How to Secure Halloween Decor to Stucco Outside or Around Your Pool

Halloween is just around the corner. As everyone else you are eager to show off your DIY skills by making spooky-licious art, ghastly goblins, and hocus pocus decorations that hang on your stucco. However, hanging outdoor ornaments on your stucco can get tricky. Many times, stucco may chip or splinter as you try to nail something into it. That’s because stucco comprises of several layers of a cement-like mixture. Without adequately preparing the surface first, if you try to drill into a stucco, it may have cracks lines forming on its thin finish coat leading to costly repairs. But, you can still put up your scary props that make your Halloween decor stand out without drilling permanent holes into the walls.

Here are some easy ways to attach beautiful and festive Halloween decorations to stucco.

Hot Glue

Hot glue is one of the go-to solutions for many arts and crafts lovers who like to do things on their own. Using a hot glue gun to stick your art to stucco is an easy process.

1. Load the hot glue gun with a glue stick and plug it into an outlet.
2. Pick the Halloween decor piece to be attached and mark the spot where you wish to hang it. For instance, if you are planning to hang spooky and gothic lighting on the wall, hold the string lights against the wall.
3. Press the nozzle to the marked spots and pull the trigger over the cord.
4. Allow the hot glue a few seconds to harden. After securing the glue in the first spot, move on to the next place marked at about 18 inches away.

Repeat these steps until you attach the whole string.

Stucco Hooks

Another fast and no-nonsense method of attaching decor is to use stucco hooks from Home Depot.

a) Suction Cup Hooks

Hang your Halloween decorations to stucco with suction cup hooks, which can be installed within seconds. Rather than drilling or nailing your beautiful and funky scarecrow mascots, use the power of suction cups and greet your trick-or-treaters.

Whether it is a faux pumpkin lantern or candles placed in decorated mason jars, they can hang from these hooks. Most suction cup hooks can be attached to all surfaces and textures, but it is wise to use them on smooth stucco finishes. Here’s how:

1. First, clean the surface onto which you are mounting the suction cup or your decor with rubbing alcohol, water, or white vinegar.
2. Similarly, wipe the suction cup inside and out, with water or a clean lint-free cloth to remove any greasy film.
3. Place the cup on the surface and press it down gently against the wall. Viola! It is over.

b) Adhesive Hooks

To attach lightweight items, use special adhesive hooks for stucco. Adhesive hooks stick to the wall right away, and once you are done with their use, you can even remove them in a jiffy.

Adhesive strips or hooks will stick to most smooth surfaces, but may not be suitable for textured surfaces. Without making a hole in your wall, adhesive hooks can comfortably hang decor items weighing up to 3-5 pounds. You can buy these stucco hooks at Home Depot.

Things to Remember:

• Check the details mentioned on the pack, like how much weight can they bear.
• Make sure that the adhesive strips or hooks are rated for outdoor use
• To stick things on a freshly painted wall, wait for about seven days to let the paint dry.
• Clean the surface thoroughly to remove dirt, dust, stains, grease, or other residues.

Wire Hangers

There are a lot of branded wire hangers available in the market, which can be used for stucco. Some are plastic wire hangers, which can be hanged in placed utilizing a screw. Other kinds of wire hangers are lightweight fasteners made of steel, and you can install them into the wall directly, without using any tools.

Although they are light in weight, they are very durable and strong. According to the claims of top brands, their products can support a maximum of 100-150 pounds. So, if you are hanging up massive Halloween decorations to stucco, you can use more robust hangers.

So, you can scare the neighbors with terrific decorations like spider webs, skeletons, or black wreaths when you use these hangers. Or, add a little witchy element to your home – paint the pumpkin black and turn it into a candy holder.

Tips for Proper Installation of Wire Hangers

• Choose wire hangers that can penetrate stucco walls.
• Prevent damage to the wall by slowing pushing the hanger instead of a swift thrust.

