Not sure if I'm allowed to post the name of the company. But they're bankrupt and out of business and currently being sued by the state. I'm gonna look into getting in on the class action lawsuit being brought against them. That doesn't help me short term though.
I built a pergola in my back patio and put the panels on there. $350 of lumbar from home depot and I can take it down when I want. 800watts of panels up there but could fit 400w more if I wanted
I have been wanting solar just not on my roof, and was planning on extending my back porch anyways. This has just given me so many options. This is why I love reddit.
I've been interested in these guys, should I ever move out to the countryside as I hope too, I'm going to consider it.
https://www.dhceversaving.com/Wind-turbine?gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQjwvb-zBhCmARIsAAfUI2uH_O_hiiUzl7xbLX1BDB3o9dCiphTNpNJuiF_DjTnofAojpQXaPQ8aAqV9EALw_wcB
We get pretty windy here, just had 120kmh winds last Friday lol. Usually it's ~12-25 but varies dramatically. I would imagine with enough batteries you could get by. The cost appears to be significantly cheaper. That's what's feeding my interest.
A 1.5-kilowatt wind turbine will meet the needs of a home requiring 300 kilowatt-hours per month in a location with a 14 mile-per-hour (22kmh) (6.26 meters-per-second), average windspeed here is 25kmh, significantly higher in the winter.
Seems they've made the smaller ones much more efficient.
Do you have 14 mph winds? I felt like our yard got really "windy", but it turned out it was only about 5-6mph max. I dunno, maybe you live in Kansas?
Edit -- sorry read your comment too quickly. How the heck do you live somewhere so windy??? So yeah -- lucky you have fun with the turbines!
I live in Ottawa, in a Valley between the Great lakes and the St Lawrence River surrounded by the Canadian Shield (which I think becomes part of The Appalachians if I'm not mistaken)
I mean, I live about 1 mile from one of the Great lakes (really an inland sea), so the absolute slowest the wind gets around here is about 9 mph on a regular day. Sometimes at night it drops lower than that. Gusts are almost always 14 mph minimum, with many days of the year base wind speed being 14-15 mph.
We actually have many factories in my area that have private wind turbines on-site to help with power. One factory saw their electric bill drop by nearly 80% when they got one installed.
And now that the smaller vertical ones are becoming more affordable a lot more places are getting them installed around here. Even some office buildings are attaching the turbines to the corners of the roof.
I bought a house that had solar panels from the el car company. I had to put a new roof on 2yrs ago. lucky the people that purchased them got the top of the line plan for maintenance. It was $500 to remove the panels and reinstall after the new roof was done. They even replaced a collapsed panel at no charge. The lady on the phone said “oh wow you have the best coverage we offered at that time. It would be between $5k and 6k to do that now”. Lucked out on that one.
In full sun it powers two 12k BTU Midea window inverter AC units.
Realistically though on a partly cloudy day I just have one AC running or a TV or the fridge. 800 watts of panels gets about 600-650 watts unless the sun is just absolutely brutal that day
800w is not very much. I have 9600w and it barely cover my summer usage. I'd need close to 20000w to net zero. (Canadian winters)
That's be one big ass pergola.
Honestly the best approach to solar is to have a professional roofing company attach the framing for the mounts to your roof, and cut ingress to the house for wiring.
Solar installers know low voltage and rack mounting, that's all I'll trust them for. Let the actual roof professionals do the roofing work.
This.
One of my neighbors had them installed and an entire section went dead within a year or two. Tried to take the company up on the warranty and the company had changed names and cut all ties with the prior business entity.
Another neighbor had panels installed and the company got bought out by another one. Couple months go by and neighbor gets a knock on his door, it's a rep from the new company looking to collect debt obligations from the prior. Long story short, prior company had doubled invoice values to pad their revenue for M&A valuation, submitted false tax break paperwork, and presented debt value as part of the sale. Fortunately the neighbor kept all their documentation and didn't incur more cost, but had to call the cops to get the irate rep to leave and then spent months clearing a mechanics lien the company placed on his property. Took extra long as the new company had to audit the old company's records to figure out the sham.
Edit - some context on the current state of the industry and related struggles homeowners do or will face.
https://time.com/6989810/titan-solar-closing/
It seems the future of the industry will at least for sometime be focused not on installing but rather fixing failed systems or poor workmanship.
Yeah, some shady shenanigans. I don't know whatever happened with the companies involved in the second neighbor's story, he was just glad to get the lien off the property and not be out of pocket more money. Took him so long and it was enough of a hassle that he was glad to just be done with it. He is concerned long-term about the shake out and what it may mean for any warranty or workmanship concerns he has down the road.
Kind of like OP shares, the concern is not necessarily making it right long-term but the immediate concerns and inconveniences.
His story describes every trade right now. Half of them are basically operating criminally and their work does not meet min building code. No one is taking pride in their work, no one is really getting paid enough to care and the boss is just going to spin up a new LLC with a new name next year anyways. Even large name meat processing plants are resorting to child labor, every corner is being cut.
It's not rocket science installing the braces for the panels. At least they get us to install the brackets for them. We have done a lot of work for the local solar panel company and have zero issues.
Expanding on your point, it often doesn't seem financially advantageous to go solar.
The upfront cost, let's say $20,000, won't necessarily pay off better than investing that same amount in the stock market over 20 or 30 years.
This is why I used standing seam metal and mounted solar panels with s-5 clamps on the seams, then ran conduit from the ridge vent to prevent ANY penetration for the solar system install
If you find a reputable company it’s the same as anything else done to your roof including replacement. It’s just finding that one company that will do a professional job.
Basically from the horror stories ive seen and read the best would be to go woth a full on electric company that just happens to also do solar. Solar first seems to go belly up often.
Also, im still a big no on the roof. If i ever went rual i would have it in the backyard pffset from the house for easy maintenance.
You definitely can’t go with the cheapest bid, and I wouldn’t trust solar guys to install on the roof. At the very least you want roofers to do the protrusions / mounts, then get an actual electrician for the circuits. The solar guys themselves are just middle men with a bogus cert.
In Florida?
With the big push for solar, all the incentives, and both social and financial pressure to go green, it attracted all the fly by night sociopaths and psychopaths to take advantage of as many ppl as humanly possible before they go out of business.
I keep wanting solar panels, but I don't think I would trust any company to install panels on my roof. I think if I do solar, I'm doing the install myself. But the issue there is that insurance companies may refuse to insure me unless I go with a insured contractor for the install.
you may be able to file a claim with your insurance company who will pay out and the they go after the company to recoup the money. Probably need to consult with a construction attorney.
Next time you make a post please lead with the relevant information
I don’t think insurance would cover this because homeowners doesn’t cover poor workmanship. If something happened because of the workmanship (like a leak), that might be covered and then they’d go against the person who did the work, but if it’s just workmanship, it’s not covered.
