Roof damage during installation

[PenguinSolar]

Thank you all so much for your advice, it is very helpful. I did have a discussion with the installer today and he has agreed to replace the broken and "repaired" tiles, but who will do it is another matter. I want a professional roofer to handle it, but that gets very tricky because most of the solar panels will have to be removed for that to happen. The roofer will not want to touch the panels, of course. Now I am no expert, but I am guessing that to do this right with all the broken corners and under the panels...this is a BIG expensive job. It's going to require a roofer and solar guys to remove all the panels and some brackets. I'm obviously worried how this will all turn out and this is a lot more than I signed on for.

And, yes, the work was inspected and passed. I don't think the inspector cares about the condition of my roof but in whether the installation was up to code. Broken tiles are not a code violation. I also have an arbitration clause in my contract, so I assume I can't sue him if he reneges on the promised repairs.

Some things I have learned so far from this experience:
1. Hire solar installers that have their own crew. The company I went with sub-contracts the work to "professional solar installers" and they install for many different companies in the area. Apparently this is common.There is little accountability this way. They just want to get paid for a job and get out of there.
2. Take pictures of your roof before installation and then inspect your roof after the job is done, preferably with the installer present.
3. Make sure your contract talks specifically about damage to your house during installation. The roof is one thing, but what if they broke a window with their ladder, bent your gutters or damaged landscaping?? That is nowhere in my 8 page fine-print contract. It should be discussed and added in there.

That's it for now. If anyone has any further advice, I would love to hear it.

Some great advice and going through a similar experience RIGHT now.

In my case I'm going with a well known reputable installer in my area (Sullivan, which many here have used and one of the reasons why I decided to go with them). At any rate even in the contract language (I checked), in my case they warranty the roof work for 10 years against leaks. Now having a functional non-leaking roof doesn't necessarily mean a pristine looking roof with no tiles that were repaired by glue.

My entire roof is Spanish concrete tiles, now it's more durable than the flat concrete tiles which are real brittle but none the less I've had my share of headaches with broken tiles, already 10 cracks and I'm considered a small install 4.23KW (only 18 panels).

Worst one of the installers stepped in that black stuff they use to seal the bolts into the roof (under the tiles) and now have a number of "follow the footprints" on my roof -- argh!!!

I even got 21 extra tiles, yet when I went to the roof to check progress they went ahead and decided to just glue (okay if it's a clean single break -- fine, but some of them are multiple lines and the glue just looks real sloppy).

Maybe I'm too small of a job for them to care about so they want to get done as quick as possible (gluing cheaper than replacing) but still.

In reality:
- gluing a clean tile break does work (confirmed with my roofing company that it's a valid repair -- this goes into it works but ain't pretty pile -- if that's the case then duct tape probably work too!)
- talking to my builder the Spanish tiles are more for aesthetics (yes it does repeal rain) but the real protection is the sheeting that's underneath
- I have a tall two story roof and where the cracked tiles are no one will be able to tell unless you're walking on the roof (although this argument doesn't work too well with the wife since just because she can't see it, she'll still KNOW IT -- of course that's a separate issue entirely)
- most of the broken tiles and those "let's follow the footsteps" game will be covered by the panels -- again functionally having black footprints doesn't impact performance (that won't cause leaks) but again it goes with the point above (you know it's there). In fact my wife is pretty upset about the tile cracks that I didn't even want to bring up the footprint or think she'll probably loose it.

I'm actually beginning to think that maybe going with the other installer (PetersenDean) which is ALSO a roofing company might have been a better bet and at least they know how to handle roofs (not cause damage and know how to fix them if they do) - they were only about $.30/watt more. But owell, as they said in "Harold and Kumar" we already gone to far to turn back.

