"Rubber" Slate products - any good?

[scuba_dave]

I'm considering this for my cupola - 30' up

Has anyone used any of these products?


http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y105/Daveywb/Garage%20April%2009/DSCF5894.jpg

[Fischer]

I'm considering this for my cupola - 30' up

Has anyone used any of these products?


http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y105/Daveywb/Garage%20April%2009/DSCF5894.jpg

Some good, some bad. You'll have to go to the local roofing supply store and check out the samples, and ask the guys there. Some of the ridges can be a little tricky, especially off the ground. Get yourself a permanent D-ring and a harness. You'll never know when your next step will be your last.

I went with raised seam steel roof on the steeple, but I built the roof on the ground and had a crane lift it. Worked slick. I wasn't in the mood to kill myself. Highly recommended if it can be removed. Crane cost was $200 for 15 minutes. Operator thought it was going to take over an hour. If not, make sure you set up some well constructed scafflolding, and still tie in. Hate to see you have an accident.

[Wgoodrich]

A protrusion above the roof line that is metal is an invite to lightening strike. Example church steeples in the Code requires the metal steeple to have a grounding electrode ran straight as possible to the grounding electrode system to help direct any lightening strikes on the surface of the building to earth rather than the hit entering the building. Might consider grounding your metal roof for the same thoughts.

Just a suggestion

Wg

[Fischer]

A protrusion above the roof line that is metal is an invite to lightening strike. Example church steeples in the Code requires the metal steeple to have a grounding electrode ran straight as possible to the grounding electrode system to help direct any lightening strikes on the surface of the building to earth rather than the hit entering the building. Might consider grounding your metal roof for the same thoughts.

Just a suggestion

Wg

What? Lightening strike happen to me? Not in a million years or till the first thunderstorm or heat wave. Wait, It was 103 in Seattle yesterday and thunderstorms.

Thanks for the tip. Hadn't really given it much thought, but will ground both the steeple and the roof. I sit 100 + feet below the apex of a steep hill with 125' pines all around me, so it never occurred to me. Will do. #6 ground wire OK to a 3/4" ground rod?

[scuba_dave]

That's why I was thinking the rubber slate instead of copper
I might put a weathervane up there at some point
I imagine that might attract lightning too

I have some #6
Its' maybe 6' to the peak
Then it's 9.5' to the edge of the roof
Then 32' straight down

Run #6 down the inside of cupola, then along the ridge beam to the outside wall
Do you run it down the outside of the house?
Or can you run it in the stud bay?

[Wgoodrich]

Copper braided wire like for lightening arrestors use is best but to my knowledge the 6 copper should work. Remember lightening current traveling on a copper wire can shoot off the wire if a tight bend is made. Make the run as straight as possible, sweeping curves where required, and keep on the outside of the home.

I am not sold on adding lightening arrestors to a house believing this invites strikes more than it can protect the house. However when you have a condition such as you are discribing the product you install is like an invite so then you need to react to try to catch best you can the lightening current and direct it to earth. Be aware lightening can do whatever it wants it has that much power capable. We can help but not control lightening in my opinon. It is my opinion that we can invite lightening strikes to go where we want but if your house is hit hard lightening has the power capability to blow half the roof off your building. This type strike in my opinion we are helpless. I have seen an entire wall on one side of a home blown into splinters in a split second with the ground rod melted down to a puddle on the opposite side of the home. People were in bed sleeping on the opposite side of the wall that blew up and those people were unharmed.


Wg

[scuba_dave]

Yes I'm aware of the damage lightning can do
Not personally....thankfully
One reason I'd rather go to rubber slate roof
if it were not for the possibility of the weathervane I would not put anything up there for lightning

Maybe I need to look for a plastic/PVC weathervane :D

[CR500]

I saw some at the roofing store the other day. I don't remember the particular brands but all looked pretty good when wet (display was outside in the rain). I wasn't thrilled with the look (up close) when dry.

With the height of your roof anything should look good. I don't know about their performance.

I ended up going with the Certainteed Grand Manor architectural shingles (asphalt / fiberglass).

[Fischer]

I figure that I'm pretty safe overall. I had a TV Antenna that was a couple of feet higher than the old steeple for 20 years and no problems. The new steeple is 8 feet shorter and no TV antenna. Will still do the grounding though.