Lightning in a bottle is great, but it’s not so great on your home
Your home’s height and building materials impact its likelihood of being struck by lighting.
Lightning rods divert bolts away from vulnerable and dangerous surfaces.
You may only need a lightning rod if you live in an area that gets an excessive number of storms each year.
Lightning protection systems cost between $450 and $2,700, depending on the number of rods, home size, and other factors.
There’s nothing like a refreshing thunderstorm at the end of a long, hot summer day. And if you want to add that extra creep factor to your favorite horror movie, you can’t go wrong with a lightning strike or two. But lightning quickly loses its charm if it strikes your home.
That’s why tall buildings, from high-rise apartment complexes to commercial skyscrapers, often have lightning rods to protect them from lightning damage and prevent potential lightning-induced fires. Here, we cover whether you need a lightning rod to protect your home.
You may think that only very tall buildings are vulnerable to lightning damage, and, in many cases, you would be right. The taller the building, the greater the risk of a lightning strike.
But it’s not only the building’s height that makes it susceptible—the materials can also increase the risk. Not only are wooden structures vulnerable, but so are the most robust building materials, including concrete, masonry, and steel. Lightning can easily damage and destroy building materials, and the large electrical currents can cause fires within the interior or side flashes.
Side flashes, for example, are small explosions of pressurized, super-heated air that occur inside the nooks and crannies of the structure’s materials. These tiny explosions occur because of each lightning bolt's huge electrical currents. Side flashes can start fires or shoot pieces of debris at high speeds, causing injuries and structural damage.
Lightning rods work by attracting the bolt, diverting it away from other more vulnerable and dangerous surfaces, and safely conducting the current down the side of the building and into the ground. Mounted on the structure's highest point, lightning rods are electrically bonded to Earth via conductors and electrodes, allowing electricity to pass through or around the building and disperse safely.
Most often designed to resemble decorative finials, lightning rods come in various forms, depending on both the design style of the building and the building’s particular risk for a lightning strike. Lightning rods may be solid poles, hollow poles, flat strips, or even bristle-shaped.
Although copper and copper alloys are the most common materials used in lightning rod construction, several different conductive metals are usable. Aluminum, for instance, is also commonly used in lightning rods.
Most residential homes don’t have lightning rods simply due to the rare occurrence of lightning strikes on small structures. But if you live in an area where lightning storms are frequent, or if you would just like to have some added protection and peace of mind, it may be a good idea to hire a professional to install one.
A lightning protection system on a residential home consists of the same materials as those on larger buildings, and they’re installed in the same way. Still, the larger building may have multiple rods and several conductors running to the ground.
Leave this task to the pros since it involves setting up a grounding system.
Installing a lightning rod on your house has advantages and disadvantages. Before you take that step, review the pros and cons to make an informed decision.
A lightning rod gives bolts of lightning a safe and direct path away from your home, giving your property considerable protection from damage.
You can avoid paying for costly repairs to your home, including the foundation.
When properly installed, a lightning rod enhances the safety of your home, greatly reducing the risk of injury or death from lightning strikes.
Some insurance companies will offer decreased premiums for homes with lightning protection systems.
This system could affect your home’s aesthetics and visual appeal, particularly if you want to maintain a minimalist or vintage look.
Though lightning rods can effectively divert direct lightning strikes, your home can still sustain damage from secondary strikes or power surges.
Depending on the architecture or age of your home, installing a lightning rod can pose costly logistical or structural challenges.
Depending on the storm activity in your area and your home’s building materials, you may not need a lightning rod for your house.
The cost to install a lightning protection system depends on several factors, including:
The type and number of rods you need
The size of your home
The height and pitch of your roof
Each determines how easy (or difficult) the installation and grounding will be.
In most cases, though, you can expect to pay $450 on the low end or more than $2,700 on the high end, with the national average of $1,600. This total includes materials and labor.
In many areas, you will also need a permit for your system to ensure it meets local safety codes, which can add between $50 and $500 to your project costs.
Installing a lightning rod is a task best left to professionals. The biggest reason is that a lightning rod’s effectiveness depends on proper installation. Proper installation depends on highly specialized knowledge and experience, without which you run the risk of errors that could lead to inadequate protection or even unintended safety hazards.
Additionally, many insurance companies will require you to hire a professional to install a lightning rod. These pros are familiar with the safety standards and regulations for installing these systems. A professionally installed lightning rod will also come with warranties that cover installation and parts.
For help with lightning protection, contact a local electrician who can give you a good idea of what will work and what won’t for your home and area.
If you’re not sure about making the leap, there are things you can do to protect your home from lightning strikes other than installing lightning rods or a full lightning protection system. For example, you can install whole-house surge protectors to safeguard your appliances, electronics, and your home’s electrical system. These protectors significantly reduce the risk of lightning-related fires.
Installing a lightning protection system for your home isn’t wallet-friendly or easy. But if you live in a strike-prone area, or you’re simply looking for an added layer of protection for your home and family, installing a lightning rod (or several) can be just what you are looking for.
