Looking at metal siding on shop and home, we have low signal on cell phones already, i have read through numerous threads on GJ and others about this issue and all the work arounds. My question is that the siding company has this statement on their web page. Who do you believe, once installed there is no turning back.
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Metal siding & cell signal experience?
- Thread starter 72Wagon
- Start date
Mikeske
Well-known member
Call the idiots and have them come to my steel sided shop with a metal man door facing my home where the wifi is. My cell signal is completely no go and wifi is also blocked if my man door is closed. Also the cell signal is totally no go in my steel sided shop along with my home with metal roofing and awnings on getting cell signals.
As far as those statements they are absolutely false.
can-metal-cladding-affect-cell-phones
As far as those statements they are absolutely false.
can-metal-cladding-affect-cell-phones
Eric S.
Active member
I have corrugated metal siding and metal roof on my house withno issues with cell service or getting wifi outside. But I do have a strong cell siginal outside.
I also have a shipping container with wireless door contacts inside for the alarm system. Container is about 40' from the panel in the house. Siginal is on the weak end of the spectrum but they oconnect fine and haven't had issues for the two years I've had it installed. My cell also works inside the container.
I also have a shipping container with wireless door contacts inside for the alarm system. Container is about 40' from the panel in the house. Siginal is on the weak end of the spectrum but they oconnect fine and haven't had issues for the two years I've had it installed. My cell also works inside the container.
This 100%. I hardwired internet to a wireless router in the shop and put in a cell phone booster with an antenna mounted outside to fix mine.Call the idiots and have them come to my steel sided shop with a metal man door facing my home where the wifi is. My cell signal is completely no go and wifi is also blocked if my man door is closed. Also the cell signal is totally no go in my steel sided shop along with my home with metal roofing and awnings on getting cell signals.
As far as those statements they are absolutely false.
can-metal-cladding-affect-cell-phones
nadogail
Well-known member
Electronics is not an exact science, a metal building may demonstrate properties similar to a Feriday (SP?) cage. That is why steel ships have their antennas mounted externally.
We have only 2-3 bars on our Verizon phones with a wood home and garage, we stream everything on the tv's and laptops through T-Mobile. I have priced siding for the home but not ordered. I stumbled upon a thread about those with the metal shops here on GJ and I suddenly had a panic attack as we are already getting contractor quotes.
I am wondering if the windows are enough to let the signal pass into the home?
I am wondering if the windows are enough to let the signal pass into the home?
Youngandfree
Well-known member
Changing building plans over this seems nuts to me.We have only 2-3 bars on our Verizon phones with a wood home and garage, we stream everything on the tv's and laptops through T-Mobile. I have priced siding for the home but not ordered. I stumbled upon a thread about those with the metal shops here on GJ and I suddenly had a panic attack as we are already getting contractor quotes.
I am wondering if the windows are enough to let the signal pass into the home?
bluedog225
Well-known member
My metal clad cabin has no reception. Windows and big garage door.
Open the man door and the garage door. Signal appears.
Open the man door and the garage door. Signal appears.
This is a residing of our home, we were wanting steel siding (Board & Baten), We are wanting to go maintenance free exterior. There are companies that offer that type siding in vinyl so we could go with that. Not wanting to deal with antennas and boosters if we don't have too.
This company is a major manufacturer of log style steel siding. That is why I was surprised buy their statement!
This company is a major manufacturer of log style steel siding. That is why I was surprised buy their statement!
ask them if they will refund the purchase price if it turns out to be a lie....This is a residing of our home, we were wanting steel siding (Board & Baten), We are wanting to go maintenance free exterior. There are companies that offer that type siding in vinyl so we could go with that. Not wanting to deal with antennas and boosters if we don't have too.
This company is a major manufacturer of log style steel siding. That is why I was surprised buy their statement!
Fav Onefour
Well-known member
Wifi calling?
I wouldn't waste the effort on cell boosters unless you're doing it for every other yahoo that shows up and wants to use their phone. There are probably good versions of those things. But, I've had way too much experience with **** versions. Unreliable service and poor sound seems more normal.
Steel buildings aren't a big hassle if you have strong signal. If the signal is mid level or less the steel starts cutting into the service. High data stuff seems to suffer most.
We have quite a few steel buildings in weaker signal areas. Call quality is intermittent and data is iffy inside those buildings. Window areas are an improvement, but unobstructed openings are best. In those buildings, we do a lot of phone stuff standing in doorways. In the buildings with wifi, we use that and keep on truckin.
I wouldn't waste the effort on cell boosters unless you're doing it for every other yahoo that shows up and wants to use their phone. There are probably good versions of those things. But, I've had way too much experience with **** versions. Unreliable service and poor sound seems more normal.
Steel buildings aren't a big hassle if you have strong signal. If the signal is mid level or less the steel starts cutting into the service. High data stuff seems to suffer most.
