The Perils of Satellite Dishes
Remember the old days of Star Trek? “Beam me up Scottie” And then Captain Kirk would disappear into thin air and transport back to the ship? The bad news is that satellite dishes don’t do that. And I’ve got more bad news for you. Satellites that are mounted to your roof or side of the house are a HUGE risk for leaks and wood rot.
The satellite service provider will tell you that they use a leak-proof rubber gasket and that won’t happen. Don’t be deceived that their rubber gaskets are going to protect you from wood rot down the road. They literally put several holes in your roof, covered by these rubber gaskets, leaving you susceptible to seep leaks.
Remember the old days of Star Trek? “Beam me up Scottie” And then Captain Kirk would disappear into thin air and transport back to the ship? The bad news is that satellite dishes don’t do that. And I’ve got more bad news for you. Satellites that are mounted to your roof or side of the house are a HUGE risk for leaks and wood rot.
The satellite service provider will tell you that they use a leak-proof rubber gasket and that won’t happen. Don’t be deceived that their rubber gaskets are going to protect you from wood rot down the road. They literally put several holes in your roof, covered by these rubber gaskets, leaving you susceptible to seep leaks.
It seeps and soaks into the roof decking that absorbs it like a sponge. All the while, it is breaking down the fibers and creating wood rot. Often, a customer doesn’t realize there’s an issue until their roof begins to cave in under the weight of the satellite dish; Or there’s a wood rotted hole big enough to see as rain water creates water damage on the ceiling below the satellite. We see it all the time.
Momma always said that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Please take our advice and don’t allow satellites to be mounted on your roof or side of the house. If you must have one, they can just as easily mount it to a pole that’s embedded in concrete in your yard. They may charge a little extra for this service because they have to dig a hole and buy concrete and the pole, but it is much cheaper to do that than fix your wood rotted roof down the road.
The good news is that if this tragedy has already happened to you, it can be repaired. These images are from an actual recent case we resolved in Charlotte, North Carolina.
