[RE-wrenches] Flat Tile Roofs

[Parrish, Peter]

I have tried a number of "hooks" or "flashings" and I always come back to using the ProSolar "Tile Track" product. Go to www.prosolar.com.

Here is my approach:

Basically you remove the tile in question, drill your pilot hole into the roof (at a rafter of course). Then you need to attach the tile track assembly using the supplied SS lag screw and a liberal application of Sika 1a caulk or equivalent. There is a "slider" assembly that allows you to offset the 3/8" SS threaded rod (which becomes the support for the racking) up to +/- 6" laterally from the lag point. Lightly lock the threaded rod in place. The you need to drill a clearance hole (1/2") in the concrete tile for the 3/8" threaded rod. This takes some care because it sets the tile in place and you want to have the locking drip edges match up. You don't need to be so exact with the hole placement up and down the pitch of the roof, so long as you are consistent. Once you like the location of the rod and tile, take the tile off and tightly lock down the rod and put the tile back in place. Check one last time that the rod is tightly locked in place before continuing on. You can even use a pair of nuts to lock the rod tightly after the tile is in place. I then add a generous amount of caulk around the annular gap in the tile, drop a SS washer down onto the caulk and lightly snug a SS nut in place.

This may sound like a lot of work, but once you get used to the routine, it goes pretty smoothly. I like the fact that there is only a 1/16" gap around the rod to seal, and using a good polyeurathane caulk and washer/nut combo.

You can buy the Tile Track assemblies with different length rods, for flat concrete tile and S-tile.

I find that the hook approach requires cutting notches in the tile to create relief so that the tile in question can lie flat. All in all it seems that the hook approach is more work and doesn't lock the tile in place as accurately.

The Tile Track approach really works well on 1-piece S-tile, permitting you to place the threaded rod at the top of the S-tile "curve", making it shed water quite effectively.

- Peter Parrish

College of the Canyons
Alternative Energy Department 



From: re-wrenches-bounces at lists.re-wrenches.org [re-wrenches-bounces at lists.re-wrenches.org] on behalf of Mac Lewis [maclewis1 at gmail.com]
Sent: Monday, April 01, 2013 4:33 PM
To: RE-wrenches
Subject: [RE-wrenches] Flat Tile Roofs


Hello wrenches, 


I am looking for advice on specifying appropriate mounting for a flat concrete tile roof.    Its a flat, concrete tile roof.  I don't know how variable flat tile roofs can be.  Will any flat tile hooks work with all flat tile roofs?  Has anyone found a great solution for tile roof mounting?


Thanks



-- 







Mac Lewis


"Yo solo sé que no sé nada." -Sócrates