Can Solar Panels Make Your Roof Last Longer?

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How Solar Panels Can Make Your Roof Last Longer

May 18, 2020

Summary:

Solar panels significantly reduce the carbon footprint of your home as much as eliminating thousands of pounds of coal burning each year. They also lower monthly energy bills without compromising the integrity of your roof when installed correctly.
Only a licensed professional with the right expertise should work on your roof and solar panels. Elements like lag bolts and flashing keep your panels securely in place and prevent moisture from seeping in, but may actually damage your roof if they aren’t installed properly.
Solar panels can extend the lifespan of your roof by blocking UV rays and reducing exposure to heat and the sun. They also effectively shield your roof from weather damage related to snow, ice, hail, and falling debris.
Applying Roof Maxx before installing solar panels can add up to five years to the lifespan of your roof. This treatment process makes shingles more flexible and waterproof, which can also reduce maintenance costs.

Whether you’re hoping to decrease your home’s carbon footprint or take advantage of a federal solar tax credit, there’s never been a better time to consider installing solar panels on the roof of your home.

Using solar panels and clean energy can cut your home’s carbon emissions by an amount that would equal burning 5,000 pounds of coal every year. And the sun’s energy is free! Solar panels not only reduce the carbon footprint, but many homeowners see a dramatic reduction in their monthly energy bill too.

What many homeowners wonder, though, is how these solar panels will affect their roof. Is there more upkeep? Do solar panels damage your roof??

Let’s take a look at the difference solar panels can make for your home’s roof.

Do Solar Panels Damage My Roof?

So, do solar panels damage your roof when installed? For most homeowners, as long as your solar panels are properly installed, they shouldn’t do damage to the exterior or the infrastructure of your roof. If you are working with a qualified licensed professional and your roof is in good condition, your solar panels won’t affect the integrity of your roof.

When solar panels are installed, installers will drill holes into the roof to anchor and mount the panels securely. These large holes are for lag bolts, which are strong enough to keep solar panels in place and are made to withstand the elements for a long time.

While it may strike a bit of fear into your heart to know that a contractor is drilling holes in the outer layer of your home, this is all part of the process of mounting solar panels so that they are entirely secured to your roof and won’t cause damage.

Once the panels have been attached, the lag bolts are covered with flashing to protect your roof. Flashing is a thin roll of moisture-resistant metal or plastic that helps close off this hole and seals out moisture, wind and the elements. It directs water away from the location so you don’t have to worry about solar panels letting moisture seep into your roof.

One concern that holds many homeowners back from installing solar panels is the worry about the integrity of their roof. What happens if the roof needs to be replaced or repaired just a few short years after solar panels are installed? If this happens, the panels will need to be removed, the roof repaired and the panels reinstalled, adding to the costs of having a roof repaired or replaced.

How Long Does a Roof Last?

Without solar panels, the lifespan of a roof depends a great deal on what kind of material the shingles are made from. So how long can a roof be expected to last?

Asphalt shingles: 15-30 years
Composite shingles: 20-50 years
Modified shingles: 30 years
Wood shingles: 30-40 years
Clay tiles: 50 years
Concrete tiles: 50 years
Metal roofs: 50 years
Copper roofs: 60-plus years

Do Solar Panels Make Your Roof Last Longer?

Can solar panels make your roof last longer? Actually, yes! When you install solar panels, , they act as a stellar protectant for your roof, which can actually extend its life. How does this happen?

Solar panels can protect your roof from the sun’s harmful rays. The panels absorb sunlight that otherwise would be absorbed directly by your shingles, sun bleaching them and drying them out.

Additionally, air flows between the panels and the roof, cooling the roof considerably. The solar panels act like a shade tree, reducing the temperature inside the house by as much as 35 percent because the shingles aren’t absorbing the sunlight and also keeping the roof safer from falling debris.

Installing solar panels also protects your roof from inclement weather like snow, ice and hail that normally can do a great deal of damage to a roof. This protection from solar panels can help make your roof last longer as well..

How Can I Extend the Life of My Roof to Extend a Solar Investment?

Before installing solar panels, one way to extend the life of your roof is with a Roof Maxx treatment. This preventative treatment helps roofs to hold up against the weather so that your roof can withstand more seasons before it needs to be replaced.

Many homeowners who are considering installing solar panels on their roof are hesitant because they don’t want to place solar panels on top of a roof that will need to be repaired in a few years, but with a Roof Maxx application, the shingles are much more protected. This liquid compound penetrates the shingles and gives them added flexibility, pliability and life expectancy—and is completely safe to apply before the installation of solar panels to keep your roof in great condition for years to come.

A Roof Maxx application can extend the life of your roof by as much as five years for a fraction of the cost of a new roof and will cut down on the need to have solar panels removed to have your roof replaced as frequently.

If you are considering installing solar panels, there’s no reason to not schedule a Roof Maxx application prior to having the solar panels secured to your roof to prolong the life of your roof and cut down on maintenance costs.