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How I hang Christmas lights without a ladder

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Re: How I hang Christmas lights without a ladder

#81

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Well, they're painted. And you'd think that would still mean rust where they were scratched, cut, etc. But OP's magnets stuck to a drip edge, which I wouldn't think would be made out of plain steel either. I'm assuming my gutters aren't ferromagnetic, but I could be pleasantly surprised!

On US homes, drips are typically galvanized steel because they are a commoditized roofing product. Gutters are usually aluminum because gutters and downspouts are a specialized trade and those businesses fabricate components on-site from aluminum roll stock to correctly fit the building.

The drip edge on the house, some drip edge I just bought for a shed, and a few different types of unused drip edge I've had sitting around for a decade are all non-ferromagnetic. The stuff I just bought at Home Depot even says "aluminum for light weight".

The gutters have seams and weren't formed on site, but are also non-ferromagnetic. So much for the hope of quick and easy mounting.

If I had to guess - while galvanized steel wouldn't rust on its own, it's avoided due to the possibility of being in contact with other metals that would cause it to still rust. Roofing nails are galvanized, but they're supposed to be dry under the shingles.

Re: How I hang Christmas lights without a ladder

#82

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Why? That looks like a guaranteed way to result in an accident for a pretty minor novelty. If nothing else, using leds that look like candles would be less maintenance with the huge upside that they are incredibly unlikely to be able to start a fire.

If it was a guaranteed accident like you suggest people wouldn't have done it for decades. Not the safest thing, but judging by the news it seems not even close to all the injuries weeks later from fireworks.

I've got to wonder if part of the reason it seems insane is because we've gotten used to single/dual generation households. If you light candles on a tree, then it's a commitment for you or your partner to be in the same room as that tree until the candles are extinguished. But if there is an older generation sitting around to be on firewatch, then it doesn't seem so limiting.
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