Three Huge Reasons To Convert To A Metal Roof When You Install Solar

Easy Installation is Just the Beginning

Solar power is a popular home upgrade in the Seattle area, but few homeowners pause to consider the best type of roof for their installation. They don’t consider how the panel mounts will affect their roof or what can happen from the reduced exposure to the sun and wind.

At RoofSmart, we consider everything. After careful study of all types of roofs and all sorts of solar panel mounting systems, we’ve concluded that your best answer is to convert your roof to standing-seam metal for solar roofing.

With a metal roof, every problem caused by roof-mounted solar panels is either solved or made irrelevant. We should know – we’re the top metal roof installer in Seattle since 2011. Nobody else even comes close.

Here are the three biggest reasons we believe converting to metal roofing is the only way to go when adding solar power to your home.

Panel Mounts That Don’t Destroy Your Solar Roof

You’ve probably seen solar panels on your neighbors homes, but have you ever wondered how they are held in place?

The mounting systems used to place solar panels on shingle roofs are secured with bolts that run straight through your shingles and into your attic space. You know what that means: holes. That can mean dozens of opportunities for water to leak into your home.

While solar installers make an effort to seal these holes, the chance of having 100% success for the life of the roof is small, even if they do everything the right way. And let’s face it, not even all roofers know right from wrong.

Our stance is that the best hole is the one that doesn’t exist.

With a standing seam metal roof, the rack system for your solar panels is clamped to the seams.

No muss.

No fuss.

And no holes!

With a standing-seam metal roof, the only hole you’ll have is the one that the power lines pass through – and then, only if necessary.

The "Swiss Cheese" Effect

Most solar installers are great at electrical work, but they aren't roofers. To them, your roof is just a mounting bracket. They will drill 40, 50, or even 80 holes into your brand-new shingles to secure the racking.

Even with the best flashing, you’re betting that 80 different tubes of sealant will survive 30 years of Seattle expansion, contraction, and freeze-thaw cycles. At RoofSmart, we think that’s a bad bet. Our standing-seam metal systems allow us to "pinch" the roof rather than pierce it. No holes. No leaks. No worries.

The Lack Of Sun And Wind Doesn’t Matter

Mold, mildew and moss all love dark and quiet places to grow. Modern solar panels mount close to the roof surface, blocking the sun and most of the wind from your roof’s surface.

You can’t get much quieter and darker than the space under today’s solar panels.

If you climb up on any non-metal roof in the Seattle area to look under the solar panels, you’ll find sizable colonies of moss, mold, or mildew enjoying the good life. 

And where you have moss and the like, you have moisture and possibly even standing water, which slowly eats at your roof’s integrity. It’s like installing a tree branch to overhang and shade your roof. It will likely fail far earlier than it otherwise would.

With a metal roof, there’s little for spores to grab onto.

But even if they do manage to get a foothold on your roof, it won’t matter. The metal sheathing we use for standing seam roofs is impervious to organic wear and will last basically for life with minimal maintenance.

Metal Roofs Never Need Replacing

This is the big one that homeowners don’t consider. They’ll gladly spend around $10,000 to install solar panels that are good for up to 32 years (at best) on a 10 to 20-year-old shingle roof with maybe another 10 to 20 years of life left in it.

What happens when it’s time for a new roof?

Well, you’ll have to pay your solar company to come out and uninstall and stack the solar system in your yard while your new roof is installed. If they’re still around. Then, once the roof is completed, you’ll spend another $10,000 to install your old panels on the new roof. And that’s at today’s price!

But, if you convert to a metal roof first, you’ll likely go through two generations of solar panels long before your roof even hints at trouble.

And, of course, your roof will look amazing! Forever!

The Math Doesn't Lie

Here is the "Nerd Note" your solar salesperson might skip: If your shingle roof is 12 years old today, it will be dead in 8 to 10 years. Your solar panels will be in their "prime" at year 10.

To replace that roof, you’ll have to pay a solar crew to dismantle the system, store it in your garage, wait for us to roof, and then pay them to put it back. You’re essentially paying for the solar installation twice. Converting to metal now isn't just an upgrade; it’s an insurance policy against future labor costs. Check our Metal Roofing Pricing Guide to see how the numbers stack up.

Planning Ahead Can Save You Thousands

If you are considering solar, base your plans on what could happen rather than what you hope will happen. It’s almost certain that you’ll have to replace a shingled roof during the lifetime of your panels. Seattle weather finds any weakness in your roof, and solar creates plenty of those.

It’s a guarantee that moss and mold will colonize the areas under your panels. And it’s likely that your roof will fail early as a consequence.

So, even if you install both together, the chances are still high that you’ll end up uninstalling and reinstalling your panels at least once, and at great expense.

But if you convert to metal, you’ll never have to touch your roof again – saving you thousands of dollars just from never having to move your solar panels.

If you are thinking of adding solar to your roof in the Seattle area and want it done properly, call the Standing-Seam Experts and Meticulous Roofing Nerds at RoofSmart for a free assessment.