If you’re interested in taking the plunge to get solar panels installed on your roof, there are a few things that you’ll want to know and consider about your roof before you take any steps toward purchasing your solar panels and getting this process underway. Failing to take these initial steps and do this due diligence could cause you to waste a lot of time and money that you don’t want to be wasting.
To help ensure that this doesn’t happen to you, here are three things to know about your roof before installing solar panels.
Determine If Your Roof Can Structurally Support Solar Panels
The very first thing that you’ll need to determine about your roof before you even consider going forward with the installation of solar panels is whether or not your roof can structurally support the solar panels being installed there.
On some roofs, while you may not notice any issues coming through to the interior of your home, the actual structure of the roof isn’t sturdy enough to support all of the hardware that comes along with getting solar panels installed. So before you look at actually getting the solar panels you’re wanting, make sure you have an engineer come take a look at the structure of your roof and your home to ensure that solar panels can safely be installed.
The Condition And Age Of Your Roof
Something else that you’ll need to consider about your roof, aside from the actual structural integrity of the roof and the supports beneath it, is what condition your roof is in and how long it’s been since your roof has been repaired or replaced.
While many homes don’t need to have their roof replaced for decades, if you’re about to install solar panel hardware on your roof, you’ll want to be sure that you won’t have to replace or repair your roof in the near future. As a good rule of thumb, if your roof is older than ten years, you may want to consider replacing it before you would go about putting solar panels up there.
How Much Sun You’re Getting
While it’s great for the environment for you to use the renewable resources of the sun for your energy, this isn’t going to work well for your home and family if your roof doesn’t get much sun on a regular basis.
For homes that just aren’t oriented well in relation to the sun, there really isn’t much you can do to get more sun to your roof. But if your roof is just shaded by trees or other greenery that you own, you can trim this back so that more sunlight is able to reach your roof.
If you’ve been considering installing solar panels on your roof, make sure you consider the things mentioned above as you make this decision.
