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Protecting your home from late-summer lightning storms

By: Shannon Lee , Contributing Writer
In: Home Improvement Tips

Two nights ago, I lay wide awake as storms rolled through my corner of Pennsylvania. Only these were not ordinary storms -- I can usually sleep through those. This was a storm loaded with continuous lightning, the kind of storm that lights up the world like midday even at midnight. The lightning went on and on, and soon it became downright spooky, truth be told.

I found myself thinking about our home, nestled in the forest, surrounded by trees. Those majestic oaks are definitely the tallest things in the neighborhood, and lightning is attracted to tall things…right? That meant our house would be spared a lightning strike…right? Just as I was going through the worries in my mind, a massive "boom" shook the house, the lights flickered, the cats bolted for safety under the bed and the car alarm went off, a repetitive reminder that yes, something big had just happened.

The next morning, we discovered that lightning had hit the neighbor's house. They were in the forest too, surrounded by trees that soared over their home. So much for my belief that all those tall trees offered lightning protection!

What happens when lightning strikes

Lightning moves naturally through a path of negatively-charged air toward the positively-charged earth. It wants to get into the ground, and so it takes whatever path of least resistance it can find in order to get there. This might mean striking a tree, a tall building, power lines, or yes -- even your house. When it does hit your house, it moves with a speed that is almost impossible to comprehend, and the damage is over within seconds.

But that damage can be massive. A big lightning bolt can carry several hundred million volts, and can reach temperatures of around 54,000 degrees Fahrenheit. In the face of that kind of power, your home doesn't stand a chance. Lightning might strike the chimney or roof, tear a hole in anything it passes through, wreck havoc with your appliances, run down all the electrical wires, short out anything even remotely close to them, and eventually find its way into the ground -- possibly along all the electrical and plumbing lines in the house. A fire sparked by all of this carnage is not unusual.

The best way to prevent this from happening is ridiculously simple: Offer a path of least resistance.

Lightning rods to the rescue

Lightning protection systems are made up of a simple series of rods, made of copper or aluminum, bolted together to form a continuous path. This then terminates in the earth, where copper rods or metal rings have been buried. When lightning strikes the area around your house, it is drawn to the lightning rod. From there it goes straight down, sticking with the path of least resistance, and vanishes safely at the point it wanted to reach all along: the earth.

Having a lightning rod system installed can cost between $1,000 and $3,500, depending upon the size and layout of your house. But what about those old houses that still have their vintage lightning rods attached? Get a UL certified inspector out there to look it over before the next storm hits. In many cases, lightning rods have come loose from their initial rings in the ground, or they aren't properly attached, or new roofing has loosened connections that are absolutely necessary to make the system work. The only way to know for sure is to get an expert to look at it -- or wait for the next lightning strike, but it's safe to assume you don't want to find out the hard way!

When our neighbor's house got hit by lightning, we were luckier than we thought. That lightning could have easily traveled along the electrical lines and invaded our house on its way to the ground. So even if you think you are completely safe from lightning strikes because someone else's house is bigger, taller or more exposed, think again: You need to have protection not just on your own home, but on all incoming lines. Now is the time to get moving on it, so call that contractor before the next big storm thunders through.

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