Do Metal Roofs Attract Lightning?

If a storm brings lightning to your area, your house is generally considered a safe place to be. But what if you have a metal roof? Do metal roofs attract lightning? Does that make your home more hazardous?

The short answer is no, metal roofs do not attract lightning, and in fact, a metal roof can actually improve your safety should a lightning strike occur. Read on to learn how lightning strikes can damage a home and why metal roofs can be beneficial in these situations.

Is Your Home Safe During a Storm?

According to the National Weather Service (NWS), there are about 25 million cloud-to-ground lightning strikes in the United States each year, resulting in an average of about 51 fatalities per year over the last 30 years.

If you’re in your home during a storm, you’re likely to feel safe. The NWS agrees that a house is a safe place, as long as you avoid anything that conducts electricity.

“This means staying off corded phones, electrical appliances, wires, TV cables, computers, plumbing, metal doors and windows,” NWS explains. They go on to note that windows are hazardous as lightning can come in through the cracks in the sides.

Lightning Can Cause Damage to a Home

The number of lightning-caused U.S. homeowner’s insurance claims increased in 2022 over 2021, according to the Insurance Information Institute (III), Inc. In total, there were 62,189 claims in 2022, and 60,851 in 2021, with the average cost per claim was $15,280.

Homeowners in some states struggle with lightning-related damage more than those in others. The top seven states for homeowner’s insurance lightning losses in 2022 were Florida, Georgia, Texas, California, North Carolina, Alabama, and New York.

Lightning can damage your home in several ways.

Cause a Fire

A lightning strike can ignite wood and other flammable materials, potentially starting a fire as it passes through the roof or the attic. Sometimes it may generate a fire on contact, but it may also send an electrical current through wiring that causes overheating and ignites a fire.

Homes with gas piping can experience explosions if the lightning damages appliance connectors and valves.

Fire is often the biggest danger that lightning poses to a house. As the current travels through the wires, it typically burns them up, presenting an additional fire hazard along the way.

Lead to a Power Surge

When a bolt of lightning strikes the electrical system in a house, it generates a power surge. This can damage appliances and other tools in the home that are connected to the outlets. It can also damage the wires that convey the electrical current.

Having surge protectors at the outlets can help mitigate the damage, but these can handle only small surges. Your best bet is to unplug all electrical devices during a storm.

Create Shock Wave Damage

If your home is hit by lightning, it can cause a shock wave that damages stone, brick, concrete, plaster walls, and more. The force of the lightning can easily fracture various structures, particularly stone and brick chimneys.

Shock waves can also shatter glass, create trenches in soil, and crack foundations.

Damage the Plumbing System

Because water and metal easily conduct electricity, the pipes in your home present a risk during a lightning storm. Electrical currents can even travel over distances to damage your home, which means that your house doesn’t have to be hit directly to suffer damage.

It’s always best to avoid using water lines during a storm—don’t do laundry, shower, or cook, for instance. Then always check for leaks after the storm passes.

Does a Metal Roof Attract Lightning Strikes?

If you have a metal roof—or if you’re considering one—you may wonder if it will make your home more susceptible to a lightning strike during a storm.

First, you can put your mind at ease about whether metal roofs attract lightning. According to the NWS, “The presence of metal has no bearing on where lightning will strike.”

Instead, an object’s height, shape, and isolation are the dominant factors affecting its likelihood of being hit. Trees and mountains, for instance—which typically contain little to no metal—get struck by lightning many times a year.

That means that if you have a lone house on a hill, it may have a higher risk of being hit by lightning than a house in a hollow. Or if you live in a neighborhood, the house that is taller than its neighbors may be at a slightly higher risk of being hit than the lower houses around it.

The Advantages of a Metal Roof in a Lightning Storm

Metal doesn’t attract lightning, but it does conduct electricity. So what does that mean for homeowners who have metal roofs?

In truth, a metal roof can make a lightning strike less dangerous if it does occur. According to Building Design + Construction, electricity passes more easily through metal than it does through wood or concrete.

Material that poorly conducts electricity creates electrical resistance, which converts lightning’s energy into heat. That’s what causes fires and explosions.

A metal roof may help your home survive a lightning strike with less damage than a roof made of other materials. Similar to the way a car can protect you in a lightning storm—because the lightning goes through the frame and into the ground—a metal roof can provide a similar pathway for the lightning to disperse.

The lightning strikes the metal roof and is conducted quickly away toward the ground or another conductor. The metal absorbs the lightning and distributes it throughout the surface, helping to minimize its power to cause damage.

Roofs with poor conducting materials, like asphalt shingles and clay ties, will take the brunt of the lightning’s heat at the point of impact, which may cause a fire.

Metal is also a non-combustible material, which means it is less likely to catch fire. The Metal Construction Association states, “As an electrical conductor and a noncombustible material, the risks associated with the use of a metal roof may even be a more desirable construction option.”

They add that if you want to minimize the risk of damage due to a lightning strike, it may be wise in some situations to consider additional lightning protection.

Conclusion

If you have a metal roof or are considering getting one for your home, and you live in an area prone to lightning storms, you can feel good about your roofing choice. A metal roof may be the best type to have when it comes to protecting your investment.

Your property may still be damaged, however. For more peace of mind, install a lightning protection system that creates a consistent connection between the earth and sky.

Erie Home metal roofs are professionally installed and include a 50-year, limited lifetime transferable warranty, giving you peace of mind knowing that your home and family are protected for decades to come.

Call us today at 1-800-998-8301 or get in touch with us online for more information, and to learn more about how a metal roof from Erie Home can help protect your property and your loved ones.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do metal roofs need lightning protection?

A metal roof is likely the safest type of roof you can have in a lightning-prone area. Any home may be damaged by lightning, however, no matter what type of roof it has.

You can protect your home by installing a lightning rod at the highest point. It acts as a path for the lightning to follow, directing it away from your home.

Should a metal roof be grounded?

No, a metal roof does not need to be grounded. If lightning strikes a metal roof, it grounds out through the structure.

What happens if lightning hits my roof?

If you have a metal roof, it will spread the energy caused by the lightning strike, reducing the shock and offering the electricity an easy path to the ground. If you have a roof made of asphalt shingles or clay tiles, the strike is likely to concentrate in one area and may cause a fire.

What attracts lightning to a house?

According to the NWS, an object’s height, shape, and isolation are the primary factors that affect its risk of being hit by lightning. Taller houses that are built higher up and are isolated from other homes may be more likely to be struck by lightning than one-story houses in a neighborhood of similar houses.

Can lightning strike metal inside a house?

Yes, lightning can travel through metal wires, bars, and pipes inside a house. This is why it’s best to unplug all electrical appliances, avoid using water, and stay away from concrete floors during a lightning storm.