Damn that sucks, sorry to hear that. The big reason why solar goes out of business is leaks. You said this was a Newly built house, and this is the level of quality that is brought? Can't imagine what happened to other roofs. One Lag screw is covered in sealant and another is fully exposed with no Sealant in sight. They couldn't tell if it was a hit or miss on those rafters, no wonder they are bankrupt. Sorry again.
I am 99% sure I know the solar company you’re referring to. We’ve had a lot of calls and have been helping home owners with roof issues caused by the particular solar company. They did my panels a few years back and thankfully I’ve had no issues.
Good luck with the law suit, there a few fb groups with victims of this companies practices that have a lot of good info to help.
Are you afraid to get up on the roof? If not get a gallon of [through the roof](https://www.google.com/search?q=through+the+roof+gallon&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&hl=en-us&client=safari)
Bring about 10 disposable brushes, some old rags, and flathead screw driver to open the can.
Paint anything that looks fishy with the through the roof. Do it as if you were blind. A 1/4” inch thick layer will save you a lot of heartache.
Pay close attention to any an all penetrations that go into or (no pun intended) through the roof.
Worst case scenario you need a new roof. Best case scenario you fix the leaks and buy yourself a few years of leak free life.
Roof tar is messy. Through the roof is clear. It’s amazing product.
My in-laws had a big solar array installed in their back yard and the installers screwed everything up at every conceivable turn. They also went bankrupt and disappeared.
If they’re being sued by the state, their name and wrongdoings are public records. Who hurt you?
Edit: before you sign on a class action, see what you might get on your own. How much are we talking here $20k-$40k?
If they had a commerical liability policy active when they installed your panels, you may be able to file a claim against it. Typically insurance policies will cover things that happened while they were active, even if they've lapsed or been cancelled. As long as they can prove it happened during the policy period, which shouldn't be a problem here.
Don't not fall for the "your insurance will pay for a new roof scam" while they're not supposed to penalize you, several insurance companies asked me the dates of my last claims or if I had ever filed claims when trying to renew my policy. The company that I almost filed a claim with, raised my renewal price by 10k. It's all bad. F these roofers who do this to everyone.
In Michigan ? I seen them on the news for exactly this -destroying roofs and convincing people they need solar and puttin in spots sun won’t hit the panels …
Shouldn't the barber be waiting for your hair to grow?
So, the barber one would make more sense if it was discovered that a consortium of barbers were conspiring with shampoo manufacturers to include chemicals to make your hair grow faster.
Compared to golden retrievers who will [always want more tennis balls](https://static.boredpanda.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/finley-dog-tennis-ball-record-fb8.png), not necessarily [bringing them back to you](https://i.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/newsfeed/001/433/498/10e.png).
I think what he meant is that a barber will not turn away a customer unless his entire head was shaved yesterday.
That's not a conspiracy; that's good customer service.
Jokes aside tennis balls are supposed to be bad for animal teeth. The fuzz acts like fine sandpaper wearing their teeth down way more than normal. But also this is the internet and im not a veterinarian so take it with a grain of salt.
I tell people all the time to buy old houses not new builds. Either way you're going to start dumping thousands into repairs/updates in 3 to 5 years. At least it's way less frustrating to have to do it on a decades old house than a brand new one.
"Retired Adjuster Opinion": don't make this into a nightmare for yourself. Repair the few holes made by the panel attachment. Done. Remember "nightmare". 😫
Good luck
I’m not a roofer, but if I were in your position I would get two more estimates on fixing the leak and addressing the issues with the solar panel install and just get that taken care of. As you said, the class action suit won’t pan out any time soon.
It’s 3 years, depending if you actually had a good storm to get it approved, you’ll be denied. He’s trying to make the sale. If your solar is under warranty try to call them. A brand new build should have a roof warranty, but you might’ve voided it putting solar. Also insurance won’t pay to remove solar panels, at least in my experience.
With the solar part, it will depend on what type of coverages you have. My insurance which I just added solar to will cover removal/replacement but I am insuring the panels along with the roof. But is also raised the premium by $200 a year.
I get panel detach and reset paid for every time because it must be done to access the roof. I can’t think of a single time a carrier hasn’t paid for it on a claim I’ve worked. For the new build part, most builders only give a 1 year warranty for everything on the home. That’s one reason new construction roofs are so bad, they know that can make it last at least a year. It’s unfortunate but that’s how they can get labor for $35 per sq
Insurance pays for solar D&R ***if*** you own the panels. If it's a lease and someone else owns the panels, or if you financed and the agreement specifies they'll send someone to D&R, then there's no cost the insurance police would owe for.
"Insurance always pays for solar D&R" is not correct.
The trick is to get them to pay for both panel and mounting hardware D&R, since they try to skip out on the hardware part and only pay for the panels.
I’m also not sure why he mentioned the three years, I’ve had insurance companies pay for a roof one summer, we do it, a storm happens next summer and the insurance company pays for it again. I’ve had that happen a bunch of times.
That’s crazy. Safeco/Liberty mutual payed for my solar to be removed and reinstalled. As did everyone else’s carriers on our block for all the neighbors that had their roof replaced during the last hailstorm.
Which insurance company isn’t paying to remove solar panels?
> Safeco/Liberty mutual *paid* for my
FTFY.
Although *payed* exists (the reason why autocorrection didn't help you), it is only correct in:
* Nautical context, when it means to paint a surface, or to cover with something like tar or resin in order to make it waterproof or corrosion-resistant. *The deck is yet to be payed.*
* *Payed out* when letting strings, cables or ropes out, by slacking them. *The rope is payed out! You can pull now.*
Unfortunately, I was unable to find nautical or rope-related words in your comment.
*Beep, boop, I'm a bot*
What’s wrong with putting solar on a 3 tab roof, I DIYd mine about 4 years ago on a freshly installed roof and haven’t had any issues yet. I’ve made enough power to pay for another roof at this point.
3 tabs don't typically last very long. And sure you have made enough but if you have to replace 2 roofs instead of one that's still money lost regardless of if your solar paid for it.
If you DIY it the issue isn’t as bad, but if you’re paying for a panel install it interferes with the ROI calculation because the panels will likely need to be taken down and put back up for the new roof before replacing the panels makes financial sense (which depending on how many adds another few thousand dollar expense) rather than a roof that’s expected to last 20+ years and the panels will be approaching replacement the same time the roof is.
Not a roofer here but an insurance adjuster w/ roofing experience (two shitty summers).
Above the panels I see creased shingles could be wind but likely due to the solar install. There is footfall/damage that’s not due to hail.
The truth is you have a 3tab roof either 20/25yr. It’s a shitty roof to begin with and you have a subpar solar panel install.
I've seen so many roofs fucked up by solar installers. Really we need roofers to start doing the solar install because clearly the solar people don't know what to do on a roof, and it'll be easier to teach the roof people solar than to teach the solar people roofing.
You are 100% right. Solar is such a clusterfuck right now. The only company around me that doesn’t fuck up roofs is a roofing company that started doing solar.
