That's a good point about installers, but honestly, even with solid prep work, older roofs can be unpredictable. My neighbor had panels put on his aging roof—initially seemed fine, but a year in, leaks started popping up. Sometimes age just catches up with roofs, panels or not...
True, older roofs can be tricky, but honestly, I've seen plenty of cases where solar panels actually extended the life of an aging roof. Had a client once whose shingles were borderline—he went ahead with panels anyway. Surprisingly, the panels shielded the roof from weathering and UV damage, buying him a few extra years before replacement was necessary. It's not always a gamble; sometimes it can work in your favor...
I get your point about solar panels protecting shingles from UV and weathering, and I've seen that happen too. But honestly, it's not always that straightforward. Had a neighbor who installed solar panels on a roof that was already showing its age—nothing major, just some curling shingles here and there. Within a year or two, leaks started popping up around the mounting points. Turns out, the installation process itself can sometimes stress older shingles, causing them to crack or deteriorate faster.
I'm all for solar energy, don't get me wrong, but I'd say it's smarter to assess your roof carefully first. If it's borderline, you might save yourself headaches (and money) by replacing or at least reinforcing the roof before going solar. Sure, panels can shield shingles from sun and rain, but they're not exactly a miracle cure for an aging roof...
"Turns out, the installation process itself can sometimes stress older shingles, causing them to crack or deteriorate faster."
Exactly. Seen this happen more than once on properties I manage. Quick pointers from experience:
- If your roof's already curling or showing wear, panels can speed up issues.
- Better to replace or at least patch weak spots first—saves money long-term.
- Solar installers aren't roofers; their focus is panels, not shingles.
Bottom line: solar's great, but don't skip the roof check... it'll bite you later.
Yeah, learned this the hard way myself. A few years back, I jumped straight into solar without checking my shingles closely enough. Installers did their thing, panels looked great... but within a year, leaks started popping up. Turns out the shingles underneath were already brittle and the installation just sped things along. Ended up costing me way more to fix later. Definitely worth getting your roof sorted first—trust me, your wallet will thank you later.
