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  • Questions about a new install in San Diego

    Hi everyone. I'm new here and happy to have found this forum. My wife and I recently had a local company complete a 9.9kw install on the roof of our home in San Diego using Panasonic 330watt HIT panels and a SolarEdge inverter. For the most part we are pleased with the outcome so far.

    I did hire a roofer to come out and see what things looked like after the install. He sent over some photos and short explanations of his findings. I'm trying to understand his findings while doing my best to not blow things out of proportion. My wife and I just want to feel some confidence that the integrity of our roof isn't an issue come rain season, if there is such thing in San Diego.

    Our current thoughts are:

    - Broken tiles should be replaced. There were about 7 of them. The roofing uses monier tile. Replacement seems like a no brainer. I'm kind of surprised they didn't offer to replace them or mention it upfront, I'm probably being naive. You can see in the photos that they tried patching the broken pieces with some type of caulking.

    - Loose tiles. Seems like another common sense issue. Move them back into place. Really surprised this wasn't done. Which makes me start to question other parts of the project, and that isn't a good feeling to have.

    - Unfilled nail holes. This to me seems like a serious issue but maybe I'm wrong. If it is a big problem then it raises the question of where else are there unfilled nail holes? Under the panels? Sounds messy and nightmarish to imagine undoing everything to check for nail holes.

    - The last questionable thing is the rack mounting, specifically the hook mounts and how they are attached to the roof. I tried my best to search through the archives on this forum and get a sense of what is reasonable and good practice. A lot of articles on the net talk about the importance of flashing which I noticed the absence of in one of the photos the roofer took. There does seem to be some respected opinion on this forum that flashing can be overkill and not always needed for hook mounting. This made us feel a little better. Maybe what we got is good enough? But neither of us really know. The roofer also said he wasn't sure -- "Posts were not covered with a metal flashing but a piece of paper glued to the roof.

    We are looking for some opinions on what to do and perhaps what we should expect. Thanks for taking the time to read about our situation. It is appreciated.
    Attached Files
    Last edited by barry allen; 07-22-2018, 10:30 PM.

  • #2
    If the PV is already installed, it's a bit late to be thinking about effective repairs or remediation on the portion of the roof that's under the array to the point it won't happen without some major expense and disruption to the point it won't happen.

    But not dwelling on that:

    Broken tiles need replacement. However, getting replacement tiles that are identical in terms of profile or cross section is usually a hassle and not likely to be easily done. Also, getting the same color after a roof has faded in the sun can be a problem. My roofing guy tells me there's a tile boneyard up in Lake Smellsomemore that's probably the best hope for a match, but I forget the name. I suppose Google can again be your friend.

    FWIW, and I say, and stress, that this is from the standpoint of not being a roofer, and not an endorsement of any particular method:

    In the past, I've CAREFULLY separated pieces of broken tiles and caulked them together. That seems to last going on 10+ yrs. with no leaks on my roof in 3 spots, 2 of which I can inspect from the crawl space. I'm just careful not to walk on them.

    BTW, on walking o a tile roof, ALWAYS, and I mean ALWAYS, avoid getting on a tile roof if at all possible. If it does become necessary, besides the usual and very serious precautions of tying yourself off so you don't let mean old Mr. Gravity have his way with you, be careful where you step. ALWAYS plant your foot on the center of the bottom edge of a tile, with the long axis of your foot on that edge, that is, have the long axis of your foot perpendicular to the slope of the roof, and do it very slowly. Then, think and look at were you want to place your other foot before you move again. Then,move that foot, again, placing it on the center of the bottom edge of the tile as before . Do not put a foot on a tile in any other location of a tile. Walk in that fashion and you'll break fewer tiles, but you'll probably still break some - hence the admonition to stay off a roof.

    On the loose tile/and no nail issue(s), one reason of several possible reasons that condition may exist on your roof is from prior replacement of broken tiles. As you note, it's not easy to put a nail in a tile that's covered by the tile above it without removing that top tile, etc. all the way up the roof to the peak. One solution I've seen and done is to carefully lift the broken tile portion that has the nail in it, but only enough to be able to cut the nail as close to the roof deck as possible, but hopefully not completely flush (I used a hack saw blade and some elbow grease - a PITA but it goes quickly), remove the broken tile completely, slid a new tile in after caulking/sealing the hole in the new tile and also the nail hole in the roof, and then using roof cement or caulking, semi secure the new tile in place. Problem with that is it works better on low sloped roofs, and such a fix adheres only to the paper under the tiles, making the tile position only as secure as the paper under it. FWIW, that's what I've done with a couple other tiles I replaced. That's not an endorsement of the method, but it seems to have worked for me going on 10 years or so. Probably OK for 1 - 2 tiles on a DIY basis, but a lot of loose tiles might need professional remediation.

    I'm a fan of the old fashioned double flashing of roof penetrations for several reasons that are off topic. I'm also not fan of tile hooks for several reasons also off topic, but depending on type, and if flashed according to directions, I suppose tile hooks can be as effective at keeping water out of a dwelling as is double flashing. All a moot point now. You have what you have.

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