I'm writing to my project manager to see what they'll say. Technically in the contract they just warranty against any functional roof damage for 10 years, nothing about aesthetics (not sure if any of them do have that language in the contract). The language also specifically says "will replace or repair at its sole discretion any item it determines to be faulty as a result of errors and/or omissions on the part of Sullivan Solar Power" -- so technically they are not obligated to replace a broken tile.

So we'll see, supposedly they have some lurkers on this forum so I do imagine they do care about their quality reputation so hoping they will make good.

Right now also have my landscape project going on so between that and the solar hard to babysit both. Since landscaping everyone will see, I've been concentrating on that.

Yeah another one to add to the tips: don't try to have too many house projects going on at once otherwise you won't be able to monitor them at the level you want.

For now subscribing to the philosophy of you "need to crack some eggs to make an omelette". I'm just hoping they don't break any more....<sigh>.

Just some of the pictures of the wonderful glue used to repair my broken tiles:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/tcalv19hujsmomd/Tile-IMG_1397.JPG

https://www.dropbox.com/s/3n418ueb42xlkc4/Tile-IMG_1399.JPG

Legally and contractually don't really see anything they are doing wrong, it's just more about the quality and care of the work. A bit surprising as others on this forum have used this company with great praise.

More tips:
- If you care about how your roof tiles look then make sure you really understand the expectation during your installation and get that in writing
- Know your tiles and how brittle they are, this will give you an idea of the level of "damage" to expect during install
- Procure your extra tiles AND paint ahead of time (you need to supply the materials unless it's specifically written in the contract)
- Again if you care how your roof looks, regularly check the progress and get ON the roof, don't take their word for it (it's not their house, it's yours). If you really care then get up there to inspect (do it before, when they do the brackets and rails, before they install the panels, and after they install the panels).

[bando]

Some great advice and going through a similar experience RIGHT now.

In my case I'm going with a well known reputable installer in my area (Sullivan, which many here have used and one of the reasons why I decided to go with them). At any rate even in the contract language (I checked), in my case they warranty the roof work for 10 years against leaks. Now having a functional non-leaking roof doesn't necessarily mean a pristine looking roof with no tiles that were repaired by glue.

My entire roof is Spanish concrete tiles, now it's more durable than the flat concrete tiles which are real brittle but none the less I've had my share of headaches with broken tiles, already 10 cracks and I'm considered a small install 4.23KW (only 18 panels).

Worst one of the installers stepped in that black stuff they use to seal the bolts into the roof (under the tiles) and now have a number of "follow the footprints" on my roof -- argh!!!

I even got 21 extra tiles, yet when I went to the roof to check progress they went ahead and decided to just glue (okay if it's a clean single break -- fine, but some of them are multiple lines and the glue just looks real sloppy).

Maybe I'm too small of a job for them to care about so they want to get done as quick as possible (gluing cheaper than replacing) but still.

In reality:
- gluing a clean tile break does work (confirmed with my roofing company that it's a valid repair -- this goes into it works but ain't pretty pile -- if that's the case then duct tape probably work too!)
- talking to my builder the Spanish tiles are more for aesthetics (yes it does repeal rain) but the real protection is the sheeting that's underneath
- I have a tall two story roof and where the cracked tiles are no one will be able to tell unless you're walking on the roof (although this argument doesn't work too well with the wife since just because she can't see it, she'll still KNOW IT -- of course that's a separate issue entirely)
- most of the broken tiles and those "let's follow the footsteps" game will be covered by the panels -- again functionally having black footprints doesn't impact performance (that won't cause leaks) but again it goes with the point above (you know it's there). In fact my wife is pretty upset about the tile cracks that I didn't even want to bring up the footprint or think she'll probably loose it.

I'm actually beginning to think that maybe going with the other installer which is ALSO a roofing company might have been a better bet and at least they know how to handle roofs (not cause damage and know how to fix them if they do). But owell, as they said in "Harold and Kumar" we already gone to far to turn back.

