Solar panel installers drilled through slate roof

Bendy_House

I would also ask on that forum, as you'd be getting actual pro installers answering, and that should carry more weight than a layman.

I suspect you'll get some pretty definitive replies...

stuart45

I would ask a time served roofer if it's OK to drill and fix though the slates, and then stick some sealant in the holes. 

eldaniel

stuart45 said:

I would ask a time served roofer if it's OK to drill and fix though the slates, and then stick some sealant in the holes. 

My friend's dad is a roofer. She has showed him the videos and he said that it is not looking good and soon I will be in trouble if this is not corrected but I would assume when it comes to dispute I would have to get opinion of independent surveyor for it to count in any court in case they will try to wriggle out of that one.
This roofer also said that slate should never be drilled into...

eldaniel

Bendy_House said:

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 

Are those installers by any chance from Essex area? I want to hire a professional to compile a report on the installation and could you someone who can be trusted please.

eldaniel

I wrote an email to the company in question outlining the issues. I have started formal complaint procedure and indicated that they may wish to call me but I will still require response in writing. They still called me and explained that they will recitify the issues but when I said that I need explanation in writing exactly what method they will use to install the hooks and how other faults will be recified in detail he was not happy about this. Apparently they are multi-milllion company and do not have time for such level of details! This already does not fill me with confidence. After explaining why getting response in writing is important to me he did say that his secretary will respond to all my questions. We will see if this will be satisfactory. He said hooks will be re-installed correctly (whatever that might be). I asked if they definitely will sit on a rafter and no directly on a slate then I got confirmation that this is how  it is going to be. Time will tell. Before I sent a complaint I went to the loft again and checked the roof in more detail than before and discovered that one of the hooks it screwed into .... felt (approx. 5 cm) from the beam!!!! 

What I did not like too much is the fact that he is not planning to replace the whole felt, but will apply patches to the felt from the inside. I replied that this solution would only be viable if all the slates that have been broked/drilled to will be replaced. On one hand it is positive that they have acknowledged the problem, on the other I get the feeling they will try to repair it at the lowest cost just for whole install to be "barely acceptable". Unless I am just being negative as they have lost my trust completely.    

I forgot to discuss with him what is the plan for repairing the rafters. I have attached pictures of the damage they have done. Do you think from point of view of load bearing would this rafter be classed as requiring repair or is just slight damage that wont have any influence on load bearing and whole roof structure please? 

Also is it acceptable that they will be sending the same subcontractor to remedy the problem? I do not like this idea.  

Bendy_House

eldaniel said:

Bendy_House said:

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 

Are those installers by any chance from Essex area? I want to hire a professional to compile a report on the installation and could you someone who can be trusted please.

Sorry, they're from up t'North. (Tho' they came down to do a few installations in Devon as the FIT was running out!)

Dixie6549

Thanks for sharing your experience. I am glad to hear that your complaint has been solved by the contractor.  I must say that this is not a common practice for a company to offer a free replacement but I suppose it is the right way to win customers’ trust in the long run. I think what you are worried about is not the load bearing but the aesthetics of the roof. You don’t need to worry about that. This type of damage won’t affect the aesthetics of the roof.  Load-bearing rafters are designed to support a lot more weight than this, especially if they are at the edge of the roof, whereas the edge rafters usually carry less weight.

Section62

Dixie6549 said:

Thanks for sharing your experience. I am glad to hear that your complaint has been solved by the contractor.  I must say that this is not a common practice for a company to offer a free replacement but I suppose it is the right way to win customers’ trust in the long run. I think what you are worried about is not the load bearing but the aesthetics of the roof. You don’t need to worry about that. This type of damage won’t affect the aesthetics of the roof.  Load-bearing rafters are designed to support a lot more weight than this, especially if they are at the edge of the roof, whereas the edge rafters usually carry less weight.

From the link you posted you are in Canada?

Not sure why you posted on a fairly old thread, but your advice isn't really correct.

The load bearing issue is that the slate roof covering in this case is being subjected to a load it isn't intended to support.  Which can lead to cracking and failure of the slates, and leakage.

The design of roof structures has varied over time, and without knowing more about the building it is impossible to say whether the structure has sufficient load-bearing capacity for normal roof loads plus the loading from solar panels.  I'm not sure what point you are making about "edge of the roof"/"edge rafters", but it doesn't sound relevant in terms of UK roof design.