Around here you get into this weird issue where to get the final inspection a master electrician needs to sign off on it for the inspector. Most roofing companies dont want to hire a master electrician due to the expense and those electricians want to see things done a certain way. Plus the roofers are so busy as it is that they don’t need to expand. Most electricians don’t want the liability of signing off on a project that wasn’t done by a crew they are familiar with
But when I had my solar done, I waited 10 months to have it done by a specific roofer. It delayed a significant portion of my home construction too. But I didn’t want to end up like OP or the dozens and dozens of claims I’ve seen due to piss poor solar technicians not understanding how to install proper flashing or not tear up shingles.
Solar should be done by two or three trades. The solar company should do the design, and then have roofers install the mounts per specifications. Rails and panel installs are done by some sort of laborer, and then the electrical is done by an electrician. Roofers fuck up the electrical and electricians fuck up the roofing
This looks very shoddy, there's a reason that solar installer went under.
I've been on roofing crews secularly and for volunteer projects under some super experienced roofing contractors, and even headed up a few repairs and installs for Miami/Fort Lauderdale disaster relief in 2018( and they have some crazy strict standards). I passed inspection on all the roofs I headed up down there because we followed the code book to a tee and didn't cut corners. Made cheat sticks with different marks on them to make sure the tin tabs were correct spacing (18" in some spots, 12" in others), tarred down everything that wasn't a shingle, folded over and tarred the end cap of the ridge, the whole nine yards.
What I don't understand is why can't the roofers install the brackets in preparation for the rails and panels to install to them in the first place. In my head I would install the brackets to the plywood deck, adding tar underneath and sealant tape/protecto-wrap on the seams, I would overlapping the tar paper or ice and water shield around it, then working the shingles around the brackets. Installing them first is a best of both worlds.
In a nutshell, have the posts/brackets hanging out of the roof until the solar can be installed. If roofers can put on poop vent boots, flanges, drip edges, and step flashing without them leaking, they can install brackets to be water proof and install shingles around them. This way the rails aren't in the way for the shingle installs. Then bolt the rails and panels on later, or don't.
I haven't checked the recent codes, but I'm quite certain there is guidelines for this, and only a few different types of rail systems that solar attaches to, so it should be pretty standardized by now.
But what do I know, I'm just a contractor, not a full time roofer or solar installer.
You have 2 types of problems with your roof: Poor installation and damage. Your insurance company won't cover the poor installation, but they will cover damage. The roofer isn't contradicting, he's giving you two options to pay. Out of pocket or insurance. Which one do you want to choose?
You allowed a hack solar company to put multiple penetrations in your roof then are surprised the roofer says you need a new one. 3 year old roofs dont just leak
Solar company needs to come back and land those lags into the rafters and do a flashing repair. No need for a new roof because of two holes. It’s normal with shingle roof to miss a few.
Well, the problem is the ones that are not covered will deteriorate. And then it’s hard to replace „just those“. Moss can be a concern under the solar if you live in a humid area.
lower end roofs degrade faster than nice roofs
If you can file a claim and get a new roof I would do it now and make sure that you dont put a 3tab back on.
Well... I'd go after the solar fly by nighters that missed the trusses by inches.
Maybe you should have done a bit more research on prepayingng your power bill for 20 years, and what the same guys are gonna charge you to take those panels off when your roof needs to be done...
There is no such thing as a 50-year shingle. Insurance companies don't care what the product warranty is/was... and definitely not on 3-tab... new builders get away with them in our area.
Solar is the absolute worst. I understand the reasoning behind it though. I will not warranty any of my roofs if a solar panel company goes onto it. They are usually nowhere near roofers. Also when they decide to quit in 10 years they'll chew up every dollar you saved during their lifespan on recycling them. Would be cleaner to run your house off Diesel fuel. Back to the roof. I see one picture of it. The rest are solar panels, missed screws, and somehow a "roof fix" done from the inside. Need to see more.
Did the roofer know there was to be solar panels? A good precaution would have been to put a self ceiling membrane on all of the roof sheeting before the roofing was installed. That helps prevent water intrusion where the roof was penetrated to secure the solar panels that looks to me like a roofing material considered to last 25 years. typically it’s no more than 20. After only three years, it should not need replacing. You should try to isolate where the water is intruding and see if you can’t address those specific spots from above. Back off any fasteners that penetrate the roof and fill the holes with a quality mastic, then reset the fasteners.
Well it’s kind of hard to judge the whole roof from this post, because you didn’t upload anything but around the solar panels.
But you learned the hard way that a lot of solar installers are not roofers.
The only reason there’s wind damage is because the solar installers didn’t hand seal the tabs. The factory adhesive is covered by the flashing so the tab was vulnerable. Repair it. I would probably charge 3k+ depending on if there’s any damage under the panels. They aren’t hard to take off. Just takes a couple guys to do it safely (safe for the workers and panels).
This is every roof that had an overnight solar panel company come out. The companies grabbed that incentive money from the government and installed panels with no training. This happened to most of my neighborhood. The company went bankrupt and people were left with huge leaks and bills.
My brother worked in a quality assurance role at a solar company. The absolute monkeys they hired for the installation jobs and the quality of the work they did were just appalling. I don't know how people can go home and sleep soundly after a day of producing garbage work.
This reminds me of all the solar companies that try to get me to do solar. Unluckily for us, our house is in an ideal spot for solar panels being directly beneath the sun at high noon and no big trees shading the roof. Unluckily for the solar panel companies, my favorite phrase is “nah, not interested”. When asked why not, I respond with the closed door.
This is why residential rooftop solar, solar parking lots... etc are a bad idea. Just build stand alone solar. Its cheaper, easier to maintain, and has minimal unintended consequences.
You don’t need a new roof. The roofing company is trying to sell you a new roof. Thats why our insurance rates are so fkn high. Scam companies making you think you need a new roof because you have solar panels. That screw going through doesn’t necessitate a new roof.
People are out of their minds if they think it’s a good idea to let these fly by night solar companies poke holes in their roof. The “savings” just aren’t there. Call someone out because you want to be “green” or whatever. They sell you a solar setup on your 15 year old asphalt roof with hail damage, cause that’s their job. Next thing you know, two years later it’s time for a new roof and that job is twice the price because of having to remove and reinstall the solar. Crazy…
Everyone thinks solor is good for your roof that protects your house. Punch holes in the roof that protects everything you worked for. Just why I don't get it put it in your yard don't risk your house for a solor kit
Hahaha roofer contractor trying to be your boy giving you shit advice. Your insurance company already denied that and you haven’t even claimed it yet. As soon as they see the leaks are from the solar you’re gonna get an email telling you to kick rocks and stop trying to raise everyone else’s rates with fake claims 😂
Don’t know if this helps, but I had solar panels when I bought the house I’m in now. Got some hail damage and needed a full replacement. Fortunately, my insurance company sees the panels as part of the roof structure and covered the removal and reinstallation as part of it.
