Have you ever been told your home is too old for roof-mounted solar? Or that your roof won’t support solar panels? Well, we’re glad to tell you that’s not entirely true.
You may have heard this from a solar company that doesn’t offer roofing services and wants to move on to its next prospect. But Neil Kelly Solar is different. Because we’re a division of one of the most trusted and experienced home improvement companies in the Northwest, we are fully equipped to replace, repair, or retrofit your roof before installing your rooftop solar energy system.
Here’s the deal: In the Portland area, almost all homes built before 1950 have conventionally framed or “stick framed” roofs. They have rafters supporting the slope, a ridge board at the peak, and ceiling joists creating a simple triangular structure. Between 1950 and 1970, builders began to construct roofs with the added structural support of trusses, which are essentially beefed-up triangular structures with cross beams and brackets. Then in 1973, Oregon’s new building code system required all new homes to be built with trusses.
Now, given that more than half of Portland homes were built before 1960, if your roof currently does not have the optimal structure to support solar panels (i.e. trusses), you’re definitely not alone.
With the help of our home improvement team, we’ll do the work to ensure that your roof is code-compliant to support solar, no matter how historical your home is.
In fact, with roofing and energy retrofitting plus a rooftop solar array, we were able to help a client reach Net Zero, or 100% clean energy, in a home that’s more than a century old.
So, whether your existing roof needs new strengthening rafters, braces, tension ties, or other structural retrofitting–or if you need a new roof altogether–Neil Kelly can make it happen. We’re proud to be one of very few contractors in the Portland area that provide roofing services in combination with solar energy services, making your project as efficient as possible. Plus, it’s all backed by our industry-leading 5- and 10-year warranties.
Ready to get started? Talk to a Neil Kelly Solar specialist about combining roofing and solar services. Schedule a complimentary solar consultation here.
