When to Install Solar Roofing Panels

If you’re already having roof work done, it’s a great time to install solar roofing panels. Since you’ll already have a roofing crew working on your roof, it will be convenient to do installation work at the same time. Also, it’s best to have any issues with your roof addressed before installing solar panels.

Solar roofing can increase your home’s efficiency and generate serious savings on your energy bills. However, It doesn’t help your home to add solar panels to a damaged roof. If your roof is in poor or damaged condition, has structural issues, leaks, or is getting old, your investment in solar roofing won’t go as far, and could actually create more problems for your home. When you deal with existing damage first, you’ll know your solar roof will be well supported and set up to be as efficient as possible.

Best Time of Year for Solar Roofing Panel Installation

Thinking about solar roofing panel installation, but are not sure about the timing? The best time of year for solar is actually the spring. Even though we typically associate solar and sunshine with summertime, there are a few reasons spring offers the best days for solar energy generation.

Pleasant Weather

Installing solar roofing panels requires exposing the roof deck, so it’s best to complete this process in dry weather with no snow or inclement weather. During the spring, the weather is progressively more dry and sunny, creating ideal conditions for roof work and a pleasant environment for the roofing crew.

Optimal Angle

The angle at which the sunlight hits your roof and solar panels, also known as angle of incidence, should ideally be 90 degrees for optimal panel efficiency. The angle of the spring sun hits panels just right about April/May, meaning your panels have the chance to capture a lot of energy during this time. Panels can be tilted to capture most of the sun’s direct rays throughout the year, which is calculated by your home’s distance from the equator and the tilt of the earth.

Cooler Temperatures

Although summer would seem like the season with the most solar generating capacity, the heat of the season can actually decrease panel efficiency. Solar panels work by converting light from the sun into electricity but are most effective on cooler days with plenty of light. For this reason, some of the best days for your solar panels will be in late April or May when there’s a lot of sunlight but not the heat of summer.

Less Shade

During certain times of the year, parts of your roof are more shaded than others. Many homes are built to capitalize on the sunlight in the spring, which is welcome while the seasons are transitioning, and be more shaded during the summer to keep it cooler. Depending on the way your home is situated and other shade-generating objects near you, your solar panels may spend more time in the shade during summer months, which can affect panel efficiency. 

Perfect Timing

When you install solar roofing panels in the spring, you’ll have more sunny days in your first year to start seeing a difference in your energy savings. When you invest in solar technology, you’ll start saving right away and can expect those returns to increase year after year.

If you’re considering solar roofing panel installation, it’s a good idea to make plans for springtime when you’re already addressing your roof. However, if you want to install solar roofing panels at another time, you can still enjoy energy savings at any time of the year.

Thinking that solar roofing panels might be right for you? Let the Werner Roofing team know! We’d be happy to come to inspect your home, let you know what your options are, and what you might expect to pay based on your goals.

Hire a Licensed Gutter Contractor

When hiring a seamless gutter contractor, make sure they are properly licensed to work in your state. Different states have different requirements for licensing contractors, which means not all contractors are licensed equally. You’ll want to make sure your gutter contractor is qualified to work in your state, on your type of project, and check their references to make sure. Choosing the right seamless gutter contractor can mean the difference between having to pay more to fix a mistake and getting the job done right the first time. 

Make Sure Your Gutter Contractor Has Insurance

A good seamless gutter contractor should carry two types of insurance: General Liability and Workman’s Compensation. General Liability insurance protects you if anything goes wrong on the job site, and Workman’s Compensation protects you from having to pay medical bills if anyone gets injured installing your new gutters. Seamless gutters are cut onsite to be custom fit to your home and then installed. The process involves precision machinery and working at heights where a fall or improper handling of materials could lead to serious injury. When it comes to insurance, you have to go by Murphy’s law — anything that can go wrong will go wrong — and be protected in case it does. 

Find a Reputable Seamless Gutter Contractor

It’s important to work with a gutter contractor with a great reputation. You should always check references when hiring a seamless gutter contractor — from others they’ve worked for, and even worked with. If they are known for high-quality work in the community, you can trust they’ll work hard to live up to their reputation. When comparing contractors, follow up with their previous clients to make sure their work has held up and the customers were satisfied with the way the job was completed.

Work With a Local Gutter Contractor

When you work with a local gutter contractor, you work with someone who understands the area and has worked on homes like yours in the past. They are familiar with the specific climate of the area and know what homeowners like you need from their gutters. They’ll have all the information they need to install gutters that will last a long time and stand up under any weather event.

Find a Gutter Contractor With Quality Workmanship

Contractors know that if something goes wrong, they are often the first to blame, so they make sure to choose products they trust to work well and help them look good. A good gutter contractor will stand behind the materials they’re using and the methods they use to install them. They will choose products they trust to do the job right and stake their word that the product will hold up. When the job is complete, you’ll have beautiful seamless gutters installed with workmanship you can trust.

Hire an Experienced Seamless Gutter Contractor

Your seamless gutter contractor should have extensive experience installing gutters. While a new contractor may know what they’re doing, there’s something that comes with years of experience on the job that helps things go smoothly with no surprises. An experienced gutter contractor will understand your concerns as the homeowner and will work with you to help you get a product you will love. They will go above and beyond to make sure the job is done to your satisfaction and help you get the most out of your new gutters. You’ll know you can rely on your experienced seamless gutter contractor to help you maintain your gutters and keep them