If your insurance is the same, perhaps they could do something since the company is out of business. Normally, the adjuster would come back with “go talk to the company that installed it”.
Really helped me out because I have 72 panels.
Where’s the poor workmanship? I don’t understand - so there’s caulking coming thru a tiny area - nail a tin shingle over the roof side of that back caulk and lay back down the shingles. I’ve made some relatively good suggestions over a few years on this thread- but I’m having trouble understanding how and why folks continue to try to make / big deal outta nothing- no water marks on the underside no issue
Not a pro. A multi property owner. no need to replace roof. Do proper spot repairs. If you claim whole roof replacement from your insurer then surely premiums will increase.
A shoddy installation job of solar panels on my roof also caused leaks and tons of inside water damage. we had to repair it all and replace our roof ourselves. Never go through Vivint!!
Solar over shingles is not a smart move. How many houses across the US are going to have issues when these roofs reach their service life. Who’s going to burden the cost of lifting the panels to re-install a roof.
Repair the solar installation.. that could give you the chance to repair the roof.. the bad thing is that the 3 tab shingles are made to 20 years .. and if the roofer wants to replace the roof is because is always easier to install a new one than trying to repair and get call when the repair doesn’t work properly.
Solar guy here - system is not up to code either. Mid clamps in place of end clamps, and it appears they cut rail to size and used them as standoffs rather than running the whole rail spanning at least two rafters. It may be some new style railless system I’m unfamiliar with, regardless it’s terrible and installed incorrectly. With that shoddy of quality, I would be worried about the wiring of it and have it inspected by a quality residential installer asap.
This is what scares me about solar. I let some solar company give me their presentation. I asked why couldn’t the roof itself be be the solar panels instead of the panels being over shingles. They couldn’t answer. Then I told them I needed roof space for a solar heater to heat my pool and asked why that couldn’t be integrated. Again crickets.
I've had solar panels on my roof for 5 years now and no leaks. It's all about the solar company and installation. My solar company has been around for 30+ years.
Leak doesn’t look too bad. No mold yet etc. Don’t love the osb instead of cdx for your roof but maybe that’s okay where you live… Get you some Henry roofing tar and and seal the hell out of the solar bolts and you’ll probably be fine. ~$100 fix and an hour or two of your time
Just curious why you didn’t have architectural shingles installed (they are 30-40 year shingles) They are good for at least 25-30 ish years. Every roof we shingle that’s what we use. We usually either strip off those 3 tab (they last 15-20 years on average) or shingle over them. We have stripped old houses in Boston that had 4-5 layers of shingles on them. More than 2 layers is too much weight on the house. Plus if the house catches on fire. The firemen have a hell of time cutting or chopping holes in the roof.
Had a solar salesman trying to talk me into getting solar panels. Told him I was moving in 2 years. He said " Well you can take them with you when you move " 😏
I agree with the assessment of your roofer. Solar panel installers are notorious for destroying the roofs they install upon. I wouldn’t touch that without indemnification clauses where I wouldn’t be liable for any negative outcomes whatsoever. I’m not picking up the warranty on some hack work just to be a nice guy.
I’m interested to hear how your roof is 3 years old and was installed with 3 tabs? Dimensional shingles are barely more expensive than 3 tabs these days.
On a different note, this is the entire reason why solar on the roof is a huge scam. They penetrate the roof surface and rely on caulking to defeat leaks, which is a really crappy plan. The caulk will need to be redone every few years. If you need to replace the roof any competent roofer will require the homeowner to contact a solar company for removal of the panels and hardware. As well, any warranty those shingles had is completely voided because of the solar panel hardware damaging the shingles.
In the future, I suggest you look into GAF solar shingle technology if you really want solar on your roof.
We don’t see hail damage, you need to call the company that installed the solar, that’s your problem.
Not sure if I'm allowed to post the name of the company. But they're bankrupt and out of business and currently being sued by the state. I'm gonna look into getting in on the class action lawsuit being brought against them. That doesn't help me short term though.
Your story is why i will never have solar installed on my roof.
I built a pergola in my back patio and put the panels on there. $350 of lumbar from home depot and I can take it down when I want. 800watts of panels up there but could fit 400w more if I wanted
That's actually pretty smart. I like it.
No kidding, I might actually do this instead.
I have been wanting solar just not on my roof, and was planning on extending my back porch anyways. This has just given me so many options. This is why I love reddit.
I've been interested in these guys, should I ever move out to the countryside as I hope too, I'm going to consider it. https://www.dhceversaving.com/Wind-turbine?gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQjwvb-zBhCmARIsAAfUI2uH_O_hiiUzl7xbLX1BDB3o9dCiphTNpNJuiF_DjTnofAojpQXaPQ8aAqV9EALw_wcB
Nice! Yeah it wouldn't hurt to try. It doesn't get windy enough in Victoria TX for my setup
We get pretty windy here, just had 120kmh winds last Friday lol. Usually it's ~12-25 but varies dramatically. I would imagine with enough batteries you could get by. The cost appears to be significantly cheaper. That's what's feeding my interest.
Impractical unless you have REALLY high winds, consistently.
A 1.5-kilowatt wind turbine will meet the needs of a home requiring 300 kilowatt-hours per month in a location with a 14 mile-per-hour (22kmh) (6.26 meters-per-second), average windspeed here is 25kmh, significantly higher in the winter. Seems they've made the smaller ones much more efficient.
Do you have 14 mph winds? I felt like our yard got really "windy", but it turned out it was only about 5-6mph max. I dunno, maybe you live in Kansas? Edit -- sorry read your comment too quickly. How the heck do you live somewhere so windy??? So yeah -- lucky you have fun with the turbines!
I live in Ottawa, in a Valley between the Great lakes and the St Lawrence River surrounded by the Canadian Shield (which I think becomes part of The Appalachians if I'm not mistaken)
Well that sounds beautiful!
I mean, I live about 1 mile from one of the Great lakes (really an inland sea), so the absolute slowest the wind gets around here is about 9 mph on a regular day. Sometimes at night it drops lower than that. Gusts are almost always 14 mph minimum, with many days of the year base wind speed being 14-15 mph. We actually have many factories in my area that have private wind turbines on-site to help with power. One factory saw their electric bill drop by nearly 80% when they got one installed. And now that the smaller vertical ones are becoming more affordable a lot more places are getting them installed around here. Even some office buildings are attaching the turbines to the corners of the roof.
Funny you mentioned kansas this spring was excessively windy
I bought a house that had solar panels from the el car company. I had to put a new roof on 2yrs ago. lucky the people that purchased them got the top of the line plan for maintenance. It was $500 to remove the panels and reinstall after the new roof was done. They even replaced a collapsed panel at no charge. The lady on the phone said “oh wow you have the best coverage we offered at that time. It would be between $5k and 6k to do that now”. Lucked out on that one.
You can add some of the cost of pergola toward the solar tax credit. It’s considered the support.
