Should we mount a satellite dish on the side of the house? That is the question many
people ask especially if they have vinyl or aluminum siding on their homes. Even people who have brick on all 4 walls are asking this question. Many people allow installers to install the dishes on their homes regardless of the type of siding they have. Personally I am against allowing a satellite dish on the side of the house to be attached to my home for the following reasons.
Impact of a Satellite Dish On Your Home
- At least 4 holes need to be drilled into and through the siding
- These holes are potential points for water leakage
- You need one more hole somewhere for the cable to run through
- When you remove the dish, you have these unsightly holes to deal with
- It looks ugly to have this dish on your home
Alternatives
Now there are steps you can take to protect your home if you have no choice. Many people do not have access to cable TV services. They may live in the country or in a small village were cable TV is not offered or available. Here is a list of potential alternatives:
- Mount the dish on a pole away from your home
- Install the dish on a garage or other building
- Mount the dish on a side of your home were it is not visible
- Install the dish on the roof
- Attach the dish to the chimney
In all cases you must be able to have a line of site view of the satellite from the location were the satellite dish is being installed. This includes no building blocking the view or trees or shrubs partially blocking the view. If any of these things get in the way you will either not get any signal at all or it will be degraded.
Most installers are professionals and will seal all holes so that rain water and insects cannot get in. If you remove the satellite dish on the side of the house, you will have holes that must be plugged and sealed properly. You will have an unsightly set of holes, but after awhile you will not even notice them. They will be there of course and might be an issue for someone wanting to buy your house. We suggest that you leave the satellite dish on the side of the house even if you are not using it.
Let us know if you have any comments on our opinion about this. For more thoughts and ideas about mounting satellite dishes, click here.