Quickscrews International has been steadily creating a full line of mounting products to meet the needs of the most common residential roofs in the U.S. In this article, the company discusses its recommended technique for installing solar on a tile roof.
For general installation, one must remove the tile where the hook will be, locate the rafters and carefully pre-drill a hole. Secure the roof mounts with bolts or screws and seal it in order to prevent water from penetrating. Sometimes one must chip the tile to allow it to sit flat along the other tiles. All of this can be done within five minutes, especially with the right products.
For flat tile roofs, Quickscrews supplies two easy and effective hooks – 180° and 90° hooks with a 38mm height. These can slide in and out from under the tile until there is no gap between the tiles. Once the location is set, do a felt paper flash underneath the tile and build off the hook.
When it comes to Spanish or curved tiles, the 90° Spanish roof hook supplied by Quickscrews is the most popular when installed with battens. The product fits perfectly in the valley of the curved tiles and the wide base allows the installer to mount into the joist and hit the low point of the tiles. Serrations on the mounts give the installer extra insurance that the rails will not slide down after years of wear and tear.
If one is looking for versatility, the 90° 38mm height adjustability Spanish tile hook resolves the following issues:
- Tiles that were installed without battens
- Variance in tile thickness
- Height adjustment is required
This product can be used on flat and curved tiles, and is currently being used by some of the largest solar panel installers in the country.
For metal rooftops, the Quickscrews’ line of Stone Coat Steel roof hooks let an installer add solar panels without drilling any holes in the roof, meaning there is no time spent with flashing. One screw is used to screw the hook into the joist and one screw into the baton. The end of the hook slips under the overlap and within a few minutes rails can be added.
The most important consideration for using solar panels is installing them in the proper location and at the correct angle to the sun. A roof should be free of shade and face south (east and west are good too, but south is optimal). Mounts should be placed about four feet apart and on top of rafters (installers can use a stud finder to find the rafters). Make sure that the solar panels are off the roof by at least a quarter of a foot because airflow helps the panels operate at peak efficiency.
Visit www.solarroofhook.com for more information.