WRONG TOOL/RIGHT TOOL: Mount a dish on your patio

As a DIYer, you have choices when you do installations at home. Some of these choices are smart, while others… not so much. On the other hand, sometimes you have two choices that seem really about equal. Maybe one conforms to building code, and maybe you’re not so worried about that. Here’s the way to know that you’re making the right choice.

In this case we’ll be looking at putting a satellite dish on the patio for a temporary installation. Over the years, this has been a common sight for apartment dwellers as well as people who just don’t want to climb up on the roof. However, there’s a right way and a wrong way to do it.

WRONG TOOL: Bucket filled with concrete.

The most common way of stabilizing an antenna or satellite mast is a big bucket of concrete, right? Too often, you’ll see antennas or satellite dishes on a patio this way. It works, mostly, but there are problems.

First of all, even though the concrete is heavy it may not be heavy enough to deal with really stiff breezes. On the other hand, all the weight is concentrated in one space which could cause problems if the deck isn’t particularly strong. The last thing you want to do is have that satellite dish crash through a wooden patio onto the patio beneath it.

Luckily, there’s a solution.

RIGHT TOOL:Non-penetrating mount

What you see is a non-penetrating mount. It’s generally called a non-penetrating roof mount (NPRM), but it’s not limited to use on roofs. It also works well on patios. The idea is simple: it has a wide, flat base which can accommodate cinder blocks, gallon jugs full of water or sand, or pretty much anything else you want to put there. The only requirement is that the base needs to be pretty heavy.

Non-penetrating mounts are used in large buildings with flat roofs all the time. In cases like that, drilling through the roof isn’t really an option. All the wires feed through conduits that have already been created. A non-penetrating mount is the perfect solution here because it distributes weight and causes no concerns about leaking.

Get your non-penetrating mount from Solid Signal

Solid Signal has a variety of non-penetrating mount options available. Non-penetrating mounts are designed to have a wide, flat base that accommodates cinder blocks. You place the cinder blocks on the base and it stabilizes the mast with a lot less weight, because it’s spread out over a larger area. Using a non-penetrating mount means less chance that you’ll bump the dish or antenna. It’s really a better deal.

Solid Signal is here to answer your questions during East Coast business hours. We have a full staff of trained installation techs who are ready to help you! The call is free, the advice is free, and all we ask is that you consider buying from Solid Signal. Call us at 888-233-7563 or fill out the form below.

If you’re looking for more than just a collection of parts, ask us! We have a network of installation professionals as well as folks in our Detroit-area office who are certified in planning large installations. We’re here to help!

About the Author

Stuart Sweet
Stuart Sweet is the editor-in-chief of The Solid Signal Blog and a "master plumber" at Signal Group, LLC. He is the author of over 10,000 articles and longform tutorials including many posted here. Reach him by clicking on "Contact the Editor" at the bottom of this page.