Should Metal Roofs Be Grounded

The concern about metal roofs attracting lightning strikes is most likely associated with the fact that metal can be an electrical conductor.

Should metal roofs be grounded.

Though metal roofs are good at guarding against a fire that approaches from outside a house such as from flying sparks and embers they are not ideal for fires that start inside a house. Fear of lightning strikes may be an imaginary problem but there are a few genuine disadvantages to metal roofs. Your metal roof is not grounded and thus lighting has no reason to strike it. If you plan on using metal roofing one thing you may consider is whether you need to ground that roofing as you do in other electrical or metal applications in construction.

Lightning will strike an item or material that gives the least resistance as a path to the ground. When it comes to grounding a metal roof this particular question is usually the instigator. For instance building codes require the pipes that extend from your home s interior to the roof to be made from polyvinyl chloride pvc. A grounded building will apparently form a faraday shield and that will keep the lightning on the outside rather than letting it go on the inside.

Metal roofing is extremely popular in all areas of construction from entire housing implementation to self built sheds in the backyard. Some actual disadvantages to metal roofs. Since a metal roof provides the same path as a standard roof on the same structure it won t pose a. Plus metal s inflammable nature means your home will be even more safe should the rare chance of a lightning strike actually take place.

Metal roofs are resistant to wind and hail weigh less than asphalt shingles require little maintenance and are energy efficient. From professor gene wengert forum technical advisor. Just the same metal roofs can be easily grounded by a lightning protection company. The truth is metal roofs don t attract lightning.

The grounding of a metal building is for keeping it at the same potential as ground in case of electrical problems or failures. Because metal roofs are by definition made out of metal you might be concerned about lightning and wonder whether you need to attach a lightning rod to your metal roof. Protect your building from lightning strikes with a metal roof.