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Solar panel installation has become popular these days. People who live in sunny locations have more reasons to invest in solar power since it gives them extra passive income and even pays for their power needs.
Solar panels are delicate pieces of equipment that require the best underlying materials as a base. James Kate Construction: Roofing, Painting & Windows is one of the premium roofing contractors to give you an estimate of what needs to be done with your roof before installing solar panels.
However, it is reasonable to know that solar installation should always happen after having your roof inspected and restored.
Here are the main reasons that advocate for a general roof repair before you even think of placing solar panels on it.
Create A Solid Base for Your Solar Panels
Roofing experts should enter your roof and try to inspect it for broken parts. Some roofs have already exceeded their lifespan and should be replaced right away, even without placing solar panels on them.
Old roofs are made from wooden parts and ceramic tiles. A thick insulative layer is always situated between these parts to give the right water repellent abilities to the whole structure.
Your solar panels would need to stand on these parts and be stable against the winds. That’s why creating a solid base for your panels requires you to replace any defective roof part that has been left unattended for years.
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Inspect Your Roof From the Inside To Ensure There are No Cracks
Experienced roofers can say when a roof has leaks and cracks. They may need to enter the roof from the attic and check the roof tiles from the inside.
If they inspect a crack or a hole, they should deal with it immediately, ensuring your roof’s complete insulation.
Otherwise, when solar panel experts install the panels, the outer part would never be accessible again for inspection.
A completely stable and solid roof is required for solar panels to fit stably and perfectly on it. Even though new solar panel models are lighter than they used to be, they still aggravate the structural parts of your roof.
That’s why a reinforcement to the wooden skeleton of your roof is essential before you even think of placing panels on it.
Solar Installation Needs Drilling for Power Lines
Most solar panel installers would like to insulate the power cables and let them pass through your house to meet the power metering device.
That requires a lot of drilling to ensure the holes that allow cables pass through the roof tiles and reach your electric network.
Even though power lines are not heavy and could be inserted into canals, your roof needs much preventive work to safeguard its integrity.
Some solar panel installers use the exterior part of your roof to let the power lines reach the metering mechanism.
However, that’s not always an option for all homes. Plus, you need to apply insulation on the holes drilled to allow the power lines to reach the surface.
On any occasion, having a clear strategy on how to connect the solar panels to the electric network through the roof is necessary. The roof is the sensitive part of this equation and needs your thorough protection.
It’s The Best Time to Replace Your Roof Tiles
There’s no reason to place new and expensive solar panels over cracked roof tiles. These tiles should require a replacement sooner or later, which would be impossible to perform without removing the solar panels first.
Not to mention that it’s a bad idea to let your expensive solar panels be based on cracked tiles that are close to collapse.
The right task sequence is to remove the cracked tiles and replace them with new ones before you permanently install the solar panels.
Fixing Your Gutters is Essential Before Placing the Solar Panels
Your roof needs to remove rainwater from its gutters effectively. Placing solar panels without fixing the roof gutters is suicidal.
The excess water during rainfall could flood your roof and allow moisture to enter your solar panels and destroy their electrical circuits.
It could be massive damage that would cost you a fortune to fix. That’s why unclogging or even replacing your old gutters to securely remove water from the roof when it’s raining is necessary to occur before installing your new and valuable solar panels.
Energy efficiency created by installing solar panels on your roof requires a solid roof inspection and repair first. That’s the right thing to do, and enjoy peace of mind for many years to come.
