Slate Roofs

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So Cal

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Los Angeles, Ca
I haven't worked on a true slate roof, but I will be mounting PV panels on one with a 40 deg pitch in the near future. If any one has mounted PVon slate roofs and has any comments or recomendations I'd be very appreciative.

Thanks :thumbsup:
 
The good news is with that kind of pitch, an unsealed open hole probably doesn't even leak very much water, and in your location snow and ice are not going to be a problem either.

Another potential problem? Does the slate contain asbestos?
 
I've know roofers need to carry special insurance in my area just to work slate roofs because of the added danger. If the are wet they are slippery, and when you walk on the and a tile lets loose and you are not prepared....and a 10/12 pitch is not comfortable in my eyes making it worse, then again I'm not a roofer.
 
So Cal said:
Here's my research so far; http://www.geniusroofsolutions.com/solarflash/. It looks workable to me. But I've never worked with slate and don't yet know what I don't know.
Click to expand...

Looks good to me, too, but I never have and would never want to work on any 40 deg roof that wasn't comp shingle. Or maybe standing seam. Let alone have to learn something for the first on that pitch.

Good luck.
 
So Cal said:
I haven't worked on a true slate roof, but I will be mounting PV panels on one with a 40 deg pitch in the near future. If any one has mounted PVon slate roofs and has any comments or recomendations I'd be very appreciative.

Thanks :thumbsup:
Click to expand...
I would advise getting in touch with ProSolar and/or other roof racking companies and getting their opinions. I know that some of them have special attachment brackets for various types of tile roofs. I have worked on slate tiles; one thing you will probably need to have is spare tiles and/or the cooperation of a roofing company. The tiles are fragile and you will probably break some of them just walking around on them. Of course, working on a pitch that steep is going to require some serious fall protection as well. I hope you have bid this project high enough to cover the extra costs you will undoubtedly incur in installing this system.
 
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I have worked on steep roofs and tile roofs. Never slate.

STEEP ROOF
I have scaffolding set up for steep roofs. From ground up to eave. Cheaper than you think. It makes life up there bearable.

And feels MUCH safer.

I've worked in ropes and harnesses. Triple labor on roof.

TILE
On tile roofs, I "strip it or skip it".

Translation:
1. have roofer remove tiles.
2. You mount posts.
3. They flash posts and comp. shingle or torch down or whatever roof they want.
4. They place few tiles back over "bald spots" near array edges, to look like continuous slate.

Upshot:
this also adds no/minimal weight to roof, by replacing weight of slate with PV.
 
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