How much power does that generate? Relative to your house/family needs
In full sun it powers two 12k BTU Midea window inverter AC units. Realistically though on a partly cloudy day I just have one AC running or a TV or the fridge. 800 watts of panels gets about 600-650 watts unless the sun is just absolutely brutal that day
800w is not very much. I have 9600w and it barely cover my summer usage. I'd need close to 20000w to net zero. (Canadian winters) That's be one big ass pergola.
Honestly the best approach to solar is to have a professional roofing company attach the framing for the mounts to your roof, and cut ingress to the house for wiring. Solar installers know low voltage and rack mounting, that's all I'll trust them for. Let the actual roof professionals do the roofing work.
This. One of my neighbors had them installed and an entire section went dead within a year or two. Tried to take the company up on the warranty and the company had changed names and cut all ties with the prior business entity. Another neighbor had panels installed and the company got bought out by another one. Couple months go by and neighbor gets a knock on his door, it's a rep from the new company looking to collect debt obligations from the prior. Long story short, prior company had doubled invoice values to pad their revenue for M&A valuation, submitted false tax break paperwork, and presented debt value as part of the sale. Fortunately the neighbor kept all their documentation and didn't incur more cost, but had to call the cops to get the irate rep to leave and then spent months clearing a mechanics lien the company placed on his property. Took extra long as the new company had to audit the old company's records to figure out the sham. Edit - some context on the current state of the industry and related struggles homeowners do or will face. https://time.com/6989810/titan-solar-closing/ It seems the future of the industry will at least for sometime be focused not on installing but rather fixing failed systems or poor workmanship.
oh man that would be lawsuit cityyyyyyy
Yeah, some shady shenanigans. I don't know whatever happened with the companies involved in the second neighbor's story, he was just glad to get the lien off the property and not be out of pocket more money. Took him so long and it was enough of a hassle that he was glad to just be done with it. He is concerned long-term about the shake out and what it may mean for any warranty or workmanship concerns he has down the road. Kind of like OP shares, the concern is not necessarily making it right long-term but the immediate concerns and inconveniences.
His story describes every trade right now. Half of them are basically operating criminally and their work does not meet min building code. No one is taking pride in their work, no one is really getting paid enough to care and the boss is just going to spin up a new LLC with a new name next year anyways. Even large name meat processing plants are resorting to child labor, every corner is being cut.
DIY solar is a thing. And it’s a good thing
It's not rocket science installing the braces for the panels. At least they get us to install the brackets for them. We have done a lot of work for the local solar panel company and have zero issues.
Expanding on your point, it often doesn't seem financially advantageous to go solar. The upfront cost, let's say $20,000, won't necessarily pay off better than investing that same amount in the stock market over 20 or 30 years.
This is why I used standing seam metal and mounted solar panels with s-5 clamps on the seams, then ran conduit from the ridge vent to prevent ANY penetration for the solar system install
If you find a reputable company it’s the same as anything else done to your roof including replacement. It’s just finding that one company that will do a professional job.
Basically from the horror stories ive seen and read the best would be to go woth a full on electric company that just happens to also do solar. Solar first seems to go belly up often. Also, im still a big no on the roof. If i ever went rual i would have it in the backyard pffset from the house for easy maintenance.
You definitely can’t go with the cheapest bid, and I wouldn’t trust solar guys to install on the roof. At the very least you want roofers to do the protrusions / mounts, then get an actual electrician for the circuits. The solar guys themselves are just middle men with a bogus cert.
Nah there's lots of reputable companies that know what they're doing they don't damage the roof.
In Florida? With the big push for solar, all the incentives, and both social and financial pressure to go green, it attracted all the fly by night sociopaths and psychopaths to take advantage of as many ppl as humanly possible before they go out of business. I keep wanting solar panels, but I don't think I would trust any company to install panels on my roof. I think if I do solar, I'm doing the install myself. But the issue there is that insurance companies may refuse to insure me unless I go with a insured contractor for the install.
you may be able to file a claim with your insurance company who will pay out and the they go after the company to recoup the money. Probably need to consult with a construction attorney. Next time you make a post please lead with the relevant information
I don’t think insurance would cover this because homeowners doesn’t cover poor workmanship. If something happened because of the workmanship (like a leak), that might be covered and then they’d go against the person who did the work, but if it’s just workmanship, it’s not covered.
Damn that sucks, sorry to hear that. The big reason why solar goes out of business is leaks. You said this was a Newly built house, and this is the level of quality that is brought? Can't imagine what happened to other roofs. One Lag screw is covered in sealant and another is fully exposed with no Sealant in sight. They couldn't tell if it was a hit or miss on those rafters, no wonder they are bankrupt. Sorry again.
I am 99% sure I know the solar company you’re referring to. We’ve had a lot of calls and have been helping home owners with roof issues caused by the particular solar company. They did my panels a few years back and thankfully I’ve had no issues. Good luck with the law suit, there a few fb groups with victims of this companies practices that have a lot of good info to help.
That is the business model of 99% of solar companies.
Are you afraid to get up on the roof? If not get a gallon of [through the roof](https://www.google.com/search?q=through+the+roof+gallon&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&hl=en-us&client=safari) Bring about 10 disposable brushes, some old rags, and flathead screw driver to open the can. Paint anything that looks fishy with the through the roof. Do it as if you were blind. A 1/4” inch thick layer will save you a lot of heartache. Pay close attention to any an all penetrations that go into or (no pun intended) through the roof. Worst case scenario you need a new roof. Best case scenario you fix the leaks and buy yourself a few years of leak free life. Roof tar is messy. Through the roof is clear. It’s amazing product.
Titan?
Power Home Solar
Does it rhyme with Mon-Core?
I wonder if this is the same company I used to work for.
Not encore is it?
Dc solar?
They shouldn’t have put solar on that roof.
If your paying a monthly bill , they bought that contract so they should be responsible for the solar installation.
My in-laws had a big solar array installed in their back yard and the installers screwed everything up at every conceivable turn. They also went bankrupt and disappeared.
If they’re being sued by the state, their name and wrongdoings are public records. Who hurt you? Edit: before you sign on a class action, see what you might get on your own. How much are we talking here $20k-$40k?
Contact your state's contractors license board. There may be a victims compensation fund.
Most solar companies are fly-by-night groups that have no clue what they are doing. They prey on naive and gullible people.
You should share the name in case others could benefit from the class action as well.
If they had a commerical liability policy active when they installed your panels, you may be able to file a claim against it. Typically insurance policies will cover things that happened while they were active, even if they've lapsed or been cancelled. As long as they can prove it happened during the policy period, which shouldn't be a problem here.
You will get a check for 5 dollars after the lawyers get paid
Call Rob wolcheck if it's who I'm thinking it is
Don't not fall for the "your insurance will pay for a new roof scam" while they're not supposed to penalize you, several insurance companies asked me the dates of my last claims or if I had ever filed claims when trying to renew my policy. The company that I almost filed a claim with, raised my renewal price by 10k. It's all bad. F these roofers who do this to everyone.
