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View Full Version : Aluminum Roof and lightning effect


SNOK
03-14-2010, 06:11 PM
There are quite a few houses in TV with galvanized aluminum roofs. Does anyone know if the aluminum roofs are any different from ashpalt shingle roofs when it comes to either being more or less desirable in lightning storms. If an aluminum roof were stuck by lightning, would the effect be any different than for an asphalt roof? I am wondering if an aluminum roof could be grounded (by attaching a copper cable(s) run to a grounding rod ), and essentially function as a ligtning rod system in its own right.

yobeano
03-14-2010, 11:54 PM
There are quite a few houses in TV with galvanized aluminum roofs. Does anyone know if the aluminum roofs are any different from ashpalt shingle roofs when it comes to either being more or less desirable in lightning storms. If an aluminum roof were stuck by lightning, would the effect be any different than for an asphalt roof? I am wondering if an aluminum roof could be grounded (by attaching a copper cable(s) run to a grounding rod ), and essentially function as a ligtning rod system in its own right.

You wouldn't want your roof to be "THE" lightning rod for your house. You would want an actual lightning rod mounted higher than the highest point of your roof so that lightning would strike a sacrificial rod instead of your roof. I would naturally call the local electric company before making that decision.