• To use an antenna, it is important to know your homes type of building materials. Some building materials can interfere with reception. If you are experiencing reception problems, take a look at the type of home you live in. A metal sided home, homes with foil faced insulation, homes with metal awnings, roofs with metal heat shields, roofs made of metal, windows with bars, metal fire escape, or stucco (metal mesh is used to hold the plaster to the walls) can cause signal disruption. 

     

    • Metal, Stucco and Aluminum siding homes: Try placing the antenna in a window with no metal awnings or metal window screens. Placing the antenna in a window could avoid signal disruption; however, they will still experience some reception issues.
    • Metal Heat Shields/ Foil faced insulation/Radiant Barriers/Metal Roofs: Heat Shields/radiant barriers are installed in the attic to help insulate the home. These are typically found more in cold climates. If you have a metal heat shield/radiant barrier an antenna would not work in the attic. A roof antenna or placing the antenna in window would work best. This same scenario applies to a metal or tin roofs.
    • Bars, Fire Escape, and Metal Screens: While these three things keep you safe from burglars, fire, and bugs, they can also cause TV signal disruptions. You should try and move the antenna above these types of items or you should place the antenna in a window where there is no metal present.

     

    These types of materials refract or bend TV signals making the antenna unable to receive them. The best building construction for indoor TV reception is wood, brick, vinyl siding, or placing the antenna in a window.

     

    There are some homes where the antenna must be placed in or near a window because there may be too much metal in the surrounding area: 

    • Mobile homes
    • Homes with aluminum siding
    • Homes with stucco siding (metal mesh is used to attach the stucco to the house)
    • Homes with tin roofs
    • Apartment buildings or condos in large metro areas
    • RVs or Travel Trailers