Solar panels and future mortgage surveys (regarding integrity of roof)

MancMan123

Afternoon all.

Whilst I wait for some more quotes to come in for a solar install at my house I asked my neighbour if they have ever considered it.

He said briefly, but his concern would be that a future mortgage survey could highlight problems with the roof (my house is 50 years old) and how would you go about fixing it if a dozen or so panels are attached to it?

I just said "Oh, never thought of that".

So does he have a valid point?
Before getting solar installed should I get the house re-roofed?  How long do roof timbers / fabric under the tiles last?

(I have had a broken tile in the past that was easily replaced by a local roofer)

QrizB

MancMan123 said:

He said briefly, but his concern would be that a future mortgage survey could highlight problems with the roof (my house is 50 years old) and how would you go about fixing it if a dozen or so panels are attached to it?

You take the panels off, fix the roof then put them back. If you've got scaffolding up for the roof repair anyway, it's no big deal.

Before getting solar installed should I get the house re-roofed?  How long do roof timbers / fabric under the tiles last?

Tile manufacturers say 60 years life, but I think they're playing it safe.

My roof and tiles (like all the others on my estate) are 70+ and still going strong. There have been a handful of properties (of the 100+ here) re-roofed but with most of those it;s been part of larger building work - extensions and the like.

My parents' previous house was 150 and still appeared to have the original slate roof and timbers.

MancMan123

Thanks for getting back to me so quickly

Regarding "You take the panels off, fix the roof then put them back", is this something any old roofer could do, or would it require a "qualified solar roofer" to do and the the subsequent costs to do it?

(To replace the broken tile, he was up and down his ladder before I even had chance to make him a coffee (easiest £50 ever for him))

QrizB

MancMan123 said:

Regarding "You take the panels off, fix the roof then put them back", is this something any old roofer could do, or would it require a "qualified solar roofer" to do and the the subsequent costs to do it?

Preferably, you'd have a roofer who's also an electrician.

Ideally they'd also be MCS Certified (which gets you into "solar roofer" territory) but provided it's all put back as it was before I don't think anyone is really going to know / care whether they were certified or not.