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We are presently building a new home. It’s a two and one half story in a wooded area. It has a roof coupla which will be topped with a metal finial.The house is roughly the same height as the surrounding trees and is on the ocean. Our architect feels the house should be topped with a lightning rod. Our contractor says this is an out of date idea because he says the house is already grounded through the electrical system. Who’s right?
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Don't know. Would be curious to know what you did. I've had them installed on new construction. And we've replaced them on old construction. Never saw a house with lightning rods that had been struck by lightning. But that don't mean nothing.
So how did you decide ?
My inclination would be to put them on if I could afford it. Seems like cheap insurance and they add a certain penache to a lot of period architecture. A nice rod on top of your finial with a glass globe --WOW !
BTW: does your architect come from NYC, are his initials O.C. ?
*The point of the Lightningrod would be to divert a ,direct lightning stike to ground;right? If your system which is grounded takes the hit ask yourself what does it do to everthing electrical,in-between the strike point and the ground wire in yourelectrical service.Lightning is like water in that it will travel to the point of least resistance,so to control it you channel it where you want it.Lightning rods are a good idea that is forgotten,but my experience is that the old timers knew their business.
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We are presently building a new home. It's a two and one half story in a wooded area. It has a roof coupla which will be topped with a metal finial.The house is roughly the same height as the surrounding trees and is on the ocean. Our architect feels the house should be topped with a lightning rod. Our contractor says this is an out of date idea because he says the house is already grounded through the electrical system. Who's right?