It’s only March, but the snow is melting in much of the country. With warmer weather come home improvement projects. Hopefully this will be the year you put up that over-the-air antenna and get dozens of free TV channels.
A TV antenna gives you free news, weather, information, and entertainment. It can be used even when the power is out and is more reliable than cellular, internet, or even satellite. And, when you buy an antenna, you pay once and there’s no more to pay after that. It’s a win for everyone
Getting your ducks in a row
I’m often asked about the downsides of putting up an antenna. Generally, there aren’t any! But there are some challenges. If you’re more than about 25 miles from a city center you’ll generally want an outdoor antenna. That antenna will need to be mounted up as high as you can get it. And, that can mean you getting up on a ladder. It can also mean drilling holes. If you’re not comfortable with doing these things, putting up an antenna can be a challenge.
The stuff you should worry about
Should you worry about a falling antenna hurting you, your roof, or anything in your home? That’s the point of this article, after all. If you look at some of our antennas, they look kind of spiky and dangerous. So let’s bust some of those myths.
A falling antenna could hurt something, but probably won’t.
Antennas are fairly light and they’re made of aluminum. That means that it’s much more likely that if they fall they’ll be bent, rather than destroying something else. Of course, there’s going to be that random case where a person stands under a falling antenna and gets hurt, because all things considered people are somewhat squishy. But in most cases the only thing that a falling antenna will hurt is itself.
Yes, it’s possible that strong winds could pull a mount right off the house.
It would have to be one strong wind, though. When you attach a mount to the home, you use strong lag bolts. If it’s windy enough to tear that antenna mount off the house, you probably have a lot of other stuff going on.
I should point out, that mounts should always go on the side of the house, on the eave or wall if possible. Mounting directly on the roof should be your last choice. Even with pitch pads and other waterproofing tools, there’s always the possibility with any hole in the roof that it’s going to leak. Do that at your own risk.
The stuff you should worry about
You should worry about your antenna being properly aimed and grounded. You should worry about choosing the right antenna in the first place. There are plenty of articles on this blog about aiming and grounding. If you want advice choosing the right antenna, fill out this form and a professional will give you a real, individualized recommendation. We don’t just rely on apps. And, when you’re ready to shop for you antenna and the mounting hardware you’ll need, get the best selection and value when you shop at Solid Signal.
