Will An Antenna Work In Your Attic?
Installing the antenna in the attic is becoming a very popular location to mount an antenna. Although this type of installation is normally not recommended by some antenna retailers and antenna aficionados, there are many consumers who have gone ahead with it, despite the warnings, and have reported great results. If you have your eyes set on an attic-mounted antenna, could this be in your antenna’s future?
Technically, it doesn’t matter where you place the antenna. As long as you find a location where your antenna can pick up signals from the broadcast towers without any interruptions, then it doesn’t matter whether your antenna is on your TV stand, on a 30-foot mast, on your rooftop, or in your attic. The important thing is that your channels come in clearly and without any disruptions whatsoever.
The biggest setback, and the biggest reason why some antennas won’t work in attic spaces, is the building material that your roof is comprised of. Some people who are not aware of the painstaking process and materials that are laid out to make a roof might think a few pieces of wood and some shingles are the only things that stand in the way of your antenna and the broadcast towers. In some homes, some plywood and shingles ARE all that stand in the way, but in some homes, there is aluminum stripping that is placed at the edge of the roof right under the shingles. Then there is the metal siding, metal ducts, foiled-back insulation and other parts that are comprised of some kind of metal, which all serve as obstructions and will greatly hinder your antenna’s performance.
One thing you want to keep in mind is that not all antennas will work the same way. Each one has its own strengths and weaknesses, and sometimes even the same antenna that was installed at your neighbor’s place a few houses down might not work with you. Doing ample research, reading product reviews, and getting into contact with someone knowledgeable (and has firsthand experience) with antennas will aid you in finding the right antenna for your attic. Purchase your antenna from a reputable retailer that has a return policy of some sort in case your antenna doesn’t work. A tool that you might want to get is a field strength meter, which can be used to determine the signal strength of any given TV channel. Although not necessary, it is a very useful tool to have around for beginners and experts alike.
Aydan Corkern is a writer, HD enthusisast, and promoter of home theater installation and indoor antenna.