# static electricity in outdoor deck



## HARRY304E (Sep 15, 2010)

wireguy51 said:


> I have been asked to solve a static electricity problem & so far I haven't been able to find an acceptable solution. I've talked to 3 friends of mine who are also electricians and 3 electrical inspectors...no luck. If anyone has any suggestions it would be appreciated. The owners of a residential home spent big $$$ having a plastic composite plank deck installed on 3 levels of their home...none of the decks are at ground level. The planks are resting on 2x4 sleepers. Whenever they walk out onto any of the decks with their shoes on (rubber soled) they will get a static shock from the metal cap on the top of the wall / the door handle and even the bbq. I was on the deck with running shoes and got zapped multiple times. When I walked around in my socks only...no problem. I can't tell the owners to only go out on their new decks with barefeet or sock feet. The contractor who had the decking planks installed could not get any answers from the deck manifacturer. I'm wondering if I ground every plank, will the static charge discharge itself to ground instead of discharging through a person? Obviously the plastic planks don't conduct electricity but will the static electricity use this grounded path?



The plastic builds up a charge just like a carpet.

just make sure all the metal stuff out there is grounded.


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## wireguy51 (Aug 2, 2011)

Wouldn't grounding the metal cap just give a better path to ground when you touch the cap? The static charge has built up in someone (through their rubber soled shoes) and then when that person touches the grounded metal cap...there is a low resistance path from their hand through the metal cap to ground? It's been 20+ years since I did my schooling, so I may be way off here...but I thought of grounding the cap but figured it would just give the static charge a better path to ground. Let me know if I'm looking at this the wrong way. I guess it wouldn't hurt to do a refresher course on electrical theory.


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## HARRY304E (Sep 15, 2010)

wireguy51 said:


> Wouldn't grounding the metal cap just give a better path to ground when you touch the cap? The static charge has built up in someone (through their rubber soled shoes) and then when that person touches the grounded metal cap...there is a low resistance path from their hand through the metal cap to ground? It's been 20+ years since I did my schooling, so I may be way off here...but I thought of grounding the cap but figured it would just give the static charge a better path to ground. Let me know if I'm looking at this the wrong way. I guess it wouldn't hurt to do a refresher course on electrical theory.


You must live in a very low humidity area.

Usually this is something that prevails in the winter.



> I guess it wouldn't hurt to do a refresher course on electrical theory.


You and me both...:thumbup:

Here are some links i found check them out.http://www.google.com/#hl=en&xhr=t&...gc.r_pw.&fp=5c88e14de2b269a1&biw=1255&bih=537

Welcome to the forum enjoy the show..:thumbup:


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## eutecticalloy (Dec 12, 2010)

wireguy51 said:


> Wouldn't grounding the metal cap just give a better path to ground when you touch the cap? The static charge has built up in someone (through their rubber soled shoes) and then when that person touches the grounded metal cap...there is a low resistance path from their hand through the metal cap to ground? It's been 20+ years since I did my schooling, so I may be way off here...but I thought of grounding the cap but figured it would just give the static charge a better path to ground. Let me know if I'm looking at this the wrong way. I guess it wouldn't hurt to do a refresher course on electrical theory.


True, the charge or difference in potential is built up between the person and ground. The plastic insulators cause this in conjunction with the rubber soles. Grounding all metal would cause a discharge the voltage. That doesn't solve your problem. 

Grounding the planks won't help in my opinion because they are plastic and you can't ground the planks. 

However, maybe and this is a big maybe, some kind of chicken wire tacked underneath the deck and grounded and bonded to the other metal would cause more frequent discharges? But then again it won't work if the soles of their shoes are continuing to insulate them.

You need to ground the actual people. have them walk around with a wiree attached to their legs.


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## HARRY304E (Sep 15, 2010)

eutecticalloy said:


> True, the charge or difference in potential is built up between the person and ground. The plastic insulators cause this in conjunction with the rubber soles. Grounding all metal would cause a discharge the voltage. That doesn't solve your problem.
> 
> Grounding the planks won't help in my opinion because they are plastic and you can't ground the planks.
> 
> ...


Yup with "ESD" shoes..:laughing:
http://www.google.com/#hl=en&xhr=t&...gc.r_pw.&fp=31113ba7e477ce72&biw=1255&bih=510


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## don_resqcapt19 (Jul 18, 2010)

They could paint the deck with conductive paint, but that would kind of defeat the purpose of using plastic decking materials. Maybe a nice slightly raised strip of bonded metal between each deck plank would do the job.


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## LK1 (May 7, 2011)

wireguy51 said:


> I have been asked to solve a static electricity problem & so far I haven't been able to find an acceptable solution. I've talked to 3 friends of mine who are also electricians and 3 electrical inspectors...no luck. If anyone has any suggestions it would be appreciated. The owners of a residential home spent big $$$ having a plastic composite plank deck installed on 3 levels of their home...none of the decks are at ground level. The planks are resting on 2x4 sleepers. Whenever they walk out onto any of the decks with their shoes on (rubber soled) they will get a static shock from the metal cap on the top of the wall / the door handle and even the bbq. I was on the deck with running shoes and got zapped multiple times. When I walked around in my socks only...no problem. I can't tell the owners to only go out on their new decks with barefeet or sock feet. The contractor who had the decking planks installed could not get any answers from the deck manifacturer. I'm wondering if I ground every plank, will the static charge discharge itself to ground instead of discharging through a person? Obviously the plastic planks don't conduct electricity but will the static electricity use this grounded path?


There are warnings about in several publications, but few remedies, one of my customers put down a mat called path mat he said it helped it is blue and used in beach areas for a walk way

Interesting link http://www.lvye88.com/5-things-you-should-know-about-plastic-decking/. They claim water helps


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## LK1 (May 7, 2011)

LK1 said:


> There are warnings about in several publications, but few remedies, one of my customers put down a mat called path mat he said it helped it is blue and used in beach areas for a walk way
> 
> Interesting link http://www.lvye88.com/5-things-you-should-know-about-plastic-decking/. They claim water helps


This mat may do the trick ask for a sample and try it. http://www.stc-access.org/2009/04/26/mobi-mat-makes-beaches-and-trails-accessible/


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## MDShunk (Jan 7, 2007)

I think your solution is in this video:


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## backstay (Feb 3, 2011)

That answered all my questions about electricity!


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