Yeah, good advice there. I'd add one more thing—don't just eyeball your roof yourself. Get someone who knows roofing to really check it out first, because sometimes shingles look decent but are actually on their last legs. Happened to my neighbor: roof seemed fine, panels went up easy, then bam... water stains everywhere after the first big storm. Save yourself the headache and double-check before diving in.
Great point—better safe than sorry, right? Curious, did your neighbor end up needing a full roof replacement after that mishap, or could they patch things up? Always good to hear how these stories turn out...
Had a similar situation myself about two years ago. Our roof was pushing 20 years, and we were tempted by solar panel incentives. But before jumping in, we decided to have a roofer inspect things first—just to be sure. Glad we did, because it turned out our shingles were already on borrowed time. The roofer said installing panels on top of an aging roof would just mean extra headaches (and costs) down the road.
Ended up biting the bullet and replacing the whole roof first, then adding the panels afterward. Definitely wasn't cheap, but at least now we know we're set for decades without worrying about leaks or structural issues. If your roof's older than 15 years or so, I'd seriously recommend getting it checked out before installing solar. A patch job might seem tempting short-term, but in my experience, it's usually just delaying the inevitable...
Went through something similar last year. Our roof was around 17 years old, and we almost jumped straight into solar panels. Glad we paused—ended up replacing the roof first. Definitely pricier upfront, but now no worries about leaks or repairs anytime soon...worth it for peace of mind.
Had a slightly different experience here—my folks slapped solar panels onto their 15-year-old roof about five years ago, and honestly, it's been smooth sailing. They had an inspection first, though, and the roofer said it was still solid enough to handle panels without issues. Guess it depends on the condition rather than just age alone? Still, can't argue with peace of mind...but sometimes rolling the dice works out too, lol.
