Had a similar issue myself—roof looked fine, but after installing panels, leaks popped up around the mounts. Ended up pulling the panels off, replacing shingles underneath, and reinstalling. Definitely worth inspecting closely beforehand to avoid extra hassle later...
Interesting, I've seen this happen a lot actually—roof seems totally solid until panels go up, then suddenly you've got leaks. Makes me wonder if it's partly due to the installation method or just hidden issues that were already there. Did your installer mention anything specific about the mounts or flashing they used? I've noticed some companies have different approaches, and some seem more leak-prone than others.
A buddy of mine had similar troubles, and when he finally got someone else to check it out, turns out the first installer had cut corners on the waterproofing around mounts. Once they redid that properly, no more leaks. Makes you think how much depends on who's doing the job rather than just roof age alone.
Were you able to pinpoint exactly what caused your leaks, like improper sealing or maybe just worn shingles failing under pressure? Curious how common this really is...
Had a similar issue myself. Roof was older but seemed fine until panels went on—then came the leaks. Turned out the installer skimped on flashing around mounts. Got it fixed by another company and hasn't leaked since. Definitely think you're onto something about installation quality playing a big role. Hopefully your situation is just a quick fix and not something major lurking underneath...
"Turned out the installer skimped on flashing around mounts."
Yeah, that's exactly what I've been wondering about lately—how much of the trouble is really about the panels themselves vs. how they're installed? Seems like a lot of these issues pop up when corners get cut during installation. Good to hear you got yours sorted without too much hassle. Hopefully the OP's roof just needs a bit of extra care rather than a full overhaul...
Yeah, honestly, the installation's usually the weak link—not the panels themselves. Had a similar issue on one of our properties where the installer rushed through sealing the mounts... ended up with leaks after just a few months. Once we got someone thorough to redo the flashing, problem solved. So I'd say focus more on vetting your installer carefully rather than worrying too much about panel quality alone.
