Roof leak? We respond the same day. Call 06 84 76 29 46
Roof leak? We respond the same day. Call 06 84 76 29 46
Fitting solar panels is an investment for many years. If the roof underneath is already getting on, you may have to have the panels removed in a few years to renew the roof. Removing and refitting them is work you could have avoided.
These are the four points I look at before panels go on.
The condition of the roof covering. Porous tiles, mossy areas or a bitumen roof with blisters and cracks are better repaired first. Also read about the lifespan of roof tiles.
Leaks and damp patches. An existing leak does not go away because there are panels on top. Seeing damp patches along the ridge? Then have the cause found first.
The supporting structure. Panels and their fixings add weight and penetrations. The battens and the roof boarding must be sound.
The penetrations and the ridge finish. Wherever fixings go through the roof, everything must seal watertight. Loose ridge tiles are best dealt with first, see loose ridge tiles.
“Put panels on a roof that is almost due for replacement, and you pay twice later.”
If your roof is still sound and will last for years to come, you can simply have the panels fitted. I check that during a free inspection.
If the tiles are porous, there is already a leak or the insulation is due for replacement, it is smarter to do that before the panels. Combining is also possible: I renew the roof and the installers fit the panels afterwards.
I check your roof before the panels arrive and tell you honestly whether renovation is needed or whether it can wait. You get a fixed price up front.
Extra work later. Panels have to come off the roof for a renovation and then go back on.
A leak under the panels. Hard to find and hard to repair.
Higher costs. You pay for removing and refitting, on top of the roof work.
Inconvenience. As long as the roof is open, the panels produce nothing.
Request a roof inspection before you sign a quote for panels. Then you know what the roof can take.
Have the installer and the roofer coordinate with each other, so the penetrations seal properly. If the roof is in poor condition, also read repair or replace the roof.
Look from the ground: missing tiles, moss and a sagging roof slope can be seen without climbing. See checking the roof after a storm for a list to go through.
Ask your installer what weight and which fixings he uses, and keep that information for your roofer.
Yes, that is sensible. Panels stay on for many years, so the roof underneath needs to last just as long.
Then the panels have to come off first and go back on afterwards. That means extra work and time, so it is smarter to get the roof in order beforehand.
They can if the penetrations have not been sealed properly. Good installation and a check of the connections prevent that.
My colleagues and I come round for a free roof inspection. Afterwards you hear what is needed and you get a fixed price up front.
