Lightning Protection in Gainesville

Older neighborhoods under the tree canopy

Gainesville's older neighborhoods, such as the Duckpond and the streets around the University of Florida, have wood-frame and brick homes under big live oaks and pines. Many have metal or older shingle roofs, chimneys, and porches that need careful air terminal placement and conductor routing.

A tall oak beside the house doesn't protect the house, and a strike to the tree can side-flash or travel through roots toward the foundation and buried lines. A tree close to the home can have its own system. See tree lightning protection and residential lightning protection.

Rentals and newer subdivisions

A college town has a lot of rental houses whose owners don't live in them, so a strike can go unnoticed until a tenant reports a dead circuit. Newer subdivisions west of I-75 and toward Newberry and Alachua are a good chance to install during construction, with conductors hidden in the attic and walls. See new construction lightning protection.

Horse farms and acreage

Northwest of town around High Springs, Alachua, and Newberry, and south toward Archer and Micanopy, families live on acreage with barns, run-in sheds, hay storage, and pole buildings. A barn full of hay and horses on open pasture is one of the most exposed buildings on the property, and we plan the house and outbuildings together. See farm and ranch lightning protection.

Sandy soil and summer storms

Much of Alachua County sits on sandy soil over limestone, which drains fast and can make good grounding harder to achieve than in clay. We design grounding for the specific site rather than driving one rod and calling it done.

North-central Florida gets thunderstorms most summer afternoons, so it's worth having protection in place before storm season.