I think most of those bazillion nails can't get wet unless there is a leak above them. The nails are supposed to be covered with a layer of roofing above laid after the lower levels are laid/nailed.
However, I just climbed up and looked at the flat roof on the house here and there were a bazillion exposed nails holding down the perimeter of the roofing material and all the flashing is underneath the roofing material held down by the nails. They are coated now, but not sure what was on it when installed.
On a flat roof with no shingles to slip the flashing under, I'm not sure what good the flashing really provides. It just seems like it would be easier to goop under the foot than goop under 2-4 lineal feet of flashing.
I was speaking to a friend that is an architect here in Tucson and he said on commercial jobs they tend to create an encased silicone rubber dam/block around a penetration.
My DIY idea, was that rather than put a mounting foot like the QBase mount directly down on the roof paper/material and risk potentially cutting it with any loads/moments on the foot, I would drill a shallow hole with a hole saw on the back side of some treated lumber, fill the underside hole with sealant and put down a lag bolt or screw through foot, and through treated stick of lumber and through the pocket of sealant when laging/screwing to the roof truss. The roofing material is now sandwiched between wood and not metal and the screw is encased in a pocket of sealant covering the penetration.
While I did not get the idea from it, I saw something similar where the aluminum foot has a countersink on the bottom of the foot and a screw is put through a rubber seal that compresses between the top of the roof and the countersunk aluminum foot. I think I would trust a 30 year chalk rather than a rubber compression seal even if I had the special foot.
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I have used q-base mounts a number of times when required by our leasing company. They like to design them in to jurisdictions with higher snow/wind loads as 2 screws are used per mount instead of one. We find them to be an inordinate amount of extra work, plus you have to modify the roofing and disturb it when installing the flashing. The manufacturer, QuickMount has the motto of "respect the roof", but we've come to the conclusion that their systems are not so respectful. In researching roofing practices with the roofing manufacturers and the roofing trade associations, we have discovered them to be a bit aghast that the solar industry is breaking the seal on shingles and pulling nails etc. These practices are a definite way to void the warranty of a roof according to the roofing manufacturers we've talked to.
The whole flashing issue revolves around the definition of roof "penetration". According to some, anytime you poke something through the roofing it becomes a penetration and needs to be flashed. If that is true, there is a bazillion nails and staples out there put in by regular roofers that need flashing. I contend that the term penetration applies to things like plumbing vents and skylights where you have an open gap in the waterproofing and I agree that even a high quality sealer is not adequate for that. But a compression seal formed by a screwed down solar mount is a different situation and doesn't need flashing. We've done thousands and thousands of them and never had a problem. Think of all the tile roofs out there with nothing but lousy staples holding the tar paper (the waterproof layer) down and with all the batten nails going through it...Leave a comment:
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I have used them and don't think they leak after being flashed/booted well. I expect to be using them again. I have not re-roofed around it but inspection is easy. The panels themselves add another layer of protection when they fall underneath.Has anyone used these for flat or low slope roofs?
What was your experience? Did you have roof leaks? Do they require maintenance? (What and how often?) How difficult is re-roofing when they are installed? Do the mounts themselves have to be removed or can they be roofed around?
Any insights or advice would be much appreciated.Leave a comment:
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No experience with mounts in general, but these QuickMounts seem well engineered and after some research the roof attachment is not something to take lightly. Apparently a large piece of Flashing is becoming a mandatory/ standard/ best practice.Has anyone used these for flat or low slope roofs?
What was your experience? Did you have roof leaks? Do they require maintenance? (What and how often?) How difficult is re-roofing when they are installed? Do the mounts themselves have to be removed or can they be roofed around?
Any insights or advice would be much appreciated.
I'm looking at a flat roof mounted tracking system and these mounts seem to fit the bill quite nicely.Leave a comment:
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QBase low-slope mount (QuickMount)
Has anyone used these for flat or low slope roofs?
What was your experience? Did you have roof leaks? Do they require maintenance? (What and how often?) How difficult is re-roofing when they are installed? Do the mounts themselves have to be removed or can they be roofed around?
Any insights or advice would be much appreciated.
Leave a comment: