Do You Need to Ground Metal Roofs?

Metal roofing is known for its impressive weather-resistance and extremely long service life of 40 to 70 years. If you plan on installing a metal roof, there is one critical thing you need to consider and that is whether or not you need to ground the system. In this post, we shed light on this question.

Not Grounding Your Metal Roof

Should metal roofs be grounded? The short answer is: probably not. Metal roofing typically does not need to be grounded for safety. If you’re asking, “what about lightning strikes?” then the answer would still be no. Metal roofs are no more likely to be struck by lightning than any other roofing type.

Although metal conducts electricity, an entire roof would ground out a lightning strike through the rest of the structure without causing harm to house occupants. In addition, there is no building code requirement from the National Fire Protection Association that says residential or commercial roofing made from metal should be grounded.

Grounding Your Metal Roof

What’s most important is that your roof installation strictly follows local building codes. These include only using PVC piping to extend from the interior of the house up through the ungrounded roof. Not adhering to this requirement could pose a serious danger to the occupants inside the structure. Additionally, if there are metal devices on a nearby porch or backyard, you may consider asking your siding contractor to ground the roof as a safety precaution.

If you need professional help with your roofing system, look no further than Quality One Roofing, Inc. We only provide the highest quality of workmanship and products to our customers. Call us at (888) 301-7663 or fill out our  contact form to schedule a free, no-obligation consultation.