I'm writing to my project manager to see what they'll say. Technically in the contract they just warranty against any functional roof damage for 10 years, nothing about aesthetics (not sure if any of them do have that language in the contract). The language also specifically says "will replace or repair at its sole discretion any item it determines to be faulty as a result of errors and/or omissions on the part of <installer company name>"

So we'll see, supposedly they have some lurkers on this forum so I do imagine they do care about their quality reputation so hoping they will make good.

Right now also have my landscape project going on so between that and the solar hard to babysit both. Since landscaping everyone will see, I've been concentrating on that.

Yeah another one to add to the tips: don't try to have too many house projects going on at once otherwise you won't be able to monitor them at the level you want.

For now subscribing to the philosophy of you "need to crack some eggs to make an omelette". I'm just hoping they don't break any more....<sigh>.

Just some of the pictures of the wonderful glue used to repair my broken tiles:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/tcalv19hujsmomd/Tile-IMG_1397.JPG

https://www.dropbox.com/s/3n418ueb42xlkc4/Tile-IMG_1399.JPG

Legally and contractually don't really see anything they are doing wrong, it's just more about the quality and care of the work. A bit surprising as others on this forum have used this company with great praise.

More tips:
- If you care about how your roof tiles look then make sure you really understand the expectation during your installation and get that in writing
- Know your tiles and how brittle they are, this will give you an idea of the level of "damage" to expect during install
- Procure your extra tiles AND paint ahead of time (you need to supply the materials unless it's specifically written in the contract)
- Again if you care how your roof looks, regularly check the progress and get ON the roof, don't take their word for it (it's not their house, it's yours). If you really care then get up there to inspect (do it before, when they do the brackets and rails, before they install the panels, and after they install the panels).

they broke some of our flat concrete tiles as expected, although not many. the flat concrete is pretty strong. in any case, they did get replacements, although they said the exact tile was no longer being made (house was built in 2000). they had something similar in color, but the coating on the tile had a sheen to it that we do not have. needless to say, there was some variation and it was noticeable when you are talking about a large roof section and one or two tiles are just "off". when i noticed it, i asked them to take an original tile in a non conspicuous area and then put the "replacement" tile there where it's not noticeable to people on the ground (ours is a 1 story home). the crew was great and actually put any replacement tiles under the array or somewhere else (behind a chimney, etc.) and left only original tiles visible.

i can see that one of your cracked tiles is going under the array, so i wouldn't mind about those, but if it really bothers you have them do the above. BUT i would say that with those So Cal S shaped spanish tiles , it's very hard to not break them and walking on them any more than needed could result in more cracks in other areas. so i am not sure if it's worth the risk especially if the cracks are already not noticeable.

[silversaver]

I have tne same exact concrete tiles on my roof, that is also the main reason I skip micro inverters.(which don't really need them)

The "glue" job will do, but a solar system will be up there for at least 20 to 25 yrs after installation, will a "glue" job last that long? The solar companies doing the installation all year long, I'm sure they have tiles everywhere becasue they needed. I'm sure a "glue" job is lot quicker than replace the tiles. I wonder if they will "glue" the tiles on their own house or not?

[J.P.M.]

Hi everyone, I'm new here. I searched past threads and didn't see anything related so please forgive me if I missed something!
I just had a 4kW system installed on a concrete tile roof. Before signing the contract I asked what would happen if the installers broke the relatively delicate tiles. He said they will replace any broken tiles and everything will be 100% perfect before they were done. They brought about 50 tiles with them and even charged me more per kW because they knew they would be breaking a lot of tiles. They finished their work a few days ago and I was assured there were no broken tiles.

Today I went up to look and there are about 20+ broken tiles and another 20 which are patched with some kind of silicone (40+ tiles are broken in total). The installer is saying that sealing broken tiles is completely OK and will not affect my roof's integrity. He is willing to seal the remaining cracked tiles but said they can't be replaced because it would require them to remove some solar panels and brackets to get to the tiles and that would be "cost-prohibitive". He said in some cases they would have to pull out 30+ roof tiles just to replace the one broken one. I have attached a few pictures.

My question: Is this common practice to break dozens of roof tiles and then seal them with silicone and call it a day? I don't know what the standard is with solar installations. I don't want to be too demanding if I am just kidding myself expecting them to replace all the broken tiles with new ones. But the house is relatively new and with that many "patched" tiles, how could I be sure a slow leak won't develop leading to mold or other water damage in the coming years?

Thanks for any advice!! I live in Northern California (FYI)
Mike

I bet it's common practice involving those customers who let the contractor get away with it. Sound like it may be time for some hardball, but I'd get my ducks lined up first..

Can you document that the tiles were not broken before the solar installation began ? What does the contract say ? How much would a roofing contractor charge to do the remediation ? Has it rained and has the roof leaked yet ? BBB ? Local media consumer affairs ? Some of a bunch of things to maybe consider before small claims court or other actions.

I try not to preach, but this is another good example of how the best warranty of a good job is a lot of due diligence by the owner from before the sale until after startup. Pictures before and during as well as after install can be very useful. FWIW, some folks are on the roof, out of the way, for the whole installation process. Caveat Emptor.

[J.P.M.]

I have tne same exact concrete tiles on my roof, that is also the main reason I skip micro inverters.(which don't really need them)

The "glue" job will do, but a solar system will be up there for at least 20 to 25 yrs after installation, will a "glue" job last that long? The solar companies doing the installation all year long, I'm sure they have tiles everywhere becasue they needed. I'm sure a "glue" job is lot quicker than replace the tiles. I wonder if they will "glue" the tiles on their own house or not?

My experience is the glue (probably some form of silicone caulk) job will last a while, depending on what's used and how thorough a job is done. But - it's obviously not right. One thing to perhaps keep in mind is that the paper under the tiles is what is supposed to provide most, if not all of the integrity against leaks, however, it's never a good thing to breach the any part of a roof. Caulk is always a temporary fix.

[PenguinSolar]

I bet it's common practice involving those customers who let the contractor get away with it. Sound like it may be time for some hardball, but I'd get my ducks lined up first..

Can you document that the tiles were not broken before the solar installation began ? What does the contract say ? How much would a roofing contractor charge to do the remediation ? Has it rained and has the roof leaked yet ? BBB ? Local media consumer affairs ? Some of a bunch of things to maybe consider before small claims court or other actions.

I try not to preach, but this is another good example of how the best warranty of a good job is a lot of due diligence by the owner from before the sale until after startup. Pictures before and during as well as after install can be very useful. FWIW, some folks are on the roof, out of the way, for the whole installation process. Caveat Emptor.

In my case, I have pictures of the roof from before, I needed them to submit to the HOA in order for approval, before and after. The pictures (no cracks) were actually done by the Sullivan sales guy so it definitely points the crack damage is done by the crew. To be clear, the crew doesn't deny the cracks are from them, they are just choosing to repair them via gluing.

I'm in SoCal it hardly ever rains so don't know if there's any leaks (yet), that being said when it does don't want a leaky roof either! Again the Spanish tiles are the S-shape tiles which are very popular in SoCal, they are really more for the looks then to protect against the rain (confirmed this with my builder the real protection is underneath the tiles).

At this point I want to minimize the damage, so having them try to replace may risk even further damage (by their crew, maybe a roofing company no problem). The Spanish tiles are S-shaped so they interlock with the surrounding tiles like a puzzle so can imagine it'll be a bitch to even replace even just one.

As long as the glue holds and it's hidden under the panel think I'll just live with those, but the ones that are exposed think they should be replaced although I pray they don't cause more damage in the process.

I'm still mid-project so I can withhold my final payment citing that the work is not yet finished which sounds like I should as this is my most valuable leverage point right now.

I guess what I'm looking for from the community is:

Given my roof type S-shape Concrete Spanish Tiles what should my expectation be:
Should it be:
- Should I expect a dozen or so tiles to be broken (this just happens with solar installs)
- Most will be glued and that's acceptable industry practice, some will be replaced
- Spanish S Tiles are more decorative vs functional, so if they will be covered by the panel as long as they are glued well should just "live with it"
- Any tiles that are not covered by the panels should be replaced unless right on the ridge-line which risk further damage that's not worth it
- Also would any installer be actually better? The only one I could think that would not break ANY tiles would be if I went with my builder (instead of doing this post COE), since they install solar panels first on the roof and then place the tiles down that way you can't break any tiles since there isn't any .
- Rights as a homeowner? I pulled up some of my other bid contracts also from large reputable solar installers, all of them have the technical legalese that it's up to their sole discretion to repair/replace roof damage. They just promise no leaks for 10 years, they DON'T promise no cracked tiles (actually never seen anything from any installer promise no broken tiles)

Ultimately, what I'm getting to is if you're going to do a solar project then should you always expect cracked tiles (this is different than roof damage that causes leaks) this is akin to if you're going to do surgery then you'll get a scar. It just comes with the territory.

I just want to balance what I should expect based on others that have gone through solar installs on similar roof types.

Thanks so much!

Any advice/suggestions much appreciated!

[silversaver]

I have gone through the same installer just few weeks ahead of you, so I know exactly what you said in every details. Only thing I can really suggest you is tell them how you want it before you sign off the final paper and tell them now.

Good luck

[bando]

broken tiles are a given with any solar install. unless the guys weigh 80 lbs, i would expect some to be broken; on the S-shape spanish tiles i would expect 3-4x as many as a flat concrete. we actually had a few other cracked tiles over the years (DirecTV was up there 2-3 times upgrading our dish, and we had a power washer up there after the San Diego fires years ago). we never saw them or gave much thought to them, but there were at least a dozen or so. we have a very large roof so the damage is minimal and really just cosmetic, however the sullivan crew used the extra tiles they had and replaced ALL of our cracked tiles even if it was not them who broke it. they even did a cement corner patch where two roof peaks met and our corner was chipped/missing.

a little bit of kindness goes a long way. i bought lunch for my crew 3 out of the 4 days because they worked their butts off. they were courteous and professional and i appreciated that. i'm not saying you should do the same, but i will say that sometimes kindness goes further than being a hardass!

i don't think there is an installer out there that can guarantee not to break any tiles, but yes you might have variances in how they deal with them. i did ask my project person about it during the proposal stage to verify that broken tiles would be replaced, and he said yes of course. "gluing" was never an option. but again i have the flat concrete ones so it's less complicated than the interlocked S-shaped tiles.

[silversaver]

broken tiles are a given with any solar install. unless the guys weigh 80 lbs, i would expect some to be broken; on the S-shape spanish tiles i would expect 3-4x as many as a flat concrete. we actually had a few other cracked tiles over the years (DirecTV was up there 2-3 times upgrading our dish, and we had a power washer up there after the San Diego fires years ago). we never saw them or gave much thought to them, but there were at least a dozen or so. we have a very large roof so the damage is minimal and really just cosmetic, however the sullivan crew used the extra tiles they had and replaced ALL of our cracked tiles even if it was not them who broke it. they even did a cement corner patch where two roof peaks met and our corner was chipped/missing.

a little bit of kindness goes a long way. i bought lunch for my crew 3 out of the 4 days because they worked their butts off. they were courteous and professional and i appreciated that. i'm not saying you should do the same, but i will say that sometimes kindness goes further than being a hardass!

i don't think there is an installer out there that can guarantee not to break any tiles, but yes you might have variances in how they deal with them. i did ask my project person about it during the proposal stage to verify that broken tiles would be replaced, and he said yes of course. "gluing" was never an option. but again i have the flat concrete ones so it's less complicated than the interlocked S-shaped tiles.

