Solar panel installers drilled through slate roof

eldaniel

I hope you guys can help me as I want to arm myself on knowledge when contacting this company please. They have drilled through the slates to attach the hooks and put some silicone there but surely silicone won't hold forever and slate should not become a load bearing. Am I right please? Are they completely in the wrong and have to remedy the situation? 

Below is a short video to show how terrible work they have done.
https://youtu.be/V7EMTXeeVs8

I would appreciate your help in the matter please.

stuart45

Slates should not be drilled through.

Bendy_House

I have PV panels installed on a slate roof. They got proper roofers in for that part of the job, seemingly removed s the slates where the brackets were going, cut the slate to accommodate the bracket allowing for some clearance, and replaced the slates after flashing-in - with lead - each bracket. It's a thing of beauty.

I recall they did explain that 'most' installer's would simply drill clearance holes through the slate, fit screw rods into the rafters below, and then seal around these rods - which I think they said was considered 'acceptable', but they didn't like it for other practical reasons such as not guaranteeing you landed in the dead centre of each joist and things like that - but they always used this method with slate.
On that other drill-through method, however, they did say that the brackets for the panels would be mounted CLEAR of the slate roof, by having a nut screwed down on the stud until close (but not touching) the slate, the brackets fitted, and further nuts tightened down.

Your job appears to be brackets physically coach-screwed directly down on the slate? If so, as I understand it, that is very wrong.

I'll link to an electrician's forum which has a dedicated PV section, and they should confirm - I got superb advice on there, and also found my installer who I couldn't recommend enough 

grumpyoldwoman

Not an expert but this seems to be how they should be fitted

https://youtu.be/E3y6xN2_vOk

stuart45

If you had a roof with a few small holes in it with slight leaks, and you had one roofer say he'd replace the slates, and one who'd stick sealant in, which one would you employ?

Mistral001

It is actually common practice by roofers to use adhesive when removing and  replacing a single slate as approx. the top 60% of the  slate has to go under existing slates completely covering where you want to put the nails for the new slate.  Some roofers use a special hook to secure the replaced slate and to stop it slipping down, such as in the video below, but it is still very common for roofers to just use adhesive or silicone sealant to keep the replaced slate in place.
How To Replace Damaged Slate - YouTube

PS.  I would use the roofer who did not use adhesive, but it might be hard to find one. 

eldaniel

stuart45 said:

If you had a roof with a few small holes in it with slight leaks, and you had one roofer say he'd replace the slates, and one who'd stick sealant in, which one would you employ?

Absolutely, but that is not the question I asked. When I was asking prior to installation, if they will be drilling through tiles they replied that they won't be. I actually have that on an email from this company. I have choosen them because they have a Which trusted trader trademark, MCS and RECC registered, so would would not think that they do such a terrible job. They have used subcontractors to do the actual install. Now I went into the loft to see how it look in there and let me know guys what you think of that! I am actually appalled.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t0FkMfU1faE

stuart45

As I said, they shouldn't be drilling through the slates. If you remove the slates you can fix to the rafters. If you don't you can only guess by measurement where they.are. Sealant is a temporary fix.
I wouldn't accept that kind of work. Jobs carried out by semi-skilled workers are often badly done. I suppose I'm a bit bias as my generation were mainly time served tradesmen with the backing of the union's who produced a much higher quality of work. 
I wouldn't call drilling through the slates as acceptable, but not top quality.
Removing slates and doing a flashing is a simple job, and should be the minimum standard.

Bendy_House

eldaniel said:

stuart45 said:

If you had a roof with a few small holes in it with slight leaks, and you had one roofer say he'd replace the slates, and one who'd stick sealant in, which one would you employ?

Absolutely, but that is not the question I asked. When I was asking prior to installation, if they will be drilling through tiles they replied that they won't be. I actually have that on an email from this company. I have choosen them because they have a Which trusted trader trademark, MCS and RECC registered, so would would not think that they do such a terrible job. They have used subcontractors to do the actual install. Now I went into the loft to see how it look in there and let me know guys what you think of that! I am actually appalled.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t0FkMfU1faE

And that's one of the main reasons why my installers wouldn't use that method.

That leaves the other significant issue (apart from your roof being peppered with holes, all sealed with sili); these do indeed look like coach screws, which suggests to me that the brackets have been tightened down on to the slates and not suspended above them - the whole weight and movement of the panel array will be bearing down on the actual slates.

Lawdie.

Bendy_House

Pretty sure this was the forum I used, but it was a long time ago and I can't find my threads... https://www.electriciansforums.net/forums/solar-pv-forum-solar-panels-forum.42/

It is populated by professional installers, so you'll soon get some useful responses, I'm sure.

eldaniel

Bendy_House said:

eldaniel said:

stuart45 said:

If you had a roof with a few small holes in it with slight leaks, and you had one roofer say he'd replace the slates, and one who'd stick sealant in, which one would you employ?

Absolutely, but that is not the question I asked. When I was asking prior to installation, if they will be drilling through tiles they replied that they won't be. I actually have that on an email from this company. I have choosen them because they have a Which trusted trader trademark, MCS and RECC registered, so would would not 

Bendy_House said

think that they do such a terrible job. They have used subcontractors to do the actual install. Now I went into the loft to see how it look in there and let me know guys what you think of that! I am actually appalled.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t0FkMfU1faE

And that's one of the main reasons why my installers wouldn't use that method.

That leaves the other significant issue (apart from your roof being peppered with holes, all sealed with sili); these do indeed look like coach screws, which suggests to me that the brackets have been tightened down on to the slates and not suspended above them - the whole weight and movement of the panel array will be bearing down on the actual slates.

Lawdie.:

Absolutely. I think this can be seen in the first video. Slates basically became load bearing and I think potentially that is a bigger concern that holes in felt patched up with some silicone. I will contact RECC and MCS to see if they have anything to say in the matter. At this stage I am not even sure if they regulate this part of the job. I want to be prepared in case when I complain to the installing company and they will try to fob me off. All money has been paid already as I noticed that few days after install when I was cleaning my gutter. I really tried to avoid being in that situation by getting company with some reputation who has been around for a while and unfortunatelly that is how it is pan out. As mentioned before they used sub-contractors so there is a slight chance that they do not even have a clue what rubbish job this subcontractors do. Noone from the actual company have attended the site to approve it/sign it off or anything like that.
Many thanks for your input so far. Very much appreciate your time.