I get where you’re coming from—grounding’s only as good as whoever did the job, and I’ve seen some pretty questionable setups in older places too. I’ve managed a few properties with metal roofs, and honestly, I still tell tenants to unplug their electronics during storms. Surge protectors help, but they’re not magic. Out of curiosity, has anyone here actually had a direct lightning strike on a metal roof? Wondering if it really made a difference compared to asphalt or tile.
Had a direct hit about eight years ago—central Florida, summer storm. House had a standing seam metal roof, grounded per code. The lightning found the path of least resistance and arced through the electrical panel anyway. Roof itself was untouched, but we lost a few appliances and the garage opener. I’ve seen asphalt roofs take similar hits, but in my case, the metal didn’t seem to make things worse or better. Grounding and surge protection are key, but honestly, nothing’s foolproof if you’re unlucky enough to get a direct strike.
Funny, I used to think a metal roof would be like waving a flag at lightning, but after living with one for a decade in the Midwest, I’m not really more worried. Like you said, it’s the direct hits that get you, and no roof material is gonna save your electronics if that happens. Surge protectors help, but I still unplug the TV if a storm’s rolling in... just in case. The noise from rain on metal is honestly more of a daily “issue” for me than the lightning risk.
Yeah, the rain noise is way more of a “thing” than lightning for me too. I used to picture my house as a giant lightning rod, but honestly, I’ve had more trouble with hail dents than anything else. Ever tried watching a movie during a Midwest thunderstorm? Forget about it—might as well just put on some white noise and call it a night. Surge protectors are good, but I’m with you—if it’s looking nasty out, I’m yanking those plugs. Better safe than sorry, right?
Metal roofs definitely make storms louder, no question. I actually had a client swap out their asphalt shingles for metal, thinking it’d be less hassle with hail, but then they started complaining about the noise every time it rained hard. As for lightning, metal roofs are actually safer than most folks think—they conduct but also disperse the charge pretty well. Still, I get the urge to unplug stuff. Curious—has anybody had actual lightning damage with a metal roof? I see way more hail and wind claims than anything from lightning.