DIY secrets to ensure your outdoor Christmas decor can withstand even the worst Atlantic Canadian weather

Decorating for the holidays brings joy to many, but securing outdoor decorations can be challenging, particularly in Atlantic Canada, where winters involve heavy wind, snow, and rain. This article provides practical DIY tips to ensure outdoor Christmas decor remains intact despite harsh weather conditions. It highlights the importance of choosing durable materials and employing effective anchoring techniques to prevent damage and potential hazards. Jacinta MacDonald from Morell, P.E.I., offers several cost-effective strategies for securing outdoor decor. She suggests using zip ties, purchased from dollar stores, for their strength and reliability in preventing items from blowing away. For bows, MacDonald recommends using a construction stapler to secure them and advises opting for plastic-backed ribbon over woven alternatives, as the latter tend to fray quickly in adverse weather. Given the significant winds in her area, she emphasizes the need for heavy-duty anchoring from the outset to avoid having to constantly reattach decorations. MacDonald also uses chicken wire at the base of outdoor planters to hold greenery in place and places bricks inside the planters to add weight and prevent them from toppling over. She prefers solid wooden decor items over plastic or styrofoam for their stability and often screws her decorations to posts or railings. Additionally, she uses digger irons or tent pegs to secure items like wooden reindeer into the ground. Nancy O’Halloran of Kentville, N.S., shares her own tips, focusing on wreaths and planters. She suggests that holiday decorating can be a neutral way to spread joy. For wreaths, she advises against traditional hangers, instead using sticky tabs with hooks and padding the back of the wreath with fabric and electrical tape to protect the home’s siding. Like MacDonald, O’Halloran incorporates greenery into her outdoor decor. To weigh down planters, she reuses pots of dead chrysanthemums from her fall decor as a base and recommends using sandbags or even freezing water inside the planters to create additional weight. O'Halloran stresses the importance of securing all outdoor decor for safety, noting that loose items can become hazards in high winds. T.D. “Eddie” Edison, a self-employed carpenter from St. John’s, NL, provides professional insights into securing exterior decorations. Edison emphasizes considering the impact of wind and frost in all construction. She recommends using guy wires or lines with attachment points on decorations, such as pre-drilled holes or eyebolts, which can be found at hardware stores. Clothesline is suggested as an easy-to-use, inexpensive, and corrosion-resistant option, available in various weights and colors. For ropes, she advises choosing materials that are easy to tie and hold knots well, warning against most polypropylene ropes due to their stiffness and slippery nature. To stabilize decorations, Edison suggests using stakes or ground screws inserted into the ground at least one-and-a-half to two feet deep in at least three locations, angled away from the decoration. Dog lead ground screws are particularly effective and often made of stainless steel. For attachment to decks or verandas, small, stainless steel boat cleats are recommended for their aesthetic appeal and ease of use. Turnbuckles are highlighted as essential tools for shortening and tightening guy wires, with closed eyelets preferred over open hooks to prevent disconnection in high winds. Finally, when drilling into wooden decorations, Edison advises leaving ample space from edges to prevent cracking and pre-drilling holes slightly smaller than the screw shaft for better hold and to prevent splitting. #DIYDecor #ChristmasDecorations #OutdoorDecor #WinterWeatherTips #AtlanticCanada #HomeDecor #HolidayDecorating #WeatherProofing #DecorSecuring #DIYDecor #ChristmasDecorations #OutdoorDecor #WinterWeatherTips #AtlanticCanada #HomeDecor #HolidayDecorating #WeatherProofing #DecorSecuring

48 months ago

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