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 groundedpath?