It would be interesting to know if there is some collaboration between
the rack manufacturers offering these new EPDM or peel and stick legs/
cones/attachment points and roof shingle manufacturers, and what that
conversation is like.
Bill
Feather River Solar Electric
Bill Battagin, Owner
4291 Nelson St.
Taylorsville, CA 95983
530.284.7849
CA Lic 874049
www.frenergy.net
On 4/22/2021 3:47 PM, Jeremy Coxon wrote:
William you and I think a lot alike. I had a job today where “the
owner was told by a roofing company that those solar panels are making
my roof leak”. This was on an 11 yr old install over new shingles.
We used flashings and added flashing stock anywhere that was close to
a shingle seam (just like always). So instead of fighting the battle
we scheduled to show up at the same time as the roofer (one of the top
2 roofers in town and the same company that laid the roof 11yrs ago).
Did the leak checks, ID’d the location, lifted panels and let them go
to town. Turns out that the leak was 3’ away from any of our
penetrations and the leak was at a shingle nail. The cause according
to the roofers (lead guy and manager) was water running sideways from
the adjacent gap between shingles. Their comment-“we see this all the
time on these 3D shingles on roofs that don’t have solar panels”.
Apparently, “if leaves build up or ice dams up then water shoots
sideways and after a while the nail holes leak”. Their warranty -2
years! So, there ya go. Crisis averted, solar not the culprit. But
can you imagine how that would have turned out if we had NOT used
flashings?
We will not be using unflashed attachments. Besides, what happens
when the new guy misses the rafter or what happens when the rafter
spacing changes (we see that a LOT)? Sealed L feet are a huge step
backwards IMO.
The problem now though is the flashings that I know work (SnapNRack
old style) are no longer available. It seems that all the new ones
rely on a cone with EPDM seal and washered lags for sealing. Hence
the initial reason for this post- what are you guys using?
Jeremy Coxon NABCEP
Certified MWBE
Sent from my iPhone
On Apr 22, 2021, at 2:57 PM, William Miller <will...@millersolar.com>
wrote:
Jeremy:
Good question. I am with you in that I prefer that my pitched-roof
rain-proofing relies on gravity. This is the concept invented by the
first roof thatcher and followed ever since as roofing technology
progressed.
When I spotted this regressive trend my first question was: What
happens when the rafter connection you need falls under a seam in the
roofing shingles? This problem alone is a deal killer. I am sure
lesser installers will attempt to fill the seam with caulk.
Adding to my discomfort is the reality that chemical solutions are
not nearly as reliable as gravity. Even the best caulk degrades with
time, temperature and UV. Roofing materials crack and become brittle
and powdery. Applying the new technology is iffy with a new comp
roof and crazy on roofs a year or more old.
We will not be using the new flashingless attachments on comp roofs.
William
Miller Solar
17395 Oak Road, Atascadero, CA 93422
805-438-5600
www.millersolar.com <http://www.millersolar.com/>
CA Lic. 773985
*From:*RE-wrenches [mailto:re-wrenches-boun...@lists.re-wrenches.org
<mailto:re-wrenches-boun...@lists.re-wrenches.org>] *On Behalf Of
*Jeremy Coxon
*Sent:* Wednesday, April 21, 2021 7:40 AM
*To:* RE-wrenches
*Subject:* [RE-wrenches] Trend away from roof flashings???
I’m interested in what the group has to say about the trend, by the
racking manufacturers, away from the use of flashings for
asphalt/comp roofs? We have long used SnapNRack flashings with much
success. I especially like the fact that the penetrations are fully
flashed and do not rely on sealant. I am NOT a fan of their new
raised cone/epdm gasket flashing. There are a number of these raised
cone flashings in the marketplace and it’s my experience that they
don’t hold up to the test of time and I wonder what the roofing
manufacturers have to say about this.
I see that Unirac, SnapNRack and others are now offering basically a
sealed L-Foot which is essentially where we were 15-16yrs ago and met
with a lot of opposition from the roofing industry. Just interested
to hear what you guys are using these days on asphalt shingle roofs
for reliably dry attachments?
Best Regards,
Jeremy Coxon NABCEP # 091308-21
MWBE Certified
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