Decorating your home for the holidays can be risky business.

With the holidays coming up, you are probably excited about decorating your home for the season.  However, it's important to understand that decorating your home does pose certain safety risks.  To ensure that you protect yourself, your loved ones, and your home, make sure you try out these decorating safety tips. Plan Ahead

• When planning your decorations, account for the number and location of electrical outlets on your property. This will ensure that you do not overload your outlets, causing them to overheat and catch fire.
• When deciding which decorative lights to use, make sure you are only choosing ones that have a UL, CSA, ETL, or another approval mark from a nationally-recognized safety lab. Additionally, make sure the lights you choose are designed for outdoor use.  Using the right lights for the job will ensure that they do not malfunction and cause damage or fire.
• Follow the manufacturer's guidelines for using your lights and decorations. Oftentimes, manufacturers will detail the maximum number of strings that can be attached to each other as well as the maximum wattage of replacement bulbs.
• Carefully inspect lights and other decorations for damage prior to using them. Defective decorations can start fires and cause other damage to your home or property.

Exercise Caution While Decorating

• When putting up decorations, make sure that they are kept at least 10 feet away from powerlines. Any closer and the wind might cause your decorations to hit the power lines, potentially starting a fire or causing a power outage.
• When hanging electrical decorations, make sure you use wooden or fiberglass ladders. Metal ladders conduct electricity, so using one could give you a nasty shock should something go wrong with the decorations.
• If you are attempting to repair or replace some of your electrical decorations, then make sure you unplug them first. This will save you from getting shocked or burning yourself on hot bulbs.
• After you've hung your outdoor decorations, make sure that you anchor them down, so they are not carried by the wind. This will ensure that you do not suffer property damage from falling or swinging decorations.

Employ these safety suggestions when decorating your home for the holidays.  Want another way to protect your home and loved ones this season?  If so, then make sure you have the right homeowners insurance in place.  For assistance with all your home coverage needs, contact the experts at Weeks & Associates Insurance Services in Thousand Oaks, California, today.