[RE-wrenches] Flashed Footing Requirements

Peter Parrish peter.parrish at calsolareng.com
Fri Jun 25 09:16:57 PDT 2010


I have seen the same thing happen with unprotected Oatey, and I wouldn’t
personally use them on a vent stack - out in the open. On the other hand, I
have seen petroleum based caulk (which 90% of our roofers still use out here
in CA) shrink, crack and pull away from the pipe/flashing countless times.
In fact our site surveyors are instructed to take pictures of these
situations (and cracked tiles, crappy satellite dish installs, etc.) and
present the pictures to the customers BEFORE we begin our install. Usually
they thank us and ask that we repair what we think needs attention.

Which leads me to the opinion that PV integrators are a bit like
proctologists: we perform an essential service inspecting roofs for clients.
Roofs are typically something that the average homeowner doesn’t understand
and almost never inspects him/herself. I have seen all sorts of refuse
(sheet metal, left over tile pieces, piles of solidified mortar, buckets of
Henry’s, trowels, etc.) left on the roof.

-          Peter

Peter T. Parrish, Ph.D., President
California Solar Engineering, Inc.
820 Cynthia Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90065
CA Lic. 854779, NABCEP Cert. 031806-26
peter.parrish at calsolareng.com
Ph 323-258-8883, Mobile 323-839-6108, Fax 323-258-8885

When I was on the roof taking measurements for the proposed array... I found
the oatey flashing on a 1 1/2 sewer vent. The metal was still there, but
only a few pieces of the rubber were left. It had been leaking down along
the pipe into the wall for years. This is what got me to thinking those
rubber flashings may not be as great as I had assumed they were.

Since we were putting up an array, it was a no brainer to have the aging
roof replaced first, along with the flashings. The comp was 20 years old.

Todd


Peter Parrish wrote:
Let’s see. “25 years out in the sun”. Did the roof last the 25 years? If
it didn’t, why weren’t the Oatey flashings replaced as part of the re-roof
at $4 a pop?

But I digress. All the flashings on a normal, well-designed are UNDER THE PV
ARRAY. No UV, no rain, but some extra heat, no doubt. My wag is that Oatey
flashings as part of a PV array will outlast most of the roofs they are
designed to protect.



Peter T. Parrish, Ph.D., President
California Solar Engineering, Inc.
820 Cynthia Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90065
CA Lic. 854779, NABCEP Cert. 031806-26
peter.parrish at calsolareng.com
Ph 323-258-8883, Mobile 323-839-6108, Fax 323-258-8885


  _____

From:  <mailto:re-wrenches-bounces at lists.re-wrenches.org>
re-wrenches-bounces at lists.re-wrenches.org [mailto:re-wrenches-bounces at lists.
re-wrenches.org] On Behalf Of Nick Soleil
Sent: Thursday, June 24, 2010 3:33 PM
To: RE-wrenches
Subject: Re: [RE-wrenches] Flashed Footing Requirements

Aloha Wrenches:
    Do you add a rubber boot to the top of the Oatey Flashings.  Do you
think the Oatey Solar Flashings, which utilize a rubber boot, will stand up
to weathering below an array.

Nick Soleil
Project Manager
Advanced Alternative Energy Solutions, LLC
PO Box 657
Petaluma, CA 94953
Cell: 707-321-2937
Office: 707-789-9537
Fax: 707-769-9037


  _____

From: Todd Cory  <mailto:toddcory at finestplanet.com>
<toddcory at finestplanet.com>
To: RE-wrenches  <mailto:re-wrenches at lists.re-wrenches.org>
<re-wrenches at lists.re-wrenches.org>
Sent: Thu, June 24, 2010 2:34:29 PM
Subject: Re: [RE-wrenches] Flashed Footing Requirements



I have seen 25 year old oaty flashings rot out in the sun too. I think
caulked L-feet is a more long lasting solution to roof mounts.

Todd


Blair May wrote:
Whats wrong with doing it right the first time? Flashing is the only way to
insure that you don't have to use that liability insurance & that the
install is water tight. I would speak to the inspector & try to work out
proper flashings installed in the future & see if he will waive the removal
& replacment of the exisiting installs.
Welcome to my world where we loose jobs regularly to other installers that
do not use proper flashing methods.
Yeah it does increase the cost, but the install should have a life cycle of
25 years.
-----Original Message-----
From: re-wrenches-bounces at lists.re-wrenches.org
[mailto:re-wrenches-bounces at lists.re-wrenches.org] On Behalf Of Nick Soleil
Sent: Wednesday, June 23, 2010 8:10 PM
To: RE-wrenches
Subject: Re: [RE-wrenches] Flashed Footing Requirements
Who can help:
    One of our local jurisdictions, City of Petaluma, is beginning to
require flashed footings under all solar arrays.  I think that some flashed
footings are better than the Unirac L feet or Prosolar's TileTrac foot, but
the flashed footings cost a lot more $, and some flashed footing products
seem flawed (less watertight)  They are asking me to uninstall two
commissioned systems from last week, and replace the footings with flashed
Fast Jacks, even though the documents detailed the penetration method.
    I am looking for some good info that supports flexible installation
methods, including caulked footings.  Our industry has come a long way from
the early days of racking on slotted angle iron with steel L-brackets for
feet, but those experiences tend to give me confidence in continuing to use
caulked footings.
Nick Soleil
Project Manager
Advanced Alternative Energy Solutions, LLC
PO Box 657
Petaluma, CA 94953
Cell: 707-321-2937
Office: 707-789-9537
Fax: 707-769-9037



 yy







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--

Todd Cory


KE6SXS

 <mailto:toddcory at finestplanet.com> toddcory at finestplanet.com

Mt. Shasta Energy Services


License C-10  #811428


P.O. Box 689


Mt. Shasta, CA. 96067

(530) 926-1079

“I'd put my money on solar energy...I hope we don't have to wait till oil
and coal run out before we tackle that."
∞ Thomas Edison, in conversation with Henry Ford and Harvey Firestone,
March 1931








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Todd Cory


KE6SXS

 <mailto:toddcory at finestplanet.com> toddcory at finestplanet.com

Mt. Shasta Energy Services


License C-10  #811428


P.O. Box 689


Mt. Shasta, CA. 96067

(530) 926-1079
“I'd put my money on solar energy...I hope we don't have to wait till oil
and coal run out before we tackle that."
∞ Thomas Edison, in conversation with Henry Ford and Harvey Firestone,
March 1931
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