Frequently asked questions

Do you offer any guarantee that lightning will never strike my house?

Nobody is able to offer you any guarantee on the forces of nature. A lightning conductor is the most you can humanly do to protect yourself from a direct strike. It compares to an alarm or burglar proofing fitted to your house, it minimizes the RISK of a break in. Chances are that your insurance company will insist, or will reduce your premiums, if you have a lightning conductor at your thatched house. We have erected over 15 000 lightning conductors in the past 23 years and we haven’t lost one roof to lightning.

Isn’t it true that lightning will never strike the same place twice?

No! This is one of the biggest misconceptions about lightning out there. If lightning strikes a particular object it means that it found a favourable rout with the least amount of resistance. When another cloud discharges in the same area chances are that, that object will again present the most favourable route.

Isn’t it true that a lightning conductor will attract lightning to my house?

No. A lightning conductor will slowly neutralize any charge around your house so that you do not get a direct lightning strike. As with electricity lightning will take the shortest route with the least amount of resistance. The lightning conductor is earthed with a low resistance so that a lightning bolt will rather strike the conductor than your house. When a thundercloud, let’s assume a negative charge, discharges above your house the lightning rushes towards it. The particles concentrated on the spike of the conductor, assuming that the ground and conductor is positively charged, will discharge in an upward streamer towards the cloud. When the upward streamer & downward strike connect you get a direct strike on the lightning conductor. In simplified terms: A lightning conductor will intercept a lightning bolt “aimed” at your house.

Isn’t a lightning conductor unsightly?

Not at all. Our lightning conductors are hot dipped galvanized and will not rust. We also use a hydraulic press to straighten every pipe to ensure a straight mast. After a couple of months the galvanizing will go dull and it is then hard to see the mast against the skyline. A lightning conductor is more aesthetically pleasing than a burnt down house.

Why is a lightning conductor necessary for a thatched house?

When lightning strikes a tiled or metal roof it will probably only break the tiles. When lightning strikes a thatched house it will burn down to the ground. The lightning bolt normally goes right through the thatch hitting something inside the house. This makes it very dangerous for the occupants. Install a lightning conductor and enjoy the splendour and atmosphere that can only be created by a well-crafted thatched roof.

Will I be able to move the mast if I want to extend my house?

Yes. We offer that service to our existing customers. Chances are you will need a higher conductor to cover the additions. Before they start thatching your new additions, even if you don’t need to move your conductor, contact us for an assessment to see if your existing conductor will suffice.