Same company but different crew of installers for SD and Orange county. Appearently he and I have the same installer (through pm) so I know how they work because I just got my installation done few weeks ago. Your crew will do the cement corner patch, but our installer say that is too much trouble and "glue" it. Plus, that is with $200 cash tips out front. If "gluing" is never an option, please come to see my roof. Talking is worthless.

We have another forum member at SD area got his solar done, and he is happy. So i guess it is who does the installation......

[PenguinSolar]

broken tiles are a given with any solar install. unless the guys weigh 80 lbs, i would expect some to be broken; on the S-shape spanish tiles i would expect 3-4x as many as a flat concrete. we actually had a few other cracked tiles over the years (DirecTV was up there 2-3 times upgrading our dish, and we had a power washer up there after the San Diego fires years ago). we never saw them or gave much thought to them, but there were at least a dozen or so. we have a very large roof so the damage is minimal and really just cosmetic, however the sullivan crew used the extra tiles they had and replaced ALL of our cracked tiles even if it was not them who broke it. they even did a cement corner patch where two roof peaks met and our corner was chipped/missing.

a little bit of kindness goes a long way. i bought lunch for my crew 3 out of the 4 days because they worked their butts off. they were courteous and professional and i appreciated that. i'm not saying you should do the same, but i will say that sometimes kindness goes further than being a hardass!

i don't think there is an installer out there that can guarantee not to break any tiles, but yes you might have variances in how they deal with them. i did ask my project person about it during the proposal stage to verify that broken tiles would be replaced, and he said yes of course. "gluing" was never an option. but again i have the flat concrete ones so it's less complicated than the interlocked S-shaped tiles.

If it only takes a pizza for them to be "kind" to my roof -- sign me up! Think it matters if you get cheese or will only supreme will do the trick?

It is unfortunate that even going with a reputable large solar installer with their own crew (no sub-contracting) there still seems to be a great level of variance, would think they manage their workmanship quality a bit better.

Thanks for the tip! I'll try the pizza tomorrow and let you know how it goes!

Hopefully that will help (plus probably sending an email to the President too ).

So we'll see!

P.S. Happy New Year everyone!!!

[Ian S]

Sheesh, all this talk of broken tiles, footprints and glue make me glad I've got a flat foam roof!

[PenguinSolar]

i don't think there is an installer out there that can guarantee not to break any tiles, but yes you might have variances in how they deal with them. i did ask my project person about it during the proposal stage to verify that broken tiles would be replaced, and he said yes of course. "gluing" was never an option. but again i have the flat concrete ones so it's less complicated than the interlocked S-shaped tiles.

I'm curious if PetersenDean would do any better. After-all they are a ROOFER first, SOLAR second. I've seen recently they have a very competitive package going on. Their Solar4America packages using pure American products with Suniva panels (R&D out of GaTech -- FYI: Great school and I'm not just saying that cause I'm an alum ) and Kaco which I recall has some special pricing to upgrade/replace the inverter post 10 years. Too late for me though.

Been noticing their late night infomercials, you know haven't been sleeping well since been preoccupied with my roof with the solar install lately <grin>.... of course just my luck I come across a SOLAR infomercial!!! Was about to throw the TV out the window.... fortunately it's wall mounted and didn't want to hurt my wall .

[PenguinSolar]

Sheesh, all this talk of broken tiles, footprints and glue make me glad I've got a flat foam roof!

Still at risk for drunken footprints unless you also happen to have a black roof which in that case --- I just HATE you <kidding of course!>

[PenguinSolar]

Quick update:

My email to my sales rep and project mgr seemed to work as the crew in the morning before installing the remaining panels ripped out all the ugly glued tiles and placed brand new tiles. Not only did they place the new ones they gave each new tile a fresh coat of paint which made them pretty nice. The only downside is now my old tiles (the house only 6mo old) now look a bit dirty compared to the fresh new ones - ha!

