ᐅ Is a lightning rod still necessary?

markus2703 schrieb:
Until now, I also thought that on a single-family house this is basically nonsense. Until earlier this week when a severe thunderstorm rolled in, and lightning struck the crane at the neighboring construction site. It is about 6 meters (20 feet) from our house and, of course, somewhat higher.

Since lightning does not strike the highest point but the place with the lowest electrical resistance, it probably would not have struck your house.

That’s also how a lightning rod works.

Even if a 30m (98 feet) tall poplar tree had stood next to the crane, the lightning would still have struck the crane.

PhiTh schrieb:
We are building with reinforced concrete, and it feels like there is so much steel in it that a direct lightning strike should actually be safely conducted away without any problems?!

Think about why it is called a lightning down conductor, and not a lightning in conductor.

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When asked "Do we need a lightning conductor?" the answer should be another question: "Are you playing the lottery?"

As a colleague already said, lightning seeks the path of least resistance, not the shortest path. This path is also heavily influenced by humidity and air pressure, so you could say figuratively that lightning can be somewhat steered, and whether your house is the saving shore or not is a matter of chance. Hence the lottery question.

This is what I was advised: Are you afraid of a lightning strike? Then install a lightning conductor. Otherwise, don’t. If you’re building quite tall (high-rise category), the likelihood increases somewhat.

Lightning rods should be installed where they are required by regulation.

That is not the question; it is mandatory anyway.

Alright, then it will be like that. You don’t need one unless it is required by law.