Problems You May Face with Metal Roofing in Grand Rapids Michigan

There are many choices for roofing today. With newer technologies and manufacturing processes the roof on your home can be made out of many different materials. To date, the most used roofing material is Grand Rapids Michigan is shingle roofing however, some home owners are deciding to use metal roofing on their homes. There are some advantages and disadvantages of using metal roofing in Grand Rapids Michigan which we’ll cover in this article.

Problems You May Face with Metal Roofing in Grand Rapids Michigan

Two things that you should always consider when looking for a roofing material for your home is price and appearance. Having a roof that will protect your home for the next 50 years is great but what if it looks bad? Or what if it costs 4 times as much as a different material? Finding a balance in price and appearance is key. Typically, determining how a roofing material will look on your home is best because it determines just how much curb appeal there is for the home. Installing a roof that lacks curb appeal can actually cause your home’s value to go down.

Ever since childhood, everyone is told that lightning is a threat and you need to protect yourself from it. There are several things homeowners do to prevent attracting lightning during a storm. Many people also worry about using a metal roof because of the fear of attracting lightning. But does a metal roof really increase your chances of your home being struck by lightning?

Does Metal Attract Lightning?

Because metal lightning rods exist, you may assume that metal naturally draws lightning to it. But metal actually serves a very different purpose when it comes to interacting with lightning. Metal does not in fact attract lightning, but is used to help navigate lightning into the ground if it does strike. This means that a metal roof can actually be a safer option for your home, rather than materials like asphalt or tile.

Why Conductors Matter

Metal is the best conductor for lightning because it safely allows the electrical energy to pass through and enter the earth with little resistance. Poor conductors like wood or asphalt will not attract lightning either, but will have a harder time allowing the electrical energy to pass through it. To better protect your home from lightning, you should opt for a metal roof and metal frame that will conduct the lightning safely to the ground. Otherwise, you increase the risk of a lightning strike causing combustion and a fire spreading through your home.

Where Is Lightning Most Likely to Strike?

The likelihood of a lightning strike hitting you or your home is already very low. But is can help ease your mind if you better understand just how lightning chooses its targets. There are several types of lightning that you will see. The first is heat lightning, which shows up on very hot days and can often occur without rain or thunder with it. While the thunder is there, it can be too far away for you to hear. But this type of lightning causes flashes, and is so far away that it poses no risk to you.

Other forms of lightning include staccato, ribbon, bead and forked. These are all classified as cloud- to- ground lightning, or CG. These lightning strikes do pose a risk to people, but the different categories of CG lightning only relate to the physical appearance, not the danger level. CG lightning is aiming to discharge into the earth, so it is looking for the shortest path to get there. That is why you often see taller buildings and trees hit by lightning. While lightning will try to find the best conductor that is closest to it, its aim is to get into the ground as quickly as possible. So with taller buildings and trees around you, regardless of the type of materials on your home, you have a relatively low risk of being struck.

It is always important to put safety first, so stay inside during lightning storms and follow the recommendations provided by scientists to keep your risk as low as possible. If you’re considering installing metal roofing on your home or need any other roofing service in Grand Rapids Michigan be sure to contact Grand Rapids Home Pros today.