By Mike Wiener, Marketing Manager
Solar installers consider roofing material when deciding which mounts to purchase for each gig, but many pass on job opportunities due to unfamiliarity with certain types of roofs. A prime example of this is Stone Coated Steel roofs.
Stone Coated Steel roofs are known by a few other names such as stamped metal, metal tile, metal shingle, etc. and they are often overlooked as a viable roofing material for solar installations. Why? Well, we asked installers at the recent Intersolar 2022 trade show in Long Beach, CA why they haven’t installed on SCS roofs before and the consensus was clear…
While many didn’t know about the available mounting solutions, most simply didn’t know how they could work with the roofing material and haven’t considered it any further. There’s a goldmine of solar installations out there waiting to be claimed. Adaptable teams could take advantage of the gap in the market and open an entirely new line of income for their businesses if they only looked a bit further than they are currently.
Stone Coated Steel roofs are one of the easiest kinds of roofing material to install on after asphalt shingle, and certainly easier than installing on asphalt shingle with sheet metal flashing.
Roof manufacturers like Decra and Westlake Royal Roofing’s Unified Steel (formerly Boral) have guides on how to walk on their Stone Coated Steel roofs, it’s rather simple and not too different from walking on Spanish tiles. We also have our own handy guides below! The key is to step on where the panels are strongest, this is the same location regardless of whether there are battens beneath the panels or not.
Walk on the top of the horizontal overlap if the panels rest on battens, and if the panels are a direct to deck roof profile do the same! If you stick to these guidelines you’ll be walking on Stone Coated Steel roofs in no time!
Once you’re walking the walk you can talk the talk for install time. Let’s go over the most popular mounting solutions QuickBOLT has to offer.
We’re proud to hold title as THE go-to mounting supplier for Stone Coated Steel roof solar mounting solutions. Our most popular items are the direct result of working with roof manufacturers like Decra and Westlake Royal Roofing’s Unified Steel division.
Part numbers 17550 and 17612 are the SKU’s for our adjustable mounts designed for installation on SCS roof profiles with battens. Those part numbers include our industry leading mounting screws which feature innovations we brought over from our wood fasteners brand Quickscrews, with choices between 5/16” mounting screws and ¼” mounting screws.
Installation is simple once you’ve identified your mounting location. First you’ll start by removing the roof panel then locating the rafter. Next up you want to mark and predrill the hole for your mount. Place the mount over the batten first and make sure it snugly rests against the edge of the roof panel to ensure a proper fit when you place the other panel back into place. Fill the predrilled holes with a dab of sealant, then place the mount and drive screws to secure. Place the stone coated steel sheet back into place over the hook. Watch the installation video below for a visual guidance:
17628 and 17630 are the SKU’s for fixed height mounts designed for battenless (aka direct-to-deck) SCS roof profiles. The two parts offer a choice between 5/16” mounting screws and ¼” mounting screws.
The beauty in metal panels is that they can be placed firmly over solar mounting hooks without the need for notching or drilling through the roof material. With easy mounting installation, this market is ripe for roofers and solar installers looking to expand their services.
So, for the next homeowner you meet that has Stone Coated Steel roofing, say yes to that opportunity, and let the money start rolling in.
Learn MoreSponsored Content by QuickBOLT
Sean says
Sounds good on theory but who’s going to pull a four foot metal shingle with nails and it’s surrounding tiles in order to pull the each one tile.
mike says
Sean, so what is your alternative? Pull a tile, cut and caulk for a standard flashing/boot? That is a lot more work and the whole point of this system is to NOT cut into the metal shingles since doing so voids the 50 yr leak warranty Decra and Gerard provides with their roofs. So yes, as a home owner, I would require the job to be done right and if that means moving nails, so be it! Gerard sells essentially this same approach for a solar rail footing as part of their line.