Duct Tape

While mentioning a long list of ways to hang art on stucco, how can we forget the versatile, yet humble duct tape? We use it every day for various purposes, but you might not even that there are different grades and types of duct tape that you can use for plenty of occasions.

a) Double-Sided Tape

For lightweight items like wreaths, hats, or cutouts of bats, you can use double-sided tape. It glues the pieces to the stucco, but since it is not very adhering, these may come off after a while. Still, double-sided tape is excellent for temporary occasions like these, as you take down the Halloween decorations after some time.

You can stick one side of the tape to the wall and the other side to your handmade or store-bought crafts. You can use this day-to-day use item to keep cables, cords, or strings away from the walkway and prevent someone from tripping over them.

b) Stucco Duct Tape

Stucco duct tape does not leave a residue and is sturdier than regular duct tape, which we also use for children’s projects. It is sturdier and can be used on a wide range of materials like metal, concrete, wood, brick, vinyl, and stucco.

Besides, you can use it on textured and irregular surfaces, too. With higher strength and durability, stucco duct tape provides a secure hold to your accessories and bears the elements well. It is engineered to create an airtight, watertight seal, and it comes off without leaving any damage behind.

Halloween Decor Is About Fun

Your idea of a freight night may include ghosts, zombies, skeletons, animals, ghouls, goblins, or witches. Whatever they are, hang those Halloween decorations to stucco walls with these tips. Sit back and bask in the delightful screams your Halloween decorations invoke.

After a few months of swim season, parents start to hear, “I’m bored!” Keep the fun going and stay as cool as possible with these tips for swimming pool activities:

1. Throw a Spontaneous Pool Party

Don’t wait for a special occasion, or feel like you need to make a big meal. Make a few calls or text messages and get the party started.

2. Buy or Create New Pool Toys

Pool hoops or volleyball provide something to do for 2 people or 20. See what you or your kids can come up with for making your own pool toys. Here’s one to get you started: Pool noodle javelin throw – make a circle out of a pool noodle and duct tape. Cut a pool noodle(s) in half to create a ‘javelin,’ and let the throwing contest begin. See how many games you can come up with – longest distance throw, the highest number of consecutive ‘throws,’ etc.

Here’s another one — Fill a 2-liter clear plastic bottle with pool water. Line players up on the side of the pool with their back to the water and throw the bottle in the pool. Then, the players turn around and jump in and try to find the bottle. It’s harder than it seems! (Make sure that the cap on the bottle is the same color as the bottom of the pool.)

3. Make an Underwater Movie

Buy an inexpensive disposable waterproof camera, dive in, and load up your Instagram account.

4. Do a No-Sweat Workout.

Water exercises are a great way to get moving and you’ll barely feel the burn. The natural resistance of the water makes the movement more effective and buoyancy can help prevent injury. So, turn on some music and jump in!

5. Take a Dip in The Pool at Night

Throw in some glow sticks and dive in, or blow up a balloon with a glow stick inside to create a floating lantern.

In Bakersfield, swim season may extend into October. A few tips for maintaining your pool all season long:

• Rinse off before getting into the pool.

Rinsing before swimming removes oil, sweat, lotions, cosmetics and soaps on our skin, hair, and bathing suit that affect the cleanliness of the pool. Soap and lotion residue contribute to poor water quality and increase the opportunity for waterborne illness and swimmer’s ear.

• Keep filters clean.

Clean filters maximize your pool’s efficiency. Certain filters, such as cartridge filters, don’t require any backwashing, which saves water. Remove debris such as leaves, bugs and trash daily to keep the water in your pool clean.

• Keep your dog out of the pool.

We know, it’s really fun to swim with your dog. But dog hair clogs your pool filter and makes the pool work harder. Also, chlorine isn’t good for a dog’s skin. If you can’t keep your dog out of the water, a chlorine level under 3.0 PPM is best.

• Throw in a tennis ball to absorb oil.

Tennis ball fibers help absorb oils, such as suntan lotions, which keeps your pool cleaner.

Happy summer, everyone!