Best Practices for Lightning Protection

Lightning strikes can cause a wide variety of damage, from power surges to structural damage to personal injury. Protecting a building from lightning damage requires careful planning, and a multi-faceted approach that considers the electrical system and structural components of a building, as well as environmental concerns. While buildings are typically grounded, and surge protectors can help safeguard against damage to your electronics, a more comprehensive solution is required to fully protect your home or business.

Why Lightning Protection Matters

As a force of nature, lightning is not just powerful, but also wildly unpredictable. That’s why each year, it catches businesses and homeowners unaware, causing damage that leads to expensive repairs. Lightning poses a threat not only to buildings but also to the occupants, which is why it’s so important to have a lightning protection system in place to minimize your risk of damage and to keep those within your building safe.

Residential Lightning Protection Tips and Best Practices

The intense heat and energy of a lightning strike can cause serious structural damage to a house, splitting wood, shattering bricks, and starting fires. Lightning can also fry electronics, as well as causing significant injuries to people. It’s important to note that injury from a lightning strike is more common than fatality, and survivors of lightning injuries often face long-term health problems. That’s why residential lightning protection is important, and should be multi-faceted, incorporating:

• Lightning Rods: These are the first line of defense against lightning strikes, intercepting the lightning and directing the electrical charge to the ground. Installed at high points on a building, they are connected to a grounding network through the use of main conductors, typically made of aluminum or copper, so that they will effectively prevent damage from lightning strikes.
• Grounding Systems: A grounding system provides electrical currents with a low-resistance path, which helps prevent lightning from starting a fire or causing damage to the building. These systems must be installed using conductive materials and following specific guidelines to ensure that they are directly connected to the earth.
• Surge Suppression Devices: These devices come in different types, with whole-house surge protection devices providing comprehensive protection and point-of-use devices protecting individual outlets. Surge protection is necessary, even if you have a lightning rod in place, because electrical energy from nearby strikes can damage your electronics and appliances. With a surge suppression device in place, excess electrical energy is diverted away from sensitive equipment.

Best Practices for Commercial Lightning Safety Solutions

Commercial properties need lightning protection at least as much as residential properties do. Modern businesses rely on dependable electrical service, and this dependability is threatened by lightning strikes and electrical surges. Because lightning strikes can cause current to infiltrate several electrical components, it can cause equipment failure while also threatening the integrity of the electrical system. Putting a cohesive commercial lightning protection system in place can help protect your assets, prevent operational downtime, and promote workplace safety. Commercial systems need similar components to residential systems, but they must be in compliance with commercial building codes. These systems must include:

• Commercial Lightning Rods, called Air Terminals
• Bonding Materials, which Prevent Side Flashes
• Specialized Grounding Equipment
• Aluminum or Copper Main Conductors
• Surge Suppression Devices that Protect Electrical Systems, Phone Lines, and Data Networks

Common Pitfalls to Avoid

There are many ways that a lightning protection system can go awry, so the most important pitfall to avoid is neglecting to hire a qualified installer. When a system is installed incorrectly, it endangers the property it’s meant to protect. Common errors include:

• Inadequate Grounding
• Improperly Placed Conductors
• Failure to Comply with Building Codes
• The Use of Incompatible Materials

When your system is installed by experienced, knowledgeable professionals, you can be sure that it’s all done correctly. Boston Lightning Rod Company, Inc. starts the process with a site assessment and consultation, then tailors a system to meet your needs. After professional installation, there is a final inspection, to ensure the quality of your system.

FAQs

• Do Lightning Rods Provide Surge Protection for Homes?
  • No, lightning rods intercept lightning strikes and redirect them into the ground, protecting the building. Surge protection devices add an additional layer of safety, preventing electrical surges from damaging electronics.
• What is the Importance of Lightning Rods in Modern Life?
  • Lightning rods may seem like an old-fashioned solution to the problem of lightning strikes, but they’ve never been more relevant. By directing lightning away from our homes and businesses, they not only protect these structures, but also help ensure the safety of our modern electronics.
• Can I Purchase a Lightning Rod and Install it Myself?
  • Lightning rod installation is not a DIY project. These systems are complex, and improper installation can result in serious damage and major expense.
• Do Lightning Rods Attract Lightning?
  • No, though this is a common misconception. In fact, lightning rods do not attract lightning, but intercept it and direct it safely away from the property, into the ground.
• Which Businesses Are Most in Need of Lightning Protection?
  • To prevent significant losses, warehouses, office buildings, manufacturing facilities, and data centers all require lightning protection systems.

Trust Boston Lightning Rod Company for the Best Lightning Protections Systems for Businesses and Homes

If you are looking for a comprehensive lightning protection system for your home or business in Dedham, MA or the surrounding areas, look no further than Boston Lightning Rod Company, Inc. For over 150 years, we have been providing full-service lightning protection to homes and businesses in the region, protecting the community and putting fears about lightning damage to rest. Having earned a reputation for excellence, Boston Lightning Rod Company, Inc. is the preferred destination in the region for American-made lightning protection equipment. Across five generations, backed by extensive electrical knowledge, numerous certifications, and advanced training, we have provided tailored services to property owners in Dedham and the surrounding area, expertly installing innovative lightning surge protector systems. To learn more about all we have to offer, and how we can effectively protect your property from electrical surges, contact us for more information or to schedule a personalized installation appointment.