Steel Roofs And Lightning

The metal construction association notes that metal roofs do not attract lightning.

Steel roofs and lightning.

Lightning is a powerful destructive force of nature and will strike a building regardless of its type of roofing. The misconception that metal roofs attract lightning is probably because metal itself is known as a good conductor of electricity and people therefore assume that a metal roof must attract lightning. Metal roofs do not attract lightning strikes. It has been observed that installing a metal roof makes building owners think more about lightning and the dangers of lightning strikes.

It s understandable many homeowners believe metal roofing s steel tin or aluminum body can attract lightning. In reality when lightning strikes it is seeking a path to ground and almost always will strike whatever object is highest in the area that also has a direct path to ground. Fire is the most destructive element of a lightning strike because most roofs will immediately combust. Should your metal roof be struck by lightning the electricity will be spread out across a larger area which diminishes the immediate impact.

Steel roofing materials are no more attractive to lightning than any other type of roofing material according to the metal roofing wholesalers website. Decra stone coated steel is the only roofing material that adds shear strength to the roof to endure the forces of lightning shock waves as well as the high winds and hail which accompany thunderstorms. In this regard metal building materials far exceed traditional wood framed buildings due to metal s non combustible nature. The only way to protect a building is with a properly designed and installed lightning protection system lps.

A metal building system with a conductive metal roof and a conductive metal structural frame gives lightning a low resistance path to the earth. Fractured materials can generate dangerous shrapnel and it s not uncommon to find fragments embedded in walls after a lightning strike. Metal roofs are no more attractive to lightning than any other type of roofing material. Nor do metal roofs protect a building against lightning.

In truth high or thin points or structures that cover wide ground regardless whether they contain metal or not attract lightning. However even if metal is a great conductor of electricity it isn t a lightning magnet.