Roofers Have Things Nailed Down

Four Vital Maintenance Steps To Ready Your Roof For Solar

6 May 2022

Nora Mcdonalid

Solar panels are a big addition to your roof, and after installation, roof maintenance becomes more difficult, so making sure you're completely prepared for solar installation day is important to get the best possible experience. Taking care of repairs or replacements, having a thorough inspection, and making sure any modifications are taken care of first will help your installation go more smoothly and help your panels work more efficiently.

Get Repairs Done

Once solar panels are installed, it's much more difficult to make repairs to your roof, and in many cases, panels may need to be removed in order to do so. For this reason, if your roof needs any repairs at all—even minor ones—it's a good idea to get these taken care of before your installation. This could include things like fixing damaged roofing material, patching up insulation, and improving attic ventilation. If you aren't sure what work, if any, you need, contact a roofer to take a look for you, and be sure to explain that you're looking to have solar panels installed.

Replace Your Old Roof

If your roof is nearing the end of its average life span, your best bet may be to have it replaced completely before you install solar. This is usually done for the same reason that repairs are done before installation, except that having panels removed to have your roof replaced can cost even more. On top of this, your roofers are usually not the ones who will remove the panels, which means you'd need to contact your solar installers instead.

Even if your roof is in good shape at the moment, consider that solar panel systems will last you roughly thirty years. If you don't expect your roof to outlast your panels, it's best to have your roof replaced first.

Get It Inspected

On top of repairs, it's a good idea to make sure your roof can handle the weight of solar panels. The average panel weighs about thirty pounds, which can add up quickly. No matter how old your house is, it helps to have your roof thoroughly inspected to make sure it's strong enough to support the added weight.

One thing that can prevent you from having panels installed is a double-layered roof. For example, if you have an asphalt shingle roof and then installed a second layer over the first rather than having the first layer removed, your roof will likely already be too heavy to support solar panels.

Make Necessary Modifications

Depending on your situation and where your solar installer decides to place your panels, you may need to make certain adjustments. One type of adjustment is the placement of plumbing vents. If your panels are best placed in a certain area, but there are plumbing vents coming out of your roof in the same area, they will sometimes need to be redirected to make way for panels.

Solar panel placement is important to get the best energy production, so check with your solar installer to see if you need to make any changes to your roof as it is. This will help your roofers understand exactly what you need in order to make this work.

For more information, contact a roofing service, such as JCB Roofing / HHI, SC. 

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