Merry Christmas From Our Family to Yours
Merry Christmas from all of us at Thrush & Son®. Every December we set down the ladders and the schedules for a moment to say the thing that matters most to us: thank you.
Our family started this company in 1960, when Wilbur Thrush began building and fixing homes across the Miami Valley. My father, W. Allen Thrush, carried it forward as the second generation, and today I’m proud to work beside him as the third.
In all that time, the work has never felt like work on houses. It has felt like work on homes, the places where your Merry Christmas mornings actually happen.
Consider this letter our Merry Christmas card, with a few extras tucked inside: how to hang lights without hurting your roof, a six-step checklist for a safe and warm holiday, and answers to the questions we hear every December.
And if you call while we’re home with our own families, you’ll still reach someone. Our AI assistant answers 24/7, holidays included. She’s named Michelle, after Mom, and she makes sure your message gets to our team.
Hang the Lights Without Hurting the Roof
Nothing says Merry Christmas from the street like a roofline glowing at dusk. It’s also the tradition that sends the most people up ladders. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission counts about 160 Christmas decorating injuries a day during the season, and nearly half involve falls.
How you attach the lights matters as much as how you climb. Pick a method and watch what it does to the shingles and gutters.
Would you rather skip the ladder entirely? Plenty of families hang a wreath on the door, line the walk with stake lights, wrap the porch rail, and call it a Merry Christmas. The house still glows, and everyone stays on the ground.
Skip it. Every staple is a hole through the shingle, and every hole is a path for water once the snow melts. Staples also tear the shingle when the lights come down in January.
Skip this one too. Nails and screws pierce the shingle and can break the sealant strip that holds it down in wind. That small leak may not show up until a spring storm.
Our pick. Plastic all-in-one clips slide under the shingle edge or onto the drip edge without a single hole. They come off clean in January, and the bulbs line up straight.
A good choice for most homes. Gutter hooks clip onto the gutter lip. Clear the leaves out first, because a clogged, frozen gutter plus a long strand is a lot of weight on the hangers.
Use lights rated for outdoor use, and never string together more than three sets of incandescent lights, a rule the CPSC repeats every season. Have a helper hold the ladder, and if the roof is steep or icy, stay on the ground. If you spot loose or cracked shingles while you’re up there, our roofing team can take a look after the holidays.
Six Checks for a Safe, Warm Merry Christmas
The holidays bring more people, more cooking, more candles, and more cords. According to the NFPA, candle fires peak in December, and Christmas Day sees nearly three times the daily average of candle fires. None of that should keep you from lighting the house up. It just takes a few minutes of prep. Check each item off and watch the house warm up.
Press the test button on every alarm. A fireplace, a furnace working overtime, and a full house all make it worth a minute.
Or switch to flameless candles near the tree, the curtains, and little hands.
A dry tree catches fast. Keep it away from heat vents, space heaters, and the fireplace.
Plug outdoor lights into a GFCI outlet, and don’t pinch cords in doors or windows.
Clean gutters help stop ice dams before they start. Our ice dam prevention guide explains why.
Fogged glass or a cold spot by the couch? Our window condensation guide shows what’s normal.
Thank You for Letting Us Into Your Home
Since 1960, more than 31,000 homeowners have trusted our family with their roofs, siding, windows, doors, and gutters. Each of those projects started with someone opening the front door and inviting us in. We don’t take that lightly, and it’s a big part of why every Merry Christmas feels like a reunion for us.
Some of you we met after a hailstorm. Some of you called because a window fogged up for the last time, or an entry door let in more cold than company. Whatever brought us together, you trusted us with the place your family gathers, and we’re grateful.
Thank you to our crews, too, who work through cold mornings and short days so more families are warm by the holidays, and to our office team, who keep every schedule and every phone call moving.
Every Merry Christmas card we send carries the same message at its heart. You let our family become a small part of yours, and that’s a gift we’ll keep working to deserve all year long.
Hosting this year? Our Christmas family gathering ideas cover the whole evening, from the first knock to the last log on the fire.
Holiday Questions We Hear Every December
Pull a drawer for the answer. These come up every year between Thanksgiving and New Year’s, usually from someone standing on a ladder. If yours isn’t here, call the office and ask; a real person or Michelle will get you an answer, even on Christmas Eve.
No. 01Will light clips damage my shingles?
Plastic all-in-one clips that slide under the shingle edge or onto the drip edge don’t pierce anything, so they won’t harm a healthy roof. Avoid staples and nails, and don’t force clips under shingles that are stiff from the cold; wait for a milder afternoon.
No. 02Is it safe to walk on my roof to hang lights?
If the roof is steep, wet, icy, or more than one story up, stay off it. Hang lights from a ladder that’s set on firm, level ground with a helper holding it, and use a light pole for the hard-to-reach spots.
No. 03What if a winter storm damages my roof over the holidays?
Call 937-833-5136. Michelle, our AI assistant, answers 24/7 and gets the details to our team. Our storm damage page explains what to look for and what to photograph for your insurance company.
No. 04Can you install a roof or windows in winter?
Many window and door projects continue through the winter, weather permitting, and roofs can go on in cold weather with the right products and planning. Your written quote will spell out what makes sense for your timeline.
No. 05How do I keep ice dams from forming?
Clean gutters, good attic insulation, and balanced attic ventilation keep snow from melting and refreezing at the eaves. Our ice dam prevention guide walks through each one.
No. 06Who runs Thrush & Son today?
Still the Thrush family. W. Allen Thrush, the second generation, owns the company, and Corey Thrush, the third generation, is Vice President. We work from our Brookville headquarters and our offices in Troy and Lebanon, and both of us send you a Merry Christmas.
The Credentials Behind the Card
A Merry Christmas card is only as good as the names signed at the bottom. Here’s what stands behind ours. Read more about our family or browse the project gallery to see the work.
When You’re Ready for the New Year, So Are We
If something about your house bugged you this season, like a drafty door, a stain on the ceiling, or gutters that spilled over, write it down. That list is the start of a great project. We give written quotes, offer financing, and answer the phone the same way we have since 1960. From all of us, Merry Christmas and a happy New Year.
Call 937-833-5136 · Office: Mon–Thu 9–4, Fri 9–2 · Michelle, our AI assistant, answers 24/7
