Roof Attachments

Roof Attachments

One of the major components of a solar panel system is the solar racking system or mount system. It is the foundation that holds your solar panels in place. Typically, they are used to attach solar PV modules to your property’s roof, open ground, or another flat surface near your property. When installing a solar panel system, proper installation should be observed to make a sturdy racking system. If you want to secure your PV panels and allow them to withstand the harsh weather and outside elements, choosing the right mounting products is needed. 

You should also note that solar panel racking equipment is built with 3 main components, they are roof attachments, module clamps, and mounting rails. But for today’s article, we will highlight the roof attachment and its types.

What are Roof Attachments?

From the word itself “attachment”, the roof attachments act as the fasteners that hold the racking system in place and fix it to your roof.  Usually, your solar installer will drill it into your roof securing the solar mounting system in place. The holes created by these drills will be complemented by ‘flashing’, which is either a plastic or metal shield. The flashing will be inserted between the roof shingles, preventing water leakages from escaping into the holes. 

However, not all roof attachments are suited to all types of roofs. Note that each type of roof (clay tile roofs, metal roofs, and flat surface roofs) also has a different roof attachment.

Types of Roof Attachments

• Tile Mounting System

This type of roof attachment system is designed to be used on new or existing tile pitched roofs using a structural method. It is commonly available in Flat, S, and W-shaped retro tile profiles. Usually, it replaces one complete roof tile, instead of drilling, cutting, or grinding the roof tiles. It requires multiple fastener holes in the base plate to attach the solar array into the roof rafter regardless of the flashing alignment. 

• Conduit Mounting System

The Conduit Mount Tile bracket directly hooks onto the tile to lift the electrical conduit off the roof surface. This kind of mounting system prevents the wiring from overheating. The roof attachment is usually compatible with Flat, S, and W-shaped tiles. Like the tile mounting system, it does not require drilling or grinding the tile. 

• Tile Hook Flashing

This roof attachment system is a stand-alone flashing that can be used with other third-party tile hooks. The flashing acts as a replacement to a complete tile, so there will be no cutting, drilling, or grinding of tiles needed. The flashing is available in three shapes that usually fit the most pitched roof slope tile profiles.

• CorruSlide

CorruSlide is designed to fit nearly any pitched slope corrugated metal roof profile. It uses an adjustable hinged mount that will be attached to the sides of the panel ridges, preventing water leakage from low roof areas. 

• SimpleSeal

SimpleSeal is engineered for solar installation on most pitched metal roofs. The roof attachment system has a cone-shaped EPDM rubber bushing that is ideal for the countersink of any compression bracket. The SimpleSeal bushing is compressed inside the bracket, fastened to the roof, and creates a watertight seal.

Key Takeaways

Not all roof attachment systems are ideal for all types of roof materials and structures. Some fit the sloping roof, others don’t. You also have to consider your roof type, if it is a comp shingle, corrugated metal, tile, membrane rolled comp, standing seam metal, etc., as it can affect the overall performance and durability of your solar racking system.