Folks in businesses love non-penetrating roof mounts. These simple devices let you put an antenna up on any flat surface without drilling holes. The wide base is designed to accommodate weights that keep the mount stable. Most folks use cinder blocks. Some choose gallon jugs full of water, or sandbags. It’s really not important what source of weight you use. What’s important is that you use enough weight that the mount doesn’t move. In most cases that means about 100 pounds.
Is that much weight dangerous?
Your first thought when looking at putting that much weight on the roof is that it could fall through and cause damage. Yes, I’ll admit it’s possible. However, if your roof is that weak, you probably have other problems besides a lack of TV reception. A roof, any roof, should be able to accommodate the weight of a 200 pound person walking on it. When a person walks on a roof, all their weight is placed on an area about 1.5 square feet. The roof should be strong enough to handle this for an indefinite period of time. A non-penetrating roof mount is an area of 9 square feet and with the antenna and mast is going to be a maximum of about 125 pounds. The load on the roof is a lot less than it would be with a person walking on it. So, it’s fair to say that if your roof is in good shape, this kind of mount will work for you.
Now, the bloodsucking lawyers at Solid Signal tell me that this article isn’t a guarantee. Every situation is different and you have to be responsible for your own location. All I can tell you is that if you feel like your roof won’t take the weight, if that’s your gut feeling, listen to your gut. Then take action — get that roof repaired.
Is a non-penetrating mount for you?
Solid Signal has a great selection of non-penetrating roof mounts! Most are inexpensive, but some of the specialized ones can be a bit more pricey. There are mounts that work on slanted roofs, and those tend to be a bit more expensive. Most don’t come with a mast. You can get one from Solid Signal, or in many cases you can get a post from a local home store or fence company. Satellite dishes require masts with a specific diameter, but other antennas don’t. They’ll work with pretty much any post or pole.
I recommend non-penetrating mounts for apartment dwellers with patios. If you rent, you’re not going to want to drill holes in the walls for a mount. On the other hand, a non-penetrating mount will give you the ability to use a medium-sized outdoor antenna. You can use something like weBoost’s window entry cable to fish the antenna’s cable through a door or window and still be able to close the door or window.
Businesses like non-penetrating mounts because the flat roofs of buildings should never have holes drilled in them. It’s a drainage issue. Using this kind of mount makes it easy to position a satellite dish or antenna. You can feed the cable through existing conduit and boom, you’re done.
Get the help you need from the experts
Solid Signal is a great place for DIYers to get the help they need. But what if you have a larger project? We have experts in our Detroit-area offices who can help you with any size project. We can even plan and execute large commercial projects. Want to know more? Call us during East Coast business hours. We’re here for you at 888-233-7563. If it’s after hours, no problem! Fill out the form below. We’ll get right back to you!
