Lightening

I've been on a few slate roof when they got hit by lightening, but I survived and the roof has always survived with no discernible damage to the roof. Me? It'd take an hour or more before I coud hear good again! Burnt hair smells sticks around a bit longer. :laugh:

Anyway, I got a call for a roof I did a preliminary tuneup on about 2 years ago. It still needs several thousand in repairs before it'll be cleaned up, but that's another story.

I went up and found two areas with dislodged slate. I only took pix of the one, repaired it and walked around to find the other. ( I called downstairs and sais the only thing I could think of was a lightening strike. Owner said the building got hit the night before and fried anything electric in it, so that fit, along with the timing of the leak.)

Bumping to make it easier to find.

Woody, I've seen stop action photos that showed lightening strikes originating from the ground, and the air, and meeting in the middle causing the bang. No clue how it really works. I've been on several roofs when it hit. Witnesses have claimed I looked like I was in a white/yellow tube of light. I dunno why I'm alive either. Pretty intense when it happens.

As for the wires, pretty scary, eh? Tingly for sure.

From the picture, it looks like the slates were dislodged by an external uplift as opposed as being blasted out by some kind of electrical blast from the inside. (going by the underlayment.) But the slates don't look like they were the actual strike spot of the lightning. So is this the result of some kind of "static wind effect" that occurs in the vicinity of a lightning strike? Could it have anything to do with being in the proximity of a large metal flashing?

Even as big a cheapskate as I am, I would have rented a 40' fiberglass ladder before I would have the courage to be a Tinner.

That's pretty freakin awesome. Are they making an insurance claim??

We R/R 60sq of a townhouse this past week which the middle apartment got struck and caught fire. It knocked the lady out of her chair and blew an outlet out of the wall about 110' away. Another one split a tree all the way down about 130' from her apartment. Respect electricity in all forms because it loves vengeance!

Wow, that's all i can say. I had a lightening strike across the street once, i came off that ladder in a hart beat, freaked me right out loud as hell. That's all i have to say about that...lol :S

I was thinking dumb and stupid, but hey! or is it "dum" can't spel either!

Yes, they're bare and touching the ladder. I sent them a pic last night and said the broken grounds may be why all their puters burnt up. I hope they fix it before I scorch one of my ladders. Back of the building has too many live wires to snake the 40 through. I could run the 32 up, but there's nowhere to tie it off, and it'll stop below the BIG. A bit too windy at that spot for that.

No knee probems yet, other than not 'locking' in place sometimes. And, you're just a young pup yet. Wait until you get old like me. Yes, we are dumb or stupid.

I can see the cement on the tops and a few Vermont blacks tucked in beneath the broken corners. Are those bare wires touching your ladder? good luck with that one. I would probably set a section of scaffold to the roof to get better access. A good place to store the new slates and to put the broken stuff.

Tinner, we are getting too old for this! I just turned 60 and I have knee replacements scheduled for this fall. Are we stupid or what?

Yes, Buckinghams. Nails still in the slate too! In the background, you can see some of the hack work on this roof. Supposedly, whenever money is right, and a new leak crops up, a budget will be given and I'll right as many wrongs as I can in the budget figure.

Suprised I haven't gotten killed on this one yet. I lay the ladder on the SE whenever I go over there. 40' ladder, then carry a 20' to get to the top level.

I assume they'll blow one day and they'll fix them then.

Wow, Are those Buckingham's ? Hate to be on the roof when that hit!