Is Mounting A Satellite Dish On My North Carolina Roof A Good Idea?

North Carolina sports fans love the idea of satellite dish TV. Watch any game or event, regardless of what your local television stations are broadcasting. But when your dish installer arrives and heads for your roof, you may want to stop and ask him about your other options. Even the satellite dish manufacturers will agree that roof installations are less than ideal.

The Risks Of Installing A Satellite Dish On Your North Carolina Roof

If you search the internet for satellite dish installation instructions, you will be able to find guidelines from various dish manufacturers. There, you will see warnings and cautions, such as:

• Perform a roof installation only as a last resort
• Improper sealing of the mount holes can result in roof leaks
• If you install the dish on a flat roof, do not mount it where water tends to collect
• Leaks and other problems are likely to increase as a roof ages
• Do not mount the dish on slate or shake-type shingles

These are pretty ominous warnings.

The good news is, if your roof is covered with slate, shakes or tiles, you can't make a bad decision. A roof installation is out of the question, since you can't attach a satellite dish over those materials without breaking them.

On the other hand, if you have asphalt shingles, the temptation to mount a satellite on your roof is great. The surface is relatively flat, and the roof provides the clearest line of sight to satellite signals.

However, installing a satellite dish on your roof means drilling holes through your shingles, underlayment and roof deck. This means the roofing materials that have been put in place to block out water are going to be compromised.

Water Damage Due To A Satellite Dish Roof Installation

The standard guidelines issued by the dish manufacturers will recommend the application of sealants inside the drilled holes and around the mounting plate for the dish. However, as any reputable North Carolina roofing contractor will tell you, sealants are only temporary solutions.

Exposure to heat, sun and wind will degrade sealants over time, eventually making them brittle, dry and cracked. The sealant applied during a satellite dish installation is the only defense against water seeping in through the fastener holes in your roof. If the sealant is cracked or broken loose, water can find its way into your home.

As suggested by the manufacturer warnings presented earlier, water damage is a serious risk for satellite dish installations that are located on a roof.

Your Dish Installer Is Not A North Carolina Roofing Contractor

The typical satellite dish installer has been trained to do many things. His primary job is to make sure you have a clear satellite signal and television picture. He's also been trained to install your dish in various ways, including pole, wall and roof installations.

With all this cross-training, it's hard to be sure that your dish installer will be great at sealing your roof and keeping it water-tight.

So, to minimize the risks of water damage to your home, we, like the satellite dish manufacturers, recommend you select another installation option other than roof mounting.

However, if you believe a roof installation is your only choice, then review the following checklist to give yourself the best chance of avoiding roof leaks and water damage.

• Confirm that the manufacturer's roof installation guidelines are followed
  • Make sure the mounting bracket is centered so that multiple fasteners/bolts are driven into a rafter or truss.
  • Verify that sealants are applied in all fastener holes, and under the mounting bracket/foot and along its edges.
• Contact a North Carolina roofing company for satellite dish roof installation options that may be more effective than the manufacturer's recommendations

Findlay Roofing – Repairing And Protecting Your North Carolina Roof

At Findlay Roofing we understand the importance of making sure that your North Carolina roof is leak-free. If you have additional questions about satellite dish roof installations and how to minimize the associated risks, we invite you to contact us today.

And if you suspect you have a roof leak, feel fee to call us and schedule a free roof analysis. We'll be happy to inspect your roof and let you know if any roof repairs are required, whether your home is in Charlotte, Raleigh or any other town in North Carolina.