How to Install Solar Panels
Solar panels are currently the most used to provide energy because of their convenience it terms of cost; they only use renewable energy from the sun to give you free energy. Luckily the solar panels can be installed just on any type of roofing materials, however, different materials can have different ways of. The good thing about solar installation is that you can even do it for yourself at home, which is if you have any technical skills; you should not attempt to climb on the roof if you are not familiar with that.
If you just bought a new solar panel and you want to install on your roof, you might be wondering how you can install it on your type of roof, well, you just got in the right place. Today we will be checking out how we can install solar panel on any roof material. Some of the materials that will be covered here include; metal, wood, concrete, rubber, clay tiles, asphalt and slate tiles and any other roofs.
Asphalt Shingle Roofs
There are very many people currently using this type of roofs. Installing a solar panel on this roof is very easy; first you will need to drill the studs which are used to hold the panel into position in the asphalt roof, make sure that the studs are firmly standing in the roof, after that you can now attach the solar panel mounts on the studs. Don’t forget to seal the spaces around the bracket with flashing so that water cannot get in through the point.
Clay Tile Roofs
Clay tiles are quite common too, though not as much as other roofing materials, the process of installation here is a bit complicated since you cannot drill into the clay tile to fix the panel because they are fragile, you will need to remove the tiles first before you start working,. If you cannot manage this on your own, it is better if you find an expert to help you.
The first step like we have said is to remove the tiles so as to access the base of the roof, you don’t need to remove too many tiles, just the placed which the solar will be installed. Drill the metal hooks and the flashing in the roof and once you are sure that they are all held strong into the roof, you can now replace the tiles slowly without breaking them because they are very fragile, after you have replaced the tiles, you can mount the feet. Make sure that you are having a good flashing that can fit to the tile very well to prevent water from entering the house. You can now mount your solar panel on the feet you mounted and you will be good to go.
Flat Roofs
Installing a solar panel on this kind of roof is not hard. The only thing that you should keep in mind here is that the roof is flat and so you will have to install the solar in a tilted way to make sure that it is facing the sun for efficiency. The first thing is to install a metal that is slanted in the direction you need and mount the solar on the metal racking you installed on the roof. Now that the roof is flat and stable, there is no need of drilling the bolts in the floor to hold the metal , however if you fear of security, you can as well drill the holes but be very careful not to drill extra wide holes that will let in water.
Wooden Roofs
This is the easiest because drilling in the wood is not that hard. The first thing you will need to do is to drill the studs into the roof and make sure you are putting the metal flashing under the wooden parts of the roof to prevent entry of water after you are sure that the studs are strongly mounted to the roof, you can now mount your solar panel on the studs. You should be very careful with wood when you are drilling the studs and installing the panel because some tomes it can be very easy to break.
Metal Roofs
Solar panels are very good with metal roofs more than any other types of roof materials. There are different types of metal that can be used for roofing. For instance a metal like a standing seam metal, it is very good with the solar, in fact installing it, you will need no drills because the solar can just be mounted and clamped to the seams that are raised seams and the panel will be stable enough for a long time. However, if you are using corrugated iron sheets, you will need to drill the holes to the roof after that you can mount the solar panel to the studs,. Just make sure that you are installing a flashing metal that will prevent water from entering the house in case it is raining.
In conclusion, installation of a solar panel is very important for your house, you will be able to cut down the expenses that you use paying for the electricity. There are quite a number of roof materials that are used for roofing, the installation of a solar panel has a different procedure for every different materials. You should be keen on the kind of material you are using and determine the kind of procedure you are using, always be careful not to mage anything while instilling the solar panel because some materials like tiles can be very fragile to handle.
In Awe Roofing Limited is an Award-Winning, family owned and operated Vancouver Roofing Contractor with over 17 years of roofing experience. We serve the entire Lower Mainland area, from Whistler to Chilliwack, employing a team of professional staff members. Our team has won numerous awards including Best of Homestars for the last five years, and Three Best Rated six years in a row. Learn more
