In a previous article I discussed the standard types of TV Antenna Mounts. In this article I’ll show you some examples of various bad types of mounts and what’s wrong with them. Many older and even new homes will have these types of mounts that can cause all sorts of issues in the long run.
Bent Fascia Poles
This form of TV mount is based on a straight fascia pole that has been bent to match the roof angle. Typically these poles are designed to be used on the side walls of buildings parallel with the ground. Two poles are attached to the wall, then a vertical pole U-bolted to the horizontal poles. But to save money some TV Antenna installers actually take these fascia poles and bend them, usually just with their foot and hand, to an appropriate shape.
The problem with this style of mount is the very small footprint it has on the roof. All the force of wind loads on the aerial are being transmitted into the roof in a very small space resulting in higher pressures. On a tile roof this can end up cracking or even breaking the tile which can subsequently leak.
Even on metal roofs there is greater potential for the mount to lever the roof screws out of the roof even slightly which can create a leak. They typically don’t look that great either unless the installer has got the angle of the bend just right.
I strongly advise against using this type of mount and if you have one, replace it with one of the types form my TV Antenna Mounting Methods article. Don’t let an aerial installer get away with giving you one like this!
Other bad examples
Some other examples from my hall of shame:
