aluminum roof and solar

[Zee]

Thoughts on Alum. roof and solar?
https://www.permalockroofing.com/

Can it be sealed easily and well with a standard flashed mount?

Will the aluminum dent all over the place as we work?

Bad memories from an older alum. roof that was manufactured and painted to look like red clay tile. It was hollow and would crush like foil. YIKES.

 

[JoeNorm]

The first photo in their own advertisement had a solar array on the roof so presumably they're not opposed to it. Specialty roofs like this often have specialty mounts associated with them. Best to call the manufacturer and ask about it. Sometimes your solar mount supplier will know also. If they tell you to use something general, use something general.

 

[jaggedben]

So I took a chance and put solar on one of these roofs recently. Find their how-to videos on YouTube so you understand how they go together. These are nailed straight on top of the roof deck like regular shingles so they will not dent like that other product you mention. The unsettling thing is that, unlike shingles, they only overlap about 1" from row to row. So what we ended up doing was taking our typical flashing and cutting about 4 inches off the top with snips, and sticking the cut edge up into the overlap on these 'shingles'. All the while we were being pretty meticulous about the flashings and sealant. Fortunately on that roof there were no difficulties finding rafters so no extra holes to seal.

The whole thing felt borderline to me along the way but I kept not seeing a definitive reason to put a stop to it. Definitely a judgment call.

By the way I did contact the manufacturer and they were not very helpful.

 

[Zee]

Thank you gentlemen.

Good points.

Yeah, QuickMount weighed in at length and said to cut off top several inches of flashed mount and just tuck it under the little 3/4"-1" of shingle overlap......mmmm.......little worrisome.
And use sealant.
The sealant will REALLY matter in such a case. :blink:

I will definitely seal a circle around lag and an upside U, as always, on bottom of flashing.

What caulking did you use? What is best for aluminum? Geocel, M1, other?

What I DO like is that it is aluminum roof against aluminum mount. That is reassuring.
No galvanic corrosion.

In any case I fully communicated my apprehensions to home-owner,
but said i am not opposed,
but I will give him none of my usual roofing warranty.

Also, whenever in doubt, or on a super low pitch (10 degrees or so) comp. shingle roof, or if roof compresses a bit too much.......i go with the old school 12" wide QuickMount flashed mounts (Classic Comp Mounts). That extra coverage makes sleep easy in the rainy season.:thumbsup:
Water WILL creep sideways into your holes.

 

[kwired]

Thank you gentlemen.

Good points.

Yeah, QuickMount weighed in at length and said to cut off top several inches of flashed mount and just tuck it under the little 3/4"-1" of shingle overlap......mmmm.......little worrisome.
And use sealant.
The sealant will REALLY matter in such a case. :blink:

I will definitely seal a circle around lag and an upside U, as always, on bottom of flashing.

What caulking did you use? What is best for aluminum? Geocel, M1, other?

What I DO like is that it is aluminum roof against aluminum mount. That is reassuring.
No galvanic corrosion.

In any case I fully communicated my apprehensions to home-owner,
but said i am not opposed,
but I will give him none of my usual roofing warranty.

Also, whenever in doubt, or on a super low pitch (10 degrees or so) comp. shingle roof, or if roof compresses a bit too much.......i go with the old school 12" wide QuickMount flashed mounts (Classic Comp Mounts). That extra coverage makes sleep easy in the rainy season.:thumbsup:
Water WILL creep sideways into your holes.

Go to colder climates when that sideways creep isn't as much of an issue as ice dams on the roof can be.