12 Aug Lightning and Metal Roofs: Is It Safe?
As with any new discovery, when homeowners first learn about metal roofs, there are many questions. One of the most common questions pertains to the combination of lightning and metal roofs: Is it safe? Check out the guide below to learn whether you have to worry about installing one of these popular roofs on your home.
Conductivity and Attraction
Many homeowners know that metal is a strong conductor of electricity. As a result, mixing metal and electricity can be a dangerous thing. Another result of this fact is that some homeowners have concerns about putting metal roofs on their homes. If metal conducts electricity, and you put more metal on your roof, that should make you more susceptible to lightning strikes, right? Well, thankfully, that’s not true. Remember that metal conducts electricity—it doesn’t attract it. Since your metal roof isn’t attracting electricity, you don’t have to worry about the material bringing lighting strikes to your front door.
Lightning Strike Habits
That said, if you live in a lightning-prone area, you should speak with a local lightning protection specialist to discuss other preventative measures worth taking. In fact, such a specialist can typically ground metal roofs if that’s what the homeowner wants. At the end of the day, lightning is most likely to touch down at the highest point nearby. Therefore, whatever material the highest object nearby is made of will be the most vulnerable to lightning.
When Lightning Hits Metal Roofs
Will your metal roof repel lightning? No. But, when it comes to the concern of lightning and metal roofs, is it safe? The location of your home has far more impact on this topic than your roofing material does, so it’s just as safe as other roofing materials. That said, if you reach out to a professional who installs high-quality metal roofs for residential homes, you can invest in a roof that can combat lightning better than other materials. Metal roofs are just as susceptible to lightning strikes as other roofing materials but can withstand such events more successfully thanks to their non-combustible nature.