Metal Roofs And Lightning

Then the metal s fire resistant properties will protect your building even further.

Metal roofs and lightning.

In this regard metal building materials far exceed traditional wood framed buildings due to metal s non combustible nature. A metal building may survive a lightning strike with less damage than a similarly sized and located building made of higher resistance materials. The less its resistance to lightning the less likely a building will suffer damage. Fire is the most destructive element of a lightning strike because most roofs will immediately combust.

Contrary to popular belief metal roofs can protect your home. Metal roofing materials are non combustible so if a metal roof does get struck by lightning it is less likely to result in a fire than some other types of roofing materials such as cedar shakes. Even so metal roofs do not attract lightning and are not struck any more frequently than other roofing materials. A metal building system with a conductive metal roof and a conductive metal structural frame gives lightning a low resistance path to the earth.

Extensive research on lightning protection reveals that metal roofing is no more likely to attract a lightning strike than any other type of conventional roofing material. 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. The metal construction association notes that metal roofs do not attract lightning.

Structural damage stemming from lightning strikes depend on the building material s resistance to lightning.