We have quite a few steel buildings in weaker signal areas. Call quality is intermittent and data is iffy inside those buildings. Window areas are an improvement, but unobstructed openings are best. In those buildings, we do a lot of phone stuff standing in doorways. In the buildings with wifi, we use that and keep on truckin.
tez929rr
Well-known member
We have two steel buildings and with the doors closed cell signal is zero. We put a booster in one, and we put an identical booster in our steel building firehouse (same issues). Boosters vary substantially in price. These were about $300 each. Internet fed is by cable in each case; inside each building WiFi off of the router works great.
WisJim
Well-known member
Our house has steel siding and roof, and the shop/garage does also. We get phone and internet from T-Mobile and their device is at an upstairs window towards the nearest cell tower to get good service. It's on the opposite side of the house from the garage building. I get good cell reception throughout the house and garage, but sketchy internet in the garage. Internet in the garage is okay if the door facing the house is open and I'm near that door in view of the house, which is about 30 feet from the house.
Well after reading all these replies I take it that if you have a strong cell signal the steel siding would not be a issue, also if you have some sort of cable that feeds your wifi and use wifi calling you would be fine on cell and streaming. If your cell signal is weak or marginal and you have no cable fed wifi you will have issues with both cell and streaming. Unfortunately we are in the marginal to weak category.
With the T-Mobile we get 3 bars presently, about the same on our Verizon phones, my garage/shop is 100ft from the house but I ran a ethernet cable from the T-Mobile unit to the garage which works well for internet. We have no options as far as cable internet and not going back to Directv.Our house has steel siding and roof, and the shop/garage does also. We get phone and internet from T-Mobile and their device is at an upstairs window towards the nearest cell tower to get good service. It's on the opposite side of the house from the garage building. I get good cell reception throughout the house and garage, but sketchy internet in the garage. Internet in the garage is okay if the door facing the house is open and I'm near that door in view of the house, which is about 30 feet from the house.
haveissues
Well-known member
Put your phone in a metal box and try calling it. won’t have signal. It’s only gonna get worse as everything switches over to 5G. wi-Fi calling will work, but I would also install a outdoor access point. If you start a call on Wi-Fi calling and then walk outside where your Wi-Fi won’t work because of the steel siding, the call will drop it won’t hand over to cell towers.
racecougar
Well-known member
Installing an exterior antenna / booster is no big deal. I agree that changing your siding plans over this is a little extreme. I installed this little guy on my R-panel roofed/sided 30x60x13 shop; it does great.
Hohn
Well-known member
Faraday cages work not just because they are metal but because of the mesh. A steel box is not a Faraday cage.Electronics is not an exact science, a metal building may demonstrate properties similar to a Feriday (SP?) cage. That is why steel ships have their antennas mounted externally.
The mesh is important because of the electromagnetic induction in the individual wires in the mesh (Faradays' law of electromagnetic induction, which is why the cage is named after the man).
Essentially, when a magnetic flux passes through a conductor, it induces a current in a predictable direction based on the flux change. The cage causes the flux passing through it to induce currents in multiple directions at once, which creates interference.
Also, these induced currents also create their own magnetic fields, which induce other currents, and so forth.
I don't think steel ships have their antennas mounted externally for this reason, because large fiberglass yachts have their antennae mounted externally also.
jollygreengiant
Well-known member
Looking at metal siding on shop and home, we have low signal on cell phones already, i have read through numerous threads on GJ and others about this issue and all the work arounds. My question is that the siding company has this statement on their web page. Who do you believe, once installed there is no turning back.
It Will Interfere with Your Cell Phone and Wifi
This is a very common myth surrounding metal buildings and metal sidings, and it has no truth behind it at all. Steel siding does not interfere in any way with television, radio, cell phones or wifi. The same coverage and connectivity you currently experience is what you will experience if your home were to be clad in steel.
It will absolutely impact your reception. My house used to have metal siding, with a metal roof, and the only way you could make a phone call was to be standing in front of a window. Same thing with wi-fi, you had to be standing right next to the house by a window for good signal. Now with non-metal siding it's no longer an issue.
Well after reading all these replies I take it that if you have a strong cell signal the steel siding would not be a issue, also if you have some sort of cable that feeds your wifi and use wifi calling you would be fine on cell and streaming. If your cell signal is weak or marginal and you have no cable fed wifi you will have issues with both cell and streaming. Unfortunately we are in the marginal to weak category.
Back when my house still had metal siding, when I would look at my phone's signal strength icon it had really strong signal, but then I would walk into the house and it would drop significantly. So it's not just a weak cell signal problem. And this problem was pretty much the same across multiple devices and networks.
jollygreengiant
Well-known member
Faraday cages work not just because they are metal but because of the mesh. A steel box is not a Faraday cage.
The mesh is important because of the electromagnetic induction in the individual wires in the mesh (Faradays' law of electromagnetic induction, which is why the cage is named after the man).
Essentially, when a magnetic flux passes through a conductor, it induces a current in a predictable direction based on the flux change. The cage causes the flux passing through it to induce currents in multiple directions at once, which creates interference.
