How To Navigate Repairing a Roof With Solar Panels
Even if your roof was in perfect condition when your solar panels got installed, life happens, and you may need roof repairs for one reason or another. Whatever the reason, your solar panels are an essential part of your home and were certainly not an inexpensive purchase. Because roof repair and solar reinstallation mean you have to invest more time and money, here’s how to navigate repairing a roof with solar panels as smoothly as possible.
Survey Your Roof and Try To Identify the Damage
When you have solar panels and need to repair your roof, you want to move as swiftly and efficiently as possible. Taking the time to pinpoint the problem area and noting what issues you’re experiencing can help a repairperson identify the damage and formulate a plan faster. The faster the damage can get assessed, the quicker they can get started, which means spending less time without your solar panels.
When surveying your roof, the first thing you’ll want to do is check the exterior; don’t go up on the roof yourself as you don’t know the extent of the damage, and this may be dangerous. You can grab a pair of binoculars to check for moss, algae, buckled or curled shingles, or damaged or missing shingles. If there is no sign of damage on the exterior, look to the attic and check for mold, eroded or buckled flashings, wood damage, peeling paint, sunlight breaking through, or sagging.
Hire a Roofing Contractor
After you’ve noted the problem, you’re ready to contact a roofing contractor, as, in truth, they’re the only ones who can definitively tell what the issue is. Ideally, you’ll hire a qualified solar roofing contractor. This is because there’s a chance that they may have to work around your panels if you can’t schedule the roof work and removal dates correctly. If you can’t find a roofer qualified to work with solar, make sure to remove the panels and place them in storage beforehand.
You don’t want unqualified workers handling your solar panels, lest they accidentally damage them or void your warranty. The same goes the other way; you don’t want an unqualified solar company to repair your roof. It’s possible that your original installer has a roof repair company recommendation, and they may even have a deal with the company or get you a reduced price. Either way, it’s best to talk with your original installer, especially if they have any details in the warranty about who can and can’t work with the panels.
Determine How Much Energy Your Home Needs
While this likely won’t be a problem for most, your solar panel will need to get removed, which means either removing a part or the entirety of your home’s energy source. Before having them removed, determine how much energy your home uses by noting what appliances you use daily and how much kWh they need. You can cross-reference this number with how much energy your solar battery stores to determine how much it will need to meet your home’s specific needs.
Depending on whether your home is wholly or partially reliant on solar, you may have up to three batteries. Typically, the average solar panel batter can hold 10 kWh; for reference, you could run a 200 W refrigerator for 50 hours on a single solar battery. Most homes need 30kWh a day to run smoothly, so you’ll want to ensure all your batteries are fully charged before removal and shut off any appliances you don’t need or aren’t using.
Contact the Installer or a Third Party To Remove Panels
Once you’re ready to have your solar panels removed, you can contact your original installer to remove and store your solar panels safely. If, for some reason, you don’t want to contact your original installer or can’t schedule a date that works, there are options! There are third-party solar panel removal and reinstallation companies that can take care of this for you and get the job done as swiftly as possible.
The cost of removing and reinstalling your solar panels will depend on how old the system is, the type of panels, the kind of mounting, and the overall size of the panels. It’s worth noting that if your panels are on a completely different side of where the damage is, you don’t necessarily need to remove all of them. It’s not that they can’t exist on the same roof; you just don’t want an unlicensed professional working near them.
Repair the Roof and Have the Panels Reinstalled
Once you’ve removed all or some of your panels, you can let the roofing company do its job. Depending on the extent of the damage, the amount of time they’ll be working on the roof will vary, so it’s best to ask how long the job will take. For example, replacing damaged shingles, re-flashing, or gutter repair can take up to four hours. Whereas fixing a leaky or sagging roof can take two to four days. Knowing the estimated time frame can help you formulate a better plan of action if, for some reason, you’ll need more stored power than initially expected.
In doing this, you’ll get a better idea of when you need to schedule the reinstallation of your panels. Before reinstallation, look at the quality of the work and determine if it is to your liking—if it is, you can safely have your solar panels reinstalled by the original or the third-party company.
Take Measures To Prevent Future Damage
While, at this point, you may not want to invest any more money in caring for your roof, it’s best to safeguard your roof from future troubles. The last thing you want is to go through this process again way too soon. Regularly inspect your shingles for damage, especially after inclement weather. Ensure your gutters and roof are clean of moss and debris, and consistently inspect your flashings and insulation/ventilation.
Most importantly, if you suspect that there may be a problem with your roof, don’t wait and call a company to inspect the problem as soon as possible. Many common roof problems can be more easily and quickly resolved when caught early. Often, they can become even more of a hassle and worsen if left unchecked for too long. That means the best thing you can do to save money and protect your roof and your solar panels is to stay vigilant and aware of the condition of your roof.
Now that you know how to easily navigate repairing a roof with solar panels, hopefully, the process will be a breeze, and you will get a little more peace of mind. And if you need a qualified third-party contractor to help you remove and reinstall your solar panels, Solar Restore is here to help. We’re a solar company in Phoenix, AZ, that specializes in the removal and reinstallation of residential solar panels.