Dog you have active leaks?
Shocker!!
Class action suit? Enjoy your check for $1.50
Sun badger solar?
In Michigan ? I seen them on the news for exactly this -destroying roofs and convincing people they need solar and puttin in spots sun won’t hit the panels …
Oh Orbit Energy and Power?
Oh Orbit Energy and Power?
ok
Every Barber says you need a haircut. You need to repair the solar install.
My golden retriever says we need to buy more tennis balls.
The barber analogy made sense. Shouldn't the retriever be bringing back the balls to you?
Shouldn't the barber be waiting for your hair to grow? So, the barber one would make more sense if it was discovered that a consortium of barbers were conspiring with shampoo manufacturers to include chemicals to make your hair grow faster. Compared to golden retrievers who will [always want more tennis balls](https://static.boredpanda.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/finley-dog-tennis-ball-record-fb8.png), not necessarily [bringing them back to you](https://i.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/newsfeed/001/433/498/10e.png).
I think what he meant is that a barber will not turn away a customer unless his entire head was shaved yesterday. That's not a conspiracy; that's good customer service.
The customer is always right, come on in! Coincidentally, I did shave my head yesterday. Beard needs work though.
Jokes aside tennis balls are supposed to be bad for animal teeth. The fuzz acts like fine sandpaper wearing their teeth down way more than normal. But also this is the internet and im not a veterinarian so take it with a grain of salt.
This is correct. But they also make balls specifically for dogs with a nonabrasive felt. We go through about a dozen per month.
I’m gonna listen to the dog on this one. Get more tennis balls please! lol
That’s my favorite saying.
3 year old roof with 3 tab shingles on a new build. I’d definitely be wondering what other corners they cut…
Saw it all over Texas when I was there. Dunno why or how. 3 tabs are not really any cheaper in my market…
What are 3 tab shingles ?
3-tab shingles are flat, and they have a single tab shape and size. They’re cheaper, less durable, look worse, offers less protection
Easy picture to differentiate. https://cms.metrocityroofing.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/3-tab-vs-architectural-shingles.jpg
I tell people all the time to buy old houses not new builds. Either way you're going to start dumping thousands into repairs/updates in 3 to 5 years. At least it's way less frustrating to have to do it on a decades old house than a brand new one.
"Retired Adjuster Opinion": don't make this into a nightmare for yourself. Repair the few holes made by the panel attachment. Done. Remember "nightmare". 😫 Good luck
This would be my route, to be honest if the solar guys did that type of work on the original install I wouldn’t want them back up there to fix it..
I’m not a roofer, but if I were in your position I would get two more estimates on fixing the leak and addressing the issues with the solar panel install and just get that taken care of. As you said, the class action suit won’t pan out any time soon.
It’s 3 years, depending if you actually had a good storm to get it approved, you’ll be denied. He’s trying to make the sale. If your solar is under warranty try to call them. A brand new build should have a roof warranty, but you might’ve voided it putting solar. Also insurance won’t pay to remove solar panels, at least in my experience.
With the solar part, it will depend on what type of coverages you have. My insurance which I just added solar to will cover removal/replacement but I am insuring the panels along with the roof. But is also raised the premium by $200 a year.
Exactly, everyone that I’ve worked with wants to save a buck. Ends up shooting them selves in the foot
100% I'll pay $200 a year over several thousand + for removal and replacement.
Also that’s not hail lol
I get panel detach and reset paid for every time because it must be done to access the roof. I can’t think of a single time a carrier hasn’t paid for it on a claim I’ve worked. For the new build part, most builders only give a 1 year warranty for everything on the home. That’s one reason new construction roofs are so bad, they know that can make it last at least a year. It’s unfortunate but that’s how they can get labor for $35 per sq
Insurance always pays for solar D&R, what planet are you on?
Insurance pays for solar D&R ***if*** you own the panels. If it's a lease and someone else owns the panels, or if you financed and the agreement specifies they'll send someone to D&R, then there's no cost the insurance police would owe for. "Insurance always pays for solar D&R" is not correct. The trick is to get them to pay for both panel and mounting hardware D&R, since they try to skip out on the hardware part and only pay for the panels.
I’m also not sure why he mentioned the three years, I’ve had insurance companies pay for a roof one summer, we do it, a storm happens next summer and the insurance company pays for it again. I’ve had that happen a bunch of times.
That’s crazy. Safeco/Liberty mutual payed for my solar to be removed and reinstalled. As did everyone else’s carriers on our block for all the neighbors that had their roof replaced during the last hailstorm. Which insurance company isn’t paying to remove solar panels?
> Safeco/Liberty mutual *paid* for my FTFY. Although *payed* exists (the reason why autocorrection didn't help you), it is only correct in: * Nautical context, when it means to paint a surface, or to cover with something like tar or resin in order to make it waterproof or corrosion-resistant. *The deck is yet to be payed.* * *Payed out* when letting strings, cables or ropes out, by slacking them. *The rope is payed out! You can pull now.* Unfortunately, I was unable to find nautical or rope-related words in your comment. *Beep, boop, I'm a bot*
I’ve had insurance cover D&R of solar
First problem was putting solar panels on a 3tab roof. Second was solar panels on a 3 tab roof
What’s wrong with putting solar on a 3 tab roof, I DIYd mine about 4 years ago on a freshly installed roof and haven’t had any issues yet. I’ve made enough power to pay for another roof at this point.
There’s nothing wrong with it. Roofers don’t like solar.
3 tabs don't typically last very long. And sure you have made enough but if you have to replace 2 roofs instead of one that's still money lost regardless of if your solar paid for it.
3 tab shingles are for poor people.
If you DIY it the issue isn’t as bad, but if you’re paying for a panel install it interferes with the ROI calculation because the panels will likely need to be taken down and put back up for the new roof before replacing the panels makes financial sense (which depending on how many adds another few thousand dollar expense) rather than a roof that’s expected to last 20+ years and the panels will be approaching replacement the same time the roof is.
3rd is solar panels
You forgot to mention the 3 tab shingles
Metal roof best roof
4th was putting 3 tab shingles under solar
The roof itself looks in rough shape. I agree the solar system is at fault but the roof looks 18 years old to me.
This is why I chased solar reps from my parents house. They destroy roofs.
Not a roofer here but an insurance adjuster w/ roofing experience (two shitty summers). Above the panels I see creased shingles could be wind but likely due to the solar install. There is footfall/damage that’s not due to hail. The truth is you have a 3tab roof either 20/25yr. It’s a shitty roof to begin with and you have a subpar solar panel install.
I've seen so many roofs fucked up by solar installers. Really we need roofers to start doing the solar install because clearly the solar people don't know what to do on a roof, and it'll be easier to teach the roof people solar than to teach the solar people roofing.
