UniSolar Shingles [RE-wrenches]

[Doug Pratt]

Jim,
  The Uni-Solar shingles MUST be mixed with standard shingles. You can't cut
them to length (well you could...but don't!). So you'll have regular
shingles at the ends, and probably on the courses above and below. They're
designed to interweave with standard asphalt shingles. They've got the same
12" depth as a standard shingle, and the same size of exposed tab, you can
even shoot them down with a roofing staple gun. You just have to have a 3/4"
hole up at the upper right corner for the wiring to drop thru.

  Before you get too deep in this project make sure that they're still
available. The shingles have been a real sales flop, and Uni-Solar has been
grumbling about discontinuing them. Another concern, with all the code guys
looking on, is their Class C fire rating. It might not be a problem out in
the country, but inside most city limits they won't fly, unless there's a
layer of regular Class A rated shingles under them (and then what's the
point?).

Best regards,
Doug Pratt


Jim Hartley wrote:

> I have no prior experience with this product but I have a probable
> client who has an interest in using the product.  These shingles would
> be applied onto a converted barn used both as living space and for the
> client's business operations.  The current roof is shingled but is now
> leaking in areas.  Re-roofing seems necessary at this point.  The barn
> is quite large and has far more roof surface than would be necessarily
> "power producing" or economically feasible in its entirety.  Hence, only
> a portion of the roof would end up being re-surfaced with solar
> shingling.  Happily, the roof has two very workable primary facets, the
> lower of which is an ideal seasonal average pitch for this area.  The
> roof is facing directly south across a quite large open farmfield
> protected from development for the next hundred years.  The upper, lower
> pitched facet would be better for summer.  The underside of the roof is
> presently fully exposed and readily accessible if somewhat high up from
> the current loft floor. This loft area is being considered for future
> finishing off. My question in this connection is multi-fold for anyone
> with experience using this product.  First, can you go over existing
> shingled surfaces or are we looking at removing what's there now and
> starting from scratch?  My thinking is the latter would be the case.
> The roof substrate is barnboard [planking], not conventional roof
> decking.  Secondly, can you successfully mix and match real shingles and
> these UniSolar shingles so that just a particular area of the new
> surfacing is occupied by the solar shingles?  Thirdly, who really should
> be doing the application?  In Illinois, roofing/re-roofing is only
> supposed to be done [officially] by licensed roofing contractors.  Since
> I have done roofing myself before I know this isn't always the case [I'm
> not a licensed roofer] but this situation will certainly draw some
> attention from the local code people. Assuming this is the approach one
> must pursue, how have roofers responded to using this product so far if
> anyone has faced this issue before?  Finally, what unknowns might we run
> into here?  I should note also this client has a very nice wind location
> and the overall project [should it prove financially workable] could
> prove to be something of a showcase thing since the client is fully open
> to public visitations.  For this reason it would be quite nice to have
> everything work out well. :-)
>
> Jim Hartley
> http://www.homestead-specialties.com
> Business Email: JamesHartley at homestead-specialties.com
> Direct Email: grail at inil.com
>

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