Lots of homeowners have concerns about the impact certain roofing materials have on cellphone reception. It is a fairly legitimate question since our
Lots of homeowners have concerns about the impact certain roofing materials have on cellphone reception. It is a fairly legitimate question since our entire lives depend on connectedness with the outer world. With freelancing on the rise, not having a strong internet or cellular connections means that you won’t be able to make your monthly income. To address your concerns, here is some helpful information from commercial roofing companies about the relation between roofing materials and phone reception.
The Truth about Metal Roofing
When people are thinking of roofing that blocks signals, they immediately picture metal in their heads. The logic is correct, but what many of those people are forgetting is all the times they have used their phones in buildings with metal roofing. Think about it! Shopping malls, restaurants, parking lots… all of these places usually have metal and commercial roofing. However, compared to wood or vinyl, metal can be a little more disruptive when it comes to mobile service.
The ideal signal strength for a Smartphone is -50dB. These numbers aren’t always reached, but some interference always seems to bring them up or down. Just as any obstructive material, metal roofing can also change the decibels of a signal. Expect to get -100 to -80 dB on your Smartphone when you are below a metal roof. But, these numbers don’t mean that you won’t be able to get full reception. As we mentioned before, -50dB is the ideal strength and “perfect” is always hard to reach.
The Weak Spots
Each home has weak spots when it comes to cellphone signals. This mainly happens due to certain materials in your home that are blocking connections. But, these weak spots aren’t created that easily. Not only do you need to have metal roofing, you also need energy-coated windows, tons of trees in your backyard, a lot of brick just laying around, etc.
The point being: Metal roofs aren’t the only perpetrators. On their own, they cannot effectively block your cellphone reception. To have weak/dead spots in your home means that you have tons of other materials coincidentally placed in the exact place where they would be effectively blocking your signals.
The Solutions
Don’t be afraid of getting metal roofing. It offers tons of amazing benefits, including high energy efficiency, curb appeal, and an average lifespan of 50 years. It is definitely worth it, even if by some chance it disrupts your cellphone signal.
Fortunately, these days improving cellphone reception is a very easy thing. From cell phone boosters to femtocells, increasing your connectivity can be easily done for only a couple of bucks. But, remember that these boosters won’t magically awaken a dead signal, they will only increase a weak one
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