There was only one tile they couldn't replace cause it was on the ridge line and those tiles are actually cemented in so would cause more damage to replace. So they had to glue it but this time the used silicon glue underneath the tile and on the top some see-thru clear gel which looks much more professional than the previous job which looked what you'll get if you had a kindergartener glue something together.

Suffice to say a complete night and day experience. And I will say I'm pretty happy with the end results. I'm sharing some pics below. They are 235 Sharp Panels, have two arrays: one is 8 another is 10.

From the pictures the cells really have this nice deep blue color that popped out after they cleaned and whipped them down (actually had them clean the panels another time but told them to use a glass cleaner this time).

LOVE the deep blue, it so reminds of the oceans of Hawaii and I want to just JUMP IN AND TAKE A DIP! (Pretty sure that'd void my warranty though ).

So in the end happy how it ended although it was a bit nerve racking during the process to make sure they actually do what is expected.

Some take-aways:
- Communication is key!!!
- During the sales/planning completely understand what they will do when they break tiles (is it replace or is it glue)
- Who is responsible for getting the tiles? (Supposedly my installers have various tiles from various suppliers -- although my crew didn't bring any and I ended up getting the tiles on my own from my original builder) Again, this goes in the book that if it really matter to you better be safe then sorry.
- Unfortunately, the person that sold you the system is not the person that is installing the system and don't count that all the communication has been shared. Keep a checklist bullet list of key things you agreed to and review that with the installer on Day 1, that will set expectations and avoid potential headaches
- Check progress regularly, you don't need to camp out on the roof but at major points check-in (are they replacing tiles, are they cleaning the panels -- if they don't clean them guess who'll have to go back up later to clean --- YOU, make sure they use a glass cleaner and not wipe down with their shirt or something)
- Be nice to your crew, I did offer them pizza (Tip: Pizza Hut is running a 50% off deal right now so can get a large for $7, else can do Costco which is $10) but they declined since they were going to be gone at noon anyways. I instead got pizza for my landscape crew (yeah multi-tasking) and still gave the Solar Crew breadsticks that they could eat while running to their next job in the afternoon.

All in all, Sullivan did end up delivering and making good int he end so gotta give them credit for that. Communication could have been better and it's unfortunate that I needed to monitor to make sure things are done right but think that just comes with the territory.

Solar projects are fairly complicated and sophisticated so it's not like walking into a store and buying an iPad. It completely behooves you to stay involved during the process and really understand what's going on and what to expect.

Now for some pixs:

Broken Tiles Removed (these were previously glued ones -- yuck!)

https://www.dropbox.com/s/593wq2ckyk2yu8l/IMG_1535.JPG

New Tile Inserted (They even cleaned it up and makes my 6mo old tiles look OLD now - ha!) - Probably about 12 tiles broken and replaced

https://www.dropbox.com/s/eum31dxbwmipkq1/IMG_1533.JPG

Glamor Shots of the Panels!!! (JUST ***LOVE, LOVE, LOVE*** THE DEEP BLUE! WANT TO DIVE IN!)
10 Panels

https://www.dropbox.com/s/yc7rijk6m7vz08p/Photo%20Jan%2002%2C%2011%2045%2040%20AM.jpg

8 Panels

https://www.dropbox.com/s/60jvjzobyorecyl/Photo%20Jan%2002%2C%2011%2052%2024%20AM.jpg

Now, I'm just waiting to finally see my meter run BACKWARDS!!!

Sorry, this was been building up since I signed back in August.... almost want to cry.... ALMOST .

Reminds me another tip, have patience... they will say it will take 2 months from signing, in reality double and triple that time.

FYI: This is all based on SoCal locale, for your particular area YMMV, but hopefully these tips still help!

[bando]

Congrats, looking good!

I agree on the dark blue- we have the Kyocera 245s and they are similar looking and we think they look great on the roof .