Also, these induced currents also create their own magnetic fields, which induce other currents, and so forth.
I don't think steel ships have their antennas mounted externally for this reason, because large fiberglass yachts have their antennae mounted externally also.
I could be mistaken, but I believe the ships antennas thing was that they were mounted externally, usually on the highest spot, to maximize range?
OccupantRJ
Well-known member
A friend with a metal shop calls me regularly to talk tech about our projects. If his garage door is open he can call me from just inside the opening. Closed is a no go. If his man door is open, he can be talking while walking across his yard, but once he walks through the door, he comments that he might lose me. Sometimes it does, sometimes it does not. Mostly does.
I have a medium signal (3 Bars outside). When I go into my all metal shop, it drops to 2 bars. I have high windows on three sides, so maybe the signal "sneaks" in through the windows. There seems to be lots of different answers to this issue.
My Old Tools
Well-known member
If you have sufficient window area or wood doors, you will get a good signal. Otherwise, you won't. We had a house with a radiant barrier attic and the cell tower was a couple of miles away and had to shoot through 3 brick walls and a fireplace...no cell signal inside. Put a Wilson repeater on that end of the house and the inside antenna on the main room and we had a decent signal. I also had a metal building with an apartment in it. Big windows facing the cell tower, no problems at all. My current shop has five windows facing the cell tower, no problem.
My Old Tools
Well-known member
Solid metal can absolutely act as a faraday cage. Simple physics should tell you that. I spent a 40 year career inside faraday cages (SCIF labs).Faraday cages work not just because they are metal but because of the mesh. A steel box is not a Faraday cage.
The mesh is important because of the electromagnetic induction in the individual wires in the mesh (Faradays' law of electromagnetic induction, which is why the cage is named after the man).
Essentially, when a magnetic flux passes through a conductor, it induces a current in a predictable direction based on the flux change. The cage causes the flux passing through it to induce currents in multiple directions at once, which creates interference.
Also, these induced currents also create their own magnetic fields, which induce other currents, and so forth.
I don't think steel ships have their antennas mounted externally for this reason, because large fiberglass yachts have their antennae mounted externally also.
dcg9381
Well-known member
The first part of this statement is dead wrong.Steel siding does not interfere in any way with television, radio, cell phones or wifi. The same coverage and connectivity you currently experience is what you will experience if your home were to be clad in steel.
The second part of this statement is exactly right: Your reception (degraded) will be the same in a metal clad house or steel clad shop.
From (recent) experience:
I have an tenant in an RV that is literally 15' away from my shop. I have a Ubiquiti "long range" access point inside the shop.
As much as I moved that AP around inside the shop, redirecting it, repositioning it on the same side of the shop as the RV, there was way too much attenuation (signal degraded). I added an exterior AP to solve. Wifi way degraded with steel R panel. My shop has no windows and all door are steel.
One thing to consider:
Many modern phones will actually use wifi instead of cellular signal.. So if you've got good wifi in the shop and a modern phone, you may be golden.
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dcg9381
Well-known member
You are not mistaken.I could be mistaken, but I believe the ships antennas thing was that they were mounted externally, usually on the highest spot, to maximize range?
Jeff Ivers
Well-known member
Based on other replies, you probably have already deduced the correct answer is: IT DEPENDS! Houses have windows. Are you in an urban area where cell towers are likely line-of-site through your windows? I have steel siding on my house and can use my cell phone throughout the house with no problems. I use a different carrier for wireless internet and have to keep the access box near a window for good service. I understand the desire to be maintenance free as I went that way years ago myself. Initially had vinyl siding but it was not maintenance free and ended up changing to steel siding. I think the maintenance issue far outweighs the inconvenience of having to figure how to get wireless service working.
Hohn
Well-known member
I never said solid metal doesn't block signals. I just said it's not a faraday cage per se.Solid metal can absolutely act as a faraday cage. Simple physics should tell you that. I spent a 40 year career inside faraday cages (SCIF labs).
Probably semantic that doesn't really matter, but an actual faraday cage does block more than a steel box does.
I've worked in SCIFs but never a SCIF Lab, sounds like a cool job.
IT DEPENDS was a great phrase to sum this up. Just had another contractor here for an estimate, he does not do steel siding only vinyl, they do vinyl board & baton which is what were wanting. We do have a lot of glass on rear of house not sure about cell tower location will look into that. I agree on your maintenance statement.Based on other replies, you probably have already deduced the correct answer is: IT DEPENDS! Houses have windows. Are you in an urban area where cell towers are likely line-of-site through your windows? I have steel siding on my house and can use my cell phone throughout the house with no problems. I use a different carrier for wireless internet and have to keep the access box near a window for good service. I understand the desire to be maintenance free as I went that way years ago myself. Initially had vinyl siding but it was not maintenance free and ended up changing to steel siding. I think the maintenance issue far outweighs the inconvenience of having to figure how to get wireless service working.