drills. If you would like to sell the house, this will allow you to take nice pictures and attract potential buyers. Also, the neighbors passing your home will be attracted to the well-lit patio.
- Your life’s quality will be greatly improved. With the well-hang patio lights, you can have great moments with your family. You can also read books, watch movies or even work there. In simple terms, you will enjoy your patio more.
7 Ways to Hang Patio Lights Without Drilling
Let us take a look at different ways the patio lights can be put in place without the nails. In this case, string patio lights will take the headlines. This is because they are the ones that can be hung easily.
- Glue-on Hooks
This is an easy way to hang patio lights without drilling. You do not have to acquire any glue to perform your tasks. What you do is you buy an adhesive hook from online stores like Amazon. An example is Command Wire Hooks on Amazon. To stick it on the wall, peel the paper over the adhesive off. You can then stick it on the patio wall before hanging the lights.
The pros of these hooks is that they are strong. You can also remove them when moving without dealing with nails or holes. On the other hand, there can be downfalls in using these hooks. They are not the easiest when trying to move any time you want. The strength of the adhesive reduces after you peel it off. This means it will be hard to stick it on another wall.
More so, the hooks may leave some residual adhesives when peeled off. This leaves an ugly look on the patio wall and incurs additional costs to clean the wall. Avoid these hooks if you have wallpapers on your patio. Other brands have adhesives that can come off easily if you use a hairdryer.
- Applying Tape
Hooks can be limited in the market or their adhesive may be too strong. Using tape can help you solve these problems. It is recommended to use clear tape because it is less noticeable. Also, clear tapes when peeled off leaving behind a clear residue.
Duct tapes are stronger and often leave an ugly residue when peeled off. You can use a hairdryer when peeling duct tapes as the heat will help reduce the residue. Knives can also be used to gently scrape the residue from patio walls. Another alternative includes using a solution of soap and water to remove the residues.
- Using Staples
Staples are stronger compared to the tapes. Tapes can lose their strength over time especially if it rains. The downside of staples is that they can destroy the patio walls. Also, staples can only be used on certain walls like wood. Do not use staples if your patio’s siding is stucco.
- Using Gutter Hooks
As the name suggests, gutter hooks are s-shaped and can be hung on the gutters. You can thread the lights on one end while the other end is attached to the gutter. The main advantage with this is you can move the lights any time you want. It thus suits people who like hosting different events on their patio.
The downside is that it is limited to only hanging the lights on one end of your patio. You cannot hang the lights across the entire patio because there are no gutters there. This forces you to include one of the other options.
- Hanging on The Roof
If you have a covered patio, you can simply hang the lights on the roof. Most roofs have horizontal wooden posts running across the patio. You can use a thread, tape, or staples to attach the lights to the posts. You cannot use staples if you have a metallic roof.
- Using Nearby Trees
This method is another ‘If” and will require you to incorporate the other methods in this article. You can use a branch nearby to hang your lights. Others can drill holes on trees or use adhesive hooks on trees to hang the lights. Make sure where you hang the lights does not affect how well your patio will be lit.
The method helps avoid damaging the wall. However, you can only do this if you have trees nearby. There are more costs like the incorporation of the other methods. Also, calculations have to be done to avoid imbalance when hanging the patio lights. For example, if the holes are too close, the string for the lights should be loose.
- Hanging on The Patio Railing
You can hang your patio lights on the railing especially if you do not have trees nearby. Drilling on the railing is always an option but it will ruin it. The adhesive hooks, tapes, and staples can also be used to attach the lights to the railings.
The benefit of this method is that it is cheaper to replace a railing than a wall. Imagine replacing a whole side of your patio because of drilling. You can also avoid the staples being noticed by stapling on the underside of railings. Tape residue can also be hidden.
Conclusion
Yes, there are a lot of ways you can hang the patio lights without drilling or using nails. Whatever method you decide on; you will be able to make your patio admirable. You will not destroy the beauty of your patio in any of the above methods. Lastly, remember to be careful when installing the lights, especially on the ladder.