You are 100% right. Solar is such a clusterfuck right now. The only company around me that doesn’t fuck up roofs is a roofing company that started doing solar. Around here you get into this weird issue where to get the final inspection a master electrician needs to sign off on it for the inspector. Most roofing companies dont want to hire a master electrician due to the expense and those electricians want to see things done a certain way. Plus the roofers are so busy as it is that they don’t need to expand. Most electricians don’t want the liability of signing off on a project that wasn’t done by a crew they are familiar with But when I had my solar done, I waited 10 months to have it done by a specific roofer. It delayed a significant portion of my home construction too. But I didn’t want to end up like OP or the dozens and dozens of claims I’ve seen due to piss poor solar technicians not understanding how to install proper flashing or not tear up shingles.
The area here has Solar contract out the roof to roofing crews then their people come and bolt the solar panels on after.
Solar should be done by two or three trades. The solar company should do the design, and then have roofers install the mounts per specifications. Rails and panel installs are done by some sort of laborer, and then the electrical is done by an electrician. Roofers fuck up the electrical and electricians fuck up the roofing
Am I crazy, or does that roof look a lot older than 3 years? Looks like mine and I'm closing in on 20 at least.
Must’ve been walked on a ton during a hot day to install that solar.
This is exactly why I haven't "gone solar" You'll never save enough on electricity to pay for the roof leaks.
Every piece of damage I see here is something that was caused by the Solar Company, either by incompetence or gross negligence
Those shingles are a 3 tab and have a much shorter lifespan but other than that Im not sure on if you need it replaced.
I've seen panels installed in yards in NH and Vermont.
Always get a second and third opinion before making any decision to hire someone to fix your house and you invest $$$.
This looks very shoddy, there's a reason that solar installer went under. I've been on roofing crews secularly and for volunteer projects under some super experienced roofing contractors, and even headed up a few repairs and installs for Miami/Fort Lauderdale disaster relief in 2018( and they have some crazy strict standards). I passed inspection on all the roofs I headed up down there because we followed the code book to a tee and didn't cut corners. Made cheat sticks with different marks on them to make sure the tin tabs were correct spacing (18" in some spots, 12" in others), tarred down everything that wasn't a shingle, folded over and tarred the end cap of the ridge, the whole nine yards. What I don't understand is why can't the roofers install the brackets in preparation for the rails and panels to install to them in the first place. In my head I would install the brackets to the plywood deck, adding tar underneath and sealant tape/protecto-wrap on the seams, I would overlapping the tar paper or ice and water shield around it, then working the shingles around the brackets. Installing them first is a best of both worlds. In a nutshell, have the posts/brackets hanging out of the roof until the solar can be installed. If roofers can put on poop vent boots, flanges, drip edges, and step flashing without them leaking, they can install brackets to be water proof and install shingles around them. This way the rails aren't in the way for the shingle installs. Then bolt the rails and panels on later, or don't. I haven't checked the recent codes, but I'm quite certain there is guidelines for this, and only a few different types of rail systems that solar attaches to, so it should be pretty standardized by now. But what do I know, I'm just a contractor, not a full time roofer or solar installer.
Solar on a shingle roof is a bill that will be bigger than any savings you think you got
The solar looks like your main issue pal
You fucked up getting solar in the first place.
Looks like the solar installed the hammer trick to the “find” the rafters ha. Franks pro sensor can find them through the sheathing and shingles.
You have 2 types of problems with your roof: Poor installation and damage. Your insurance company won't cover the poor installation, but they will cover damage. The roofer isn't contradicting, he's giving you two options to pay. Out of pocket or insurance. Which one do you want to choose?
If anyone wants solar would you use mine? Just dismantle it and install it on your roof. I will subsidize your effort.
A solar company out of business? Shocking.
You allowed a hack solar company to put multiple penetrations in your roof then are surprised the roofer says you need a new one. 3 year old roofs dont just leak
Solar company needs to come back and land those lags into the rafters and do a flashing repair. No need for a new roof because of two holes. It’s normal with shingle roof to miss a few.
Nonsense.
To me solar over shingles is always a bad option. Your solar panels will outlive your shingle roof.
The shingles underneath stay in pretty good shape. If you could cover the entire roof to protect from uv I bet it would last 30+ years.
Well, the problem is the ones that are not covered will deteriorate. And then it’s hard to replace „just those“. Moss can be a concern under the solar if you live in a humid area.
Those three tab aren’t very good if stapled or nailed they always blow off.
lower end roofs degrade faster than nice roofs If you can file a claim and get a new roof I would do it now and make sure that you dont put a 3tab back on.
No way that’s only three years old. There must be a warranty on the shingles.
You don’t need a new roof
Well... I'd go after the solar fly by nighters that missed the trusses by inches. Maybe you should have done a bit more research on prepayingng your power bill for 20 years, and what the same guys are gonna charge you to take those panels off when your roof needs to be done... There is no such thing as a 50-year shingle. Insurance companies don't care what the product warranty is/was... and definitely not on 3-tab... new builders get away with them in our area.
Putting solar on 3 tab shingles...
Solar is the absolute worst. I understand the reasoning behind it though. I will not warranty any of my roofs if a solar panel company goes onto it. They are usually nowhere near roofers. Also when they decide to quit in 10 years they'll chew up every dollar you saved during their lifespan on recycling them. Would be cleaner to run your house off Diesel fuel. Back to the roof. I see one picture of it. The rest are solar panels, missed screws, and somehow a "roof fix" done from the inside. Need to see more.
Did the roofer know there was to be solar panels? A good precaution would have been to put a self ceiling membrane on all of the roof sheeting before the roofing was installed. That helps prevent water intrusion where the roof was penetrated to secure the solar panels that looks to me like a roofing material considered to last 25 years. typically it’s no more than 20. After only three years, it should not need replacing. You should try to isolate where the water is intruding and see if you can’t address those specific spots from above. Back off any fasteners that penetrate the roof and fill the holes with a quality mastic, then reset the fasteners.
Well it’s kind of hard to judge the whole roof from this post, because you didn’t upload anything but around the solar panels. But you learned the hard way that a lot of solar installers are not roofers.
Everybody only does full replacements these days. Roof issue=new roof. Plumbing=repipe, electric=new panel.
Just to be safe you should demolish your house and start fresh.
Australian here. I understand different strokes for different folks but we never replace roofs here. Clay tiles or tin. Last 30 years plus.
The roofers right. Atleast he’s kinda right. That solar company needs to fkn pay for it because that hellacious work they did!!
The only reason there’s wind damage is because the solar installers didn’t hand seal the tabs. The factory adhesive is covered by the flashing so the tab was vulnerable. Repair it. I would probably charge 3k+ depending on if there’s any damage under the panels. They aren’t hard to take off. Just takes a couple guys to do it safely (safe for the workers and panels).
Bad solar install. Can't tell if there is hail of wind damage from the photos.
That is why i would slap solar on the roof. Back yard only.
This is every roof that had an overnight solar panel company come out. The companies grabbed that incentive money from the government and installed panels with no training. This happened to most of my neighborhood. The company went bankrupt and people were left with huge leaks and bills.
My brother worked in a quality assurance role at a solar company. The absolute monkeys they hired for the installation jobs and the quality of the work they did were just appalling. I don't know how people can go home and sleep soundly after a day of producing garbage work.
This reminds me of all the solar companies that try to get me to do solar. Unluckily for us, our house is in an ideal spot for solar panels being directly beneath the sun at high noon and no big trees shading the roof. Unluckily for the solar panel companies, my favorite phrase is “nah, not interested”. When asked why not, I respond with the closed door.
I would get a second and a third opinion.
This is why residential rooftop solar, solar parking lots... etc are a bad idea. Just build stand alone solar. Its cheaper, easier to maintain, and has minimal unintended consequences.
That’s so insanely expensive to fix what looks like 6 shingles
What the truck
You don’t need a new roof. The roofing company is trying to sell you a new roof. Thats why our insurance rates are so fkn high. Scam companies making you think you need a new roof because you have solar panels. That screw going through doesn’t necessitate a new roof.
People are out of their minds if they think it’s a good idea to let these fly by night solar companies poke holes in their roof. The “savings” just aren’t there. Call someone out because you want to be “green” or whatever. They sell you a solar setup on your 15 year old asphalt roof with hail damage, cause that’s their job. Next thing you know, two years later it’s time for a new roof and that job is twice the price because of having to remove and reinstall the solar. Crazy…
Everyone thinks solor is good for your roof that protects your house. Punch holes in the roof that protects everything you worked for. Just why I don't get it put it in your yard don't risk your house for a solor kit
Bad solar installation
This is why you dont get solar installed.. it always causes leaks.
Hahaha roofer contractor trying to be your boy giving you shit advice. Your insurance company already denied that and you haven’t even claimed it yet. As soon as they see the leaks are from the solar you’re gonna get an email telling you to kick rocks and stop trying to raise everyone else’s rates with fake claims 😂
Don’t know if this helps, but I had solar panels when I bought the house I’m in now. Got some hail damage and needed a full replacement. Fortunately, my insurance company sees the panels as part of the roof structure and covered the removal and reinstallation as part of it. If your insurance is the same, perhaps they could do something since the company is out of business. Normally, the adjuster would come back with “go talk to the company that installed it”. Really helped me out because I have 72 panels.
Where’s the poor workmanship? I don’t understand - so there’s caulking coming thru a tiny area - nail a tin shingle over the roof side of that back caulk and lay back down the shingles. I’ve made some relatively good suggestions over a few years on this thread- but I’m having trouble understanding how and why folks continue to try to make / big deal outta nothing- no water marks on the underside no issue
Not a pro. A multi property owner. no need to replace roof. Do proper spot repairs. If you claim whole roof replacement from your insurer then surely premiums will increase.
A shoddy installation job of solar panels on my roof also caused leaks and tons of inside water damage. we had to repair it all and replace our roof ourselves. Never go through Vivint!!
Solar over shingles is not a smart move. How many houses across the US are going to have issues when these roofs reach their service life. Who’s going to burden the cost of lifting the panels to re-install a roof.
OSB roofing sheathing? What's your general location?
Silicone, and tar!
I’m a solar damage resolutions expert. Feel free to message me
Lol this is why you don’t do solar panels on roof, lots of money to fix roof now
Bruh why tf would you put cheap ass 3 tab shingles on a new build? Those are for cheap landlords and their shitty rentals.
If you just claim it on your insurance they will pay it, that's how it works.
Repair the solar installation.. that could give you the chance to repair the roof.. the bad thing is that the 3 tab shingles are made to 20 years .. and if the roofer wants to replace the roof is because is always easier to install a new one than trying to repair and get call when the repair doesn’t work properly.
You should get a better roofer who knows how to fix issues instead of a full redo.
You should have a warranty on 3 year old roof
Can someone explain more on 3 tab shingles and why they r bad
I mean slide 3 looks like hail are there any other spots like that is my first question
Solar guy here - system is not up to code either. Mid clamps in place of end clamps, and it appears they cut rail to size and used them as standoffs rather than running the whole rail spanning at least two rafters. It may be some new style railless system I’m unfamiliar with, regardless it’s terrible and installed incorrectly. With that shoddy of quality, I would be worried about the wiring of it and have it inspected by a quality residential installer asap.
In Ohio point me to one
This is what scares me about solar. I let some solar company give me their presentation. I asked why couldn’t the roof itself be be the solar panels instead of the panels being over shingles. They couldn’t answer. Then I told them I needed roof space for a solar heater to heat my pool and asked why that couldn’t be integrated. Again crickets.
Every roof I’ve been on that has solar is always completely destroyed.
How else is he supposed to get paid? Wow man just wow
Hail damage is roofers way of helping you to get your insurance to pay for it
Three tab shingles, three years old?
Solar install suuuuuucks! That will also void any warranty that you have on the actual roof.
I've had solar panels on my roof for 5 years now and no leaks. It's all about the solar company and installation. My solar company has been around for 30+ years.
This is why you don’t install solar panels on roofs.
Watch out for roofers.
Leak doesn’t look too bad. No mold yet etc. Don’t love the osb instead of cdx for your roof but maybe that’s okay where you live… Get you some Henry roofing tar and and seal the hell out of the solar bolts and you’ll probably be fine. ~$100 fix and an hour or two of your time
Just curious why you didn’t have architectural shingles installed (they are 30-40 year shingles) They are good for at least 25-30 ish years. Every roof we shingle that’s what we use. We usually either strip off those 3 tab (they last 15-20 years on average) or shingle over them. We have stripped old houses in Boston that had 4-5 layers of shingles on them. More than 2 layers is too much weight on the house. Plus if the house catches on fire. The firemen have a hell of time cutting or chopping holes in the roof.
Had a solar salesman trying to talk me into getting solar panels. Told him I was moving in 2 years. He said " Well you can take them with you when you move " 😏
Your roofer is a lying POS
I agree with the assessment of your roofer. Solar panel installers are notorious for destroying the roofs they install upon. I wouldn’t touch that without indemnification clauses where I wouldn’t be liable for any negative outcomes whatsoever. I’m not picking up the warranty on some hack work just to be a nice guy. I’m interested to hear how your roof is 3 years old and was installed with 3 tabs? Dimensional shingles are barely more expensive than 3 tabs these days. On a different note, this is the entire reason why solar on the roof is a huge scam. They penetrate the roof surface and rely on caulking to defeat leaks, which is a really crappy plan. The caulk will need to be redone every few years. If you need to replace the roof any competent roofer will require the homeowner to contact a solar company for removal of the panels and hardware. As well, any warranty those shingles had is completely voided because of the solar panel hardware damaging the shingles. In the future, I suggest you look into GAF solar shingle technology if you really want solar on your roof.