Difficulty Finding Installer b/c of My Stone Coated Steel Roof

[jlam]

All - I've run into some difficulty due to the stone coated steel roof that's installed on my home. This roof is considered a premium product that's supposed to last at least 50 years. However, from a solar stand point, my roof has scared off at least two solar companies during preliminary email discussions just from the mere mention of the roof material. Sungevity was one of the two and I even emailed a different contact to confirm thinking that there had to be a mistake. The second person confirmed they do not install on my roof material.

Meanwhile, other solar companies want me to rip off portions of the metal roof and install composite shingles underneath the panels. Although they won't be visible, it just seems that this is a completely and utterly inane solution. Replacing a high quality material for composite seems counter productive and would create an ugly patch work of two very different materials.

The specific roof I have is: http://www.gerardusa.com/metal-roofi...yon-shake-tile

I am now beginning to get quotes from metal roofing companies that also do solar. However, their prices are on the higher end of the price per watt. One company with great prices doesn't have metal roofing experience, but is in the process of trying to find a roofing company to partner with. It's still unclear how much more that will add to my final price.

It appears to me that most of these companies have issues with metal roofs due to not having any real familiarity with the material. What i'm able to gather online, the removal and install process of the existing metal panels is pretty easy.

Anyone experience these issues as well and what did you end up doing to resolve them?

Thanks.

[Living Large]

All - I've run into some difficulty due to the stone coated steel roof that's installed on my home. This roof is considered a premium product that's supposed to last at least 50 years. However, from a solar stand point, my roof has scared off at least two solar companies during preliminary email discussions just from the mere mention of the roof material.{snip}

Nice looking roofing product. I assume that the original roofing installer is not available for this project. Your roof is not at all what I think of when I think of a metal roof - perhaps this is the issue. There are no seams to attach brackets to. The installers may be troubling over how to make holes for and seal the attachment points.

I can't think of why you couldn't place solar panels above that roofing material - other than people are unfamiliar with it.

[J.P.M.]

If that's the same material I've seen, it looks great and probably lasts quite some time. However, it is basically 20 or 22 ga. stamped sheet metal and cannot be walked on. Maybe this is a different product.

Weight is ~~ 140#/sq. per prod. lit.

[emartin00]

Well right on their website, Gerard touts their ability to add solar "Our roofing systems offer protection from all types of weather while providing an array of roof ventilation options and the ability to add solar panels."
I would bet the installers are hesitant due to unfamiliarity and concern over leaks.
I would give the roofing company a call and ask for their recommendations.

A quick search yielded SolarRoofHook has some options for your roofing material. So you could give them a call as well.

https://www.solarroofhook.com/solar-catalog/stone-coat-steel-roof-products/stone-coat-steel-roof-products-0#sthash.BR0IpOEj.dpuf

[jlam]

If that's the same material I've seen, it looks great and probably lasts quite some time. However, it is basically 20 or 22 ga. stamped sheet metal and cannot be walked on. Maybe this is a different product.

Not being able to walk on them is a concern I've heard some of the solar installers mention, but the Gerard has walking instructions, Which is probably part of the problem in that you need instructions to walk on them, let alone have installers walking all over the roof trying to install heavy equipment. They're probably concerned with being responsible for damage.

[jlam]

Well right on their website, Gerard touts their ability to add solar "Our roofing systems offer protection from all types of weather while providing an array of roof ventilation options and the ability to add solar panels."
I would bet the installers are hesitant due to unfamiliarity and concern over leaks.
I would give the roofing company a call and ask for their recommendations.

A quick search yielded SolarRoofHook has some options for your roofing material. So you could give them a call as well.
https://www.solarroofhook.com/solar-....BR0IpOEj.dpuf

Yeah, that's what I've found as well. I contacted Gerard and they gave me a roofing company reference. Still, it's hard to convince some of these solar companies to dig deeper and do an install on my roof. They seem to want to quick, familiar roofs that don't require any additional work on their part.

[Living Large]

Yeah, that's what I've found as well. I contacted Gerard and they gave me a roofing company reference. Still, it's hard to convince some of these solar companies to dig deeper and do an install on my roof. They seem to want to quick, familiar roofs that don't require any additional work on their part.

This is not surprising to me. Imagine trying to hire a contractor for many other jobs, who was not familiar with the techniques to accomplish a task. And in the process could damage your house.

Hang in there - with perseverance you should find what you need. Hopefully it won't cost you an arm and a leg.

[J.P.M.]

IF the product weight is 140#/sq as per mfg. data --->>> ~ 1.4#/ft^2, that would mean that IF the roofing product was a flat sheet, and assuming ~~ 500# wt. for 1 ft.^3 of steel, it would have a material thickness of ~~ 1.4/500 = .0028 ft. ~ = .034".

If patterned as shown, the thickness would be less. I'd take a SWAG at somewhere very roughly between 22 and 28 ga. I'd tend to be be careful about how I stepped on such a product.

[jlam]

This is not surprising to me. Imagine trying to hire a contractor for many other jobs, who was not familiar with the techniques to accomplish a task. And in the process could damage your house.

Hang in there - with perseverance you should find what you need. Hopefully it won't cost you an arm and a leg.

Thanks. The one roofing/solar company with metal roof experience only sells Sunpower panels. Before factoring in the additional "roofing" cost of $1,600, they're quoting me a price of $4.61 per watt for 14 e 327 sunpower panels. If you add in the additional roofing cost, it comes out to $4.91 per watt.

[J.P.M.]

Thanks. The one roofing/solar company with metal roof experience only sells Sunpower panels. Before factoring in the additional "roofing" cost of $1,600, they're quoting me a price of $4.61 per watt for 14 e 327 sunpower panels. If you add in the additional roofing cost, it comes out to $4.91 per watt.

Save about a buck a Watt and get something else besides S.P. The roofing premium ought to be about the same or perhaps a bit more for the 20% larger footprint.

[Living Large]

Thanks. The one roofing/solar company with metal roof experience only sells Sunpower panels. Before factoring in the additional "roofing" cost of $1,600, they're quoting me a price of $4.61 per watt for 14 e 327 sunpower panels. If you add in the additional roofing cost, it comes out to $4.91 per watt.

"Additional roofing" - does this mean tearing yours off, and putting some other material down? That's bogus if that is what you mean.

You are in the ballpark of what I am looking at - 14 panels and possibly SunPower. FOUR SIXTY ONE per watt? OUCH!

[jlam]

"Additional roofing" - does this mean tearing yours off, and putting some other material down? That's bogus if that is what you mean.

You are in the ballpark of what I am looking at - 14 panels and possibly SunPower. FOUR SIXTY ONE per watt? OUCH!

The $1,600 dollar roofing cost is for the roofing arm of their company to come in and remove the panels and then reinstall the same panels back on. Based on my review of this forum's older posts, it seems that $4.61 is in line with what others are paying for Sunpower, no?

Also, this is the catch 22 that I'm finding myself in. The less expensive installers quoting me $3.3 per watt won't or don't have the willingness to work on the metal roof. The ones that have experience with metal roofs, are Sunpower installers and charge the Sunpower premium.

I bought my house with this roof. I thought it was a perk to have a 50 year roof, that is unless you're interested in solar.

[Living Large]

The $1,600 dollar roofing cost is for the roofing arm of their company to come in and remove the panels and then reinstall the same panels back on. Based on my review of this forum's older posts, it seems that $4.61 is in line with what others are paying for Sunpower, no?

Also, this is the catch 22 that I'm finding myself in. The less expensive installers quoting me $3.3 per watt won't or don't have the willingness to work on the metal roof. The ones that have experience with metal roofs, are Sunpower installers and charge the Sunpower premium.

I bought my house with this roof. I thought it was a perk to have a 50 year roof, that is unless you're interested in solar.

Oh - these are the people that know what they are doing with that product and are going to remove and replace it. I can see the predicament you are in.

I don't know the trend of prices of SP - I just started looking at it. Needless to say, your quote opened my eyes. They sure are charging you the "Sunpower premium" - sounds like the hardware is double the price of nonSunpower.

[solarix]

Leasing companies like Sungevity are really risk adverse and won't do hardly anything outside the norm.
If this roofing is iffy to walk on the solar guys are going to hate it. There is a lot of back and forth in an install - the area of the array is going to get a lot of traffic and some of it heavy when carrying panels. Other than that, a mount such as TileTrac should work well as long as you can drill a 1/2" hole in the stuff.
Another case of "solar is new" and nobody used considered it when designing roofs.