Steel roof and grounding??
#1
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: Southeast USA
Posts: 43
Upvotes: 0
Received 0 Upvotes
on
0 Posts
Steel roof and grounding??
When I put my steel roof on my house some years ago, I never thought about adding a ground and the inspector never mentioned it when he checked off on my work. We have plenty of tall pine trees around so the roof is definitely not the high point around here. What are your thoughts on a residential single story house and "lightning rods" or otherwise connecting a grounding system to the roof? I have read it is not necessary nor recommended and I have also read it is, so I do not want to create a problem if none exists. I have no gutters or downspouts either. There are a lot of steel roofs in the area and I never see any lightning rods.
Thanks,
G
Thanks,
G
#2
Member
I would definitely bond it to your service ground. My house was struck this year, and I have at least 6 trees over 60' high within a hundred feet or so. The fact that you live under a big capacitor plate makes it a bit easier to provide good coverage, compared to other, non-conductive roofs.
#3
Code does not require it, but also would not prohibit it. I'm not sure you would really get all that great of a bond down the length of the roof given that you're relying on painted panels just touching each other for continuity. I suppose you could run a bond wire down the length of the ridge or soffitt and bond each panel individually.
You could erect a series of lightning rods above the roofline. I don't know the details well enough other than to say it's more complicated than sticking a metal pole up on the roof. There seem to be some good resources online for designing the system and buying components.
You could erect a series of lightning rods above the roofline. I don't know the details well enough other than to say it's more complicated than sticking a metal pole up on the roof. There seem to be some good resources online for designing the system and buying components.
#4
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: Southeast USA
Posts: 43
Upvotes: 0
Received 0 Upvotes
on
0 Posts
The painted panels would be an issue I am sure. I may leave well enough alone. I think lightning hot my workshop roof once or twice but that has galvanized unpainted panels. I was in the shop when the lightning hit and it made a loud thunderclap and a most unusual high pitched ""ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ" sound. I stopped in my tracks and said "yikes"! I had a small leak and checked it out and found a small hole that looked like maybe where the lightning hit. I just stuck a screw in it.
#5
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: Southeast USA
Posts: 43
Upvotes: 0
Received 0 Upvotes
on
0 Posts
telecom guy,
I think the painted panels may make this tricky and I don't think I will want to spend a bunch of $$ on a commercial solution. But thanks for your comments. I know I would definitely look for and spend the $$ if I were out in the middle of nowhere and was the tallest place. I think I have just been having some bad luck recently and hope I don't again for a while as I have been here over 25 years and never had all this much lightning damage ever.
I think the painted panels may make this tricky and I don't think I will want to spend a bunch of $$ on a commercial solution. But thanks for your comments. I know I would definitely look for and spend the $$ if I were out in the middle of nowhere and was the tallest place. I think I have just been having some bad luck recently and hope I don't again for a while as I have been here over 25 years and never had all this much lightning damage ever.