Thinking about Solar Roofing on a roof in Murrysville Pennsylvania?
Find out whether your roof is ready to carry solar
Phone 412-858-8858 to talk about your roof and the sun
Reading the Roof Before Anything Is Mounted: Why the Roof Matters Most
Solar Roofing begins with a hard look at the shingles, flashing and decking underneath; a roof that is nearly worn out is better replaced before the panels go on. Panels and mounting hardware add load that the framing has to carry through every winter; a house that has been added onto may have a mix of framing types.
The flashing where the roof meets a chimney or a wall is checked for rust, gaps and old patching; the outcome is a plain answer to the question of whether the roof is ready. Ask how old the roofing is and how many layers it carries; patterns of old trouble point to a detail that needs correcting.
Solar and roofing share a surprising amount of ground; roof and array are partners for the long haul. Solar equipment is built to last for a very long time; the owner decides whether to reroof now or to accept a repair later.
Reading the Light on Your Roof: Shade From Trees and Hills
Solar Roofing depends on which parts of the roof see sunlight for long stretches of the day; the path of the sun is lower in winter, so shade lengthens in the cold months. The Pittsburgh area has plenty of gray days, so honest expectations matter; a conversation about trimming limbs belongs in the planning stage.
Every slope gets its own check, since a house can have good and poor sections side by side; a slope with plenty of sun but a poor condition is a problem to solve first.
Simple gable roofs give long clear runs for panels; clear paths between sections allow for service and cleaning. Tall trees next to a house throw moving shade across the roof; the neighbors' trees and buildings count as well as the owner's.
Low sun and short days mean a shaded roof gets very little light from late fall to early spring; the seasons change which slope works hardest.
Racked Panels or Roofing That Makes Power: What Each One Asks of the Roof
Another approach uses solar tiles or shingles that replace the roofing itself; the look, the layout and the wiring plan all depend on the system chosen. Electrical connections under the tiles need protection from water and from pests; the crew works from the eaves upward so each row overlaps the one below.
Neighbors and homeowner associations may care about how the system looks from the street; the owner should see samples before anything is ordered.
Solar roofing products come in several forms; a roof that matches the architecture of the house looks right from the street. Water management comes first, because the electrical side depends on a dry roof; tile-style modules are walked on carefully and carried by hand.
Attachments, Flashing and Sealing: Water Always Finds the Gap
Mounts for a rack system pass through the roofing and anchor in the framing; each piece is slipped under the shingle course above and lapped over the one below. Roofing materials and mounting hardware need to get along; a bracket made for one roof can damage another.
The crew marks each mount location before drilling so the holes land on solid framing; water flows down the slope and has to be sent around every post and bracket.
The crew chooses hardware that suits the roof, whether shingle, slate, tile or metal; photographs of each flashing detail go into the job file.
Wind is a real force on a roof, and arrays have to be held down for it; every rail is attached at the spacing the hardware calls for. Flashing at each mount directs water around the post, not into the hole; a downspout that handles a modest roof may struggle with a larger flow.
Cold-Season Realities: Slopes, Guards and Gutters
Snow guards or placement choices can keep snow from sliding onto walkways, doors and gutters; the plan for a long, steep roof differs from the plan for a low shed. Snow melting from the warmth of the array can refreeze at the roof edge; a roof that sheds snow unevenly builds ice dams along a section of the edge.
Cold snaps leave frost on panel glass that lets go in a sheet at the first thaw; snow guards at the bottom edge keep slides slow and controlled.
Heat escaping from the house is the main driver of ice dams, with or without panels; the outcome is a roof that sheds snow slowly and safely.
Who Does What on a Solar Job: A Handoff Between Trades
The path from the roof to the panel in the house has to be planned with both trades in mind; conduit runs through the attic or along an outside wall, and the route should be settled early. Questions about who is responsible for each item are better asked at the start; the owner can ask for a simple outline of the order of work.
Roof-to-attic wiring passes through a sealed opening that matches the flashing around a vent pipe; each trade is responsible for its own work, and both depend on the handoff.
The roofer needs to know where that route crosses the roof and the attic; every opening in the roof gets flashing, and the opening is made only once.
Work Order Makes or Breaks the Job: Timing the Two Projects
When both projects are needed, the roofing comes first and the solar array follows; a new roof and a new array should both be expected to last for a long time. Detaching and resetting panels takes planning, since the wiring and mounts must be handled safely; photographs and layout drawings made at the start help the crew put everything back.
Putting off a needed roof repair until after the array is up makes the work harder; the owner sees the whole job laid out in one plan.
Looking after a roof gets a little more involved once panels are on it; birds and squirrels sometimes nest beneath panels, and that is worth watching.
The order of roofing and solar work saves or wastes a season; the array goes on a fresh surface and the owner gets both results in one calendar year.
Care for a Roof Under Panels: Small Habits, Long Life
Check the gutters each fall, since leaves and seed pods collect fast under overhanging trees; staining on the ceiling below is a signal to call a roofer promptly. Anything that needs hands on the roof is left to people with the proper harnesses and gear; moss grows faster on a shaded roof and spreads under the lower edge of panels.
Ready to Talk About Solar and Your Roof: Share What You See
Questions about the roof under a future array are welcome at The Roofing Company; dial 412-858-8858 to ask how the work would go in Murrysville Pennsylvania. Tell us what you see from the ground, and we will help you sort out the next move; every roof is different, and a short talk beats guessing.
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