A sudden thunderstormstartles you as you sit inside your beautiful new shipping container home. The sky darkens, rolled thunder reverberates, and lightning strikes precariously near. But you wonder, “Is my shipping container home a magnet for lightning?” The thought is unsettling given the common fear that metal is a conductor.

But does a metal shipping container home attract lightning more than a standard wood or brick home? This is an important question, especially if you are going to construct or live in a shipping container home.

I’ll provide the facts, dispel common myths, and give you insights into how to make sure your shipping container home is safe and secure during any thunderstorm.

My Experience: Let me address the lightning issue. I get fucking emails all the goddamn time: “Luke, if we have a metal house, are we going to get hit by lightning?” You’ve been asking me for well over two years, so I decided to produce a post on all these questions that you keep asking me. With shipping containers, more than anything else, you need to understand this. If you use them for a house, not only should you not have water leaks that run through them, and if you piss you wife off, she won’t take a sawzaw and cut the whole side of the house away, but also from a lightning perspective. After you’ve moved into your shipping container house, and it rains the first time, you’ll realize I’m right. As a guy who has been in industrial maintenance for well over 30 years, metal roofs are going to leak. It’s not a matter of if. It’s a matter of when.

So, if you’ve been searching for whether or not you’ll get hit by lightning in your container house, this post is for you.

I’m O.K. at answering these questions, but you have got to nerd out Lanny way. That’s what I’m hoping to do for you today.

Do Container Homes Attract Lightning?

The short answer is no.

In fact, shipping container homes do not attract lightning strikes any more than traditional wood, brick, or masonry homes. That’s a common myth, and I’ll explain more about it in a minute. However, there are certain factors that can increase or decrease the potential for lightning strikes and understanding them can help you take safety precautions.

Understanding Lightning and Container Homes

To understand if a container home is at risk of getting hit by lightning, we need to understand the factors that make any building more likely to get struck by lightning. The two main factors are the height and isolated nature of the structure and the ability for the structure to conduct electricity.

Lightning Attraction Factors

Height and Isolation:

First, lightning is attracted to taller and isolated structures, because they get it to the ground quicker. So if your container home is located in a place that is higher than the surrounding terrain or it’s isolated by itself, like on the top of a hill or out in a field, it may face an increased risk of being hit by lightning. But so will any other place. If your place is located in an area of the country that gets a lot of thunderstorms, or your house is taller than everything else around it, your house, whether it’s made from wood, concrete, or steel, may be more likely to be struck by lightning.

Conductivity:

Metal containers can conduct electricity, but that does not mean they attract lightning to them in the same way a lightning rod does. The metal provides a path for the electrical current to travel safely to the ground in the event of a lightning strike. The difference here is a metal shipping container home is not a “preferred” path for lightning, like a lightning rod, but it will conduct that electrical current.

Protective Measures

There are several things you want to do to protect yourself from damage from a lightning strike. These are the same things that you would want to do if you lived in any type of structure, but there are some special considerations when you live in a metal shipping container home.

Grounding:

Grounding your shipping container home is the most important step in making sure you protect yourself from lightning hitting your house. It protects your house from taking damage, and it goes a long way in protecting all that expensive equipment, like your computers, TV, and everything else you have in your house. Grounding allows the electrical charges to be grounded or moved away from the house out into the earth. That makes it less risky because if you didn’t ground it and lightning hit your house, it would follow those charges in the house wiring and possibly cause fires or electrocution without proper grounding.

Lightning Rods:

You can install lightning rods as well. The purpose of these rods is to give the lightning a preferred path to get to the ground and not come through your house. This is especially important if your shipping container home is in a location where there is more lightning or it’s on an open field or up high above everything around it. The best place for lightning rods is up high where they give the lightning a preferred path. That path is to climb the lightning rod and safely make its way into the ground underneath your foundation and your shipping container home.

Avoid Touching Metal:

If you’re inside during a storm, remember that if your house takes a hit from lightning and it’s connected to the ground, it will still do an electrical charge through the wood. That’s pretty cool if you think about it, but you don’t want to be the really good conductor for that electrical charge. That’s why you don’t want to be touching metal when the lighting hits. It won’t kill you if it strikes your house, but you don’t need to be part of the trip to the ground, and it will if you touch metal inside or outside your house. So, don’t touch metal.

In summary, container homes do not attract lightning to them any more than traditional homes. They conduct the electrical charges if lightning hits them. By using proper systems to ground your house, putting in place an effective lightning rod, and taking some other basic precautions, you can greatly reduce any risks you might have of any lightning striking your house. With this stuff in mind, you can sleep in peace knowing you are well-prepared for a storm coming your way.

Next Steps: Safety and Grounding for Your Container Home

That’s important to know, but you should also understand how to prepare and protect your house from the weather and other stuff. We’re going to talk about grounding your container home properly and lightning rods. We’ll also talk about how the height of your house can affect the risk of lightning and if you can add lightning rods after you move into your house.

How Can I Ground My Container Home Effectively?

Grounding your container home is essential for safety, and the process is similar to grounding other types of buildings. The key is to establish a safe path for the electrical current to travel into the earth. This involves connecting your home’s metal structure to a grounding system that includes copper or other conductive materials buried underground. Depending on the size of the home and the local soil conditions, a professional electrician can help determine the most effective grounding method.

Are There Specific Types of Lightning Rods Recommended for Container Homes?

Yes, certain types of lightning rods are better suited for container homes than others. Since container homes are made of steel, it’s important to use a lightning rod system that is designed to handle the conductivity of metal structures. These rods should be installed at the highest point of the home, and the grounding system should be designed to direct the electrical current safely into the ground. A licensed professional can guide you in choosing the best system for your specific location.

What Are the Risks if My Container Home Is Not Grounded?

If your container home is not grounded, it could pose serious risks during a lightning storm. Without grounding, the electrical current from a lightning strike could travel through the home’s wiring, potentially causing fires, damaging electrical equipment, and even leading to electrocution. Proper grounding ensures that the electrical current is safely diverted into the earth, minimizing damage and injury.

How Does the Height of a Container Home Affect Its Lightning Risk?

The height of your container home can affect its likelihood of being struck by lightning. If your container home is located in an area that is higher than the surrounding structures or if it is isolated from other buildings, the risk of lightning strikes may be slightly higher. However, this can be mitigated by installing lightning rods and grounding the home properly.

Can Lightning Rods Be Installed After the Container Home Is Built?

Yes, lightning rods can be installed after a container home is built. In fact, it’s often recommended to add lightning rods as a retrofit, especially if you live in an area prone to thunderstorms. The installation of lightning rods and grounding systems can be done at any stage, even after the home is already in place.