You want a safe home. You want a warm home. And of course, you want an energy-efficient home. Do you know what can help you achieve all of these goals? Your roof. That's right, if you call up a roofer and tell them about your desires, they can recommend some roofing repairs or materials to help you achieve those desires. They may recommend a metal roof, or they might recommend adding zinc strips to the roof peak. It all depends. One thing we can promise, though, is that learning more about roofing is a good idea. This blog is a good resource, but we recommend looking for other ones, too.
3 Reasons To Replace Your Roof Before Installing Solar Panels
More and more homeowners are seeing the value of using solar energy to power their homes. Solar panels can be installed directly onto residential roofs, allowing homeowners to collect and store solar energy. If you are thinking of adding solar panels to your home, you should consider replacing your roof first.
1. Compatible Roofing Materials
The type of roofing materials on your home can influence the stability of your solar panels. Modern solar panels are manufactured to work with a variety of roofing materials.
Unfortunately, not all roofing materials are compatible with the installation of solar panels. Wood and slate roofing tends to be brittle. Solar installers will have a hard time walking on a wood or slate roof without causing serious damage. A wood roof can also become a fire hazard after solar panels are installed. If you currently have a wood or slate roof on your home, invest in a replacement using asphalt shingles, metal, or other solar-compatible roofing materials.
2. Structural Stability
It's important that your home's roof be in good condition before you install solar panels if you want to preserve the structural integrity of your home.
Solar panels can be quite heavy. Most homeowners need to install several solar panels in order to meet their energy needs. A damaged or weakened roof will not be able to support this added weight. You may experience roof sagging or a potential cave-in if you don't replace your roof to eliminate any structural weaknesses before your solar panels are installed.
3. Save Money
If your home's roof is near the end of its expected lifespan, it can be more cost-effective to replace the roof prior to the installation of solar panels. Even though your existing roof may have a few good years left, it will be much more difficult to replace after the solar panels have been added.
You will need to pay for the labor and materials needed to replace the roof itself, but you will also need to pay for the labor required to take down your solar panels and reinstall them once the roof replacement is complete. It's better to replace your roof a little early and avoid the added expenses that you will incur if you want until after your solar panels are installed to invest in a new roof. Replacing your roof prior to solar panel installation ensures that your roof will be able to accommodate your new solar energy system.
For more information, contact a residential roof replacement service near you.