Houses, garages, barns, sheds and other buildings carry a negative electric charge. Storms carry a positive electric charge. The opposite charges attract, which causes lightning. The lightning rod system installed on the Dream Garage by J & G Lightning Protection, inc. of Pittsburgh, PA will draw the lightning towards it and give it a safe path to ground.
Lightning rods don't actually attract lightning. If lightning were to strike the garage, the lightning would take take path of least resistance to ground, which is the lightning rod system. This would prevent any damage to the garage.
The lightning rod system itself begins on the roof of the garage. Perched upon the ridge of the roof are two lightning rods. The lightning rods are made of copper and are held in place by a galvanized steel, 3 legged scroll base which is connected to the roof. The rod is embellished with a traditional polar star glass ball (red on the east end of the building and green on the west) and an ornamental directional element.
The copper pole is connected to a cable which runs along the roof, under the ridge cap, and down the side of the building to the ground. The cable is 29 strands of 17 gauge, tin coated, copper wire. The tin coating is not a neccessity, but was done to match the aesthetics of the building. The actual cable must be a nonferrous metal, either copper or limonite. The cable is connected to a 10 foot long, 1/2 inch copper pole which goes 10 feet into the ground.
Installing a system like this isn't an easy task and this is definitely not a do-it-yourself project. But in the event of a lightning storm, the protection is definitely worth it.
For more information on mitigating the hazards of lightning, visit the Lightning Protection Institute website.
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