"Fixed those up beforehand, and it's been smooth sailing ever since. Worth the peace of mind for sure."
Did your roofer mention anything about the type of mounts they used for your panels? I've seen cases where certain mounting systems can cause issues down the line if they're not compatible with older roofing materials. Definitely worth asking about that upfront... could save some headaches later. Curious if anyone else ran into problems specifically because of the mounts or brackets used?
Had a similar issue at one of our properties a couple years back. Roofer swore up and down the mounts were "universal," but turns out they weren't exactly friendly with our older shingles. Ended up with leaks after the first heavy rain—fun times. Definitely agree it's worth double-checking compatibility beforehand... saves you from playing roof detective later on.
Had a neighbor who went solar last summer, and he was pretty worried about the same thing. His roof was pushing 20 years old, so he had a roofing guy come out first to check things over. Turns out, older shingles can get brittle and crack easily when drilling mounts in—exactly what happened to you, sounds like. He ended up replacing just the section under the panels beforehand. Might be worth looking into partial replacement if your roof's getting up there in age... could save headaches later.
I've seen this exact issue pop up a few times after storms. Older shingles, especially around the 15-20 year mark, tend to lose flexibility and become brittle. A couple years back, I inspected a roof after a hailstorm where the homeowner had installed solar panels on shingles that were about 18 years old. The installation itself had caused tiny cracks around the mounts, and when the hail hit later on, those cracks expanded into leaks.
Partial replacement under the panels is definitely a smart move if your roof's getting older. It might seem like an extra expense upfront, but trust me—it's cheaper than dealing with water damage or having to remove and reinstall panels later on. If you're already noticing brittleness or granule loss on your shingles, I'd strongly recommend getting a roofing inspection first. Better safe than sorry...
I'm actually wondering the same thing myself, since my roof is creeping up on that dreaded 15-year mark. 😅 Has anyone seen if those flexible mounts or special flashing kits help protect older shingles better? I mean, I'd love to go solar, but not if it means turning my attic into an indoor pool when the next storm hits...
Also, does anyone know if installers typically check the shingle condition beforehand or do you have to specifically ask for that? My buddy had panels put in last summer and he said they just slapped them on without mentioning anything about his roof age. Now I'm starting to think he might be in for a nasty surprise down the road. 🤔
Maybe replacing shingles under just the panels is enough... but wouldn't that make your roof look kinda patchy and weird? Curious if anyone's done partial replacements before installing solar and how it turned out visually.
