roof question - Page 2

Posted by Jules on October 20, 2009, 4:19 pm

On Tue, 20 Oct 2009 14:49:17 -0500, HeyBub wrote:

> Seamus J. Wilson wrote:

>> I live in Phoenix AZ and I plan to install photocells on roof to help
>> environment.
>> My house is 11 years old with original ceramic tile roof. I know
>> ceramic tiles have very long life and problem is the limited life of
>> the underlay. Before the tiles are ripped out I would like to know
>> what the life of the underlay is for the hot desert. Some have said
>> ten years max. How do I assess the underlay life? Should I have the
>> underlay
>> replaced during the photocell install?
>> Thank you,
>> Seamus J. Wilson

>
> While Phoenix is a good location for solar power, be advised you will not
> generate as much energy as it took to manufacture the things in the first
> place.

I can believe it. I'd quite like to see something for all these
"green" solutions - PV panels, CFLs, wind turbines (the "home sized"
stuff, not commercial) etc. analyzing the real "cost" (materials,
processing, manufacture, shipping, disposal etc.) - I suspect a lot of
them do far more harm than good.

Heatpumps seem to genuinely work, so does solar heating, so does properly
insulating buildings - but I think there's probably a lot of horsecrap
technology out there, too. Very difficult to get past the political spin
to the truth though (and to recognise the truth is when you're told it :-)

cheers

Jules

Posted by dadiOH on October 20, 2009, 4:05 pm

Seamus J. Wilson wrote:

> I live in Phoenix AZ and I plan to install photocells on roof to help
> environment.
> My house is 11 years old with original ceramic tile roof. I know
> ceramic tiles have very long life and problem is the limited life of
> the underlay. Before the tiles are ripped out I would like to know
> what the life of the underlay is for the hot desert. Some have said
> ten years max. How do I assess the underlay life? Should I have the
> underlay
> replaced during the photocell install?
> Thank you,
> Seamus J. Wilson

They put ceramic tiles on roofs in Phoenix?

--

dadiOH
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Get it at http://mysite.verizon.net/xico

Posted by John Grabowski on October 20, 2009, 6:05 pm

>I live in Phoenix AZ and I plan to install photocells on roof to help
>environment.
> My house is 11 years old with original ceramic tile roof. I know ceramic
> tiles have very long life and problem is the limited life of the underlay.
> Before the tiles are ripped out I would like to know what the life of the
> underlay is for the hot desert. Some have said ten years max.
> How do I assess the underlay life? Should I have the underlay replaced
> during the photocell install?
> Thank you,
> Seamus J. Wilson

*When I worked in Southern California I saw a lot of tile roofs be installed
over hot mopped tar and paper. I inquired about the longevity of this type
of installation. I was told 50 years if the tiles are not disturbed.

I think that you should get the roof evaluated prior to the installation of
photovoltaic panels. It would be a shame to have to remove them in a few
years to replace the roof.

As others have mentioned I also question how much good to the environment
you will be doing. You certainly won't see a payback on this installation
for many years. A solar water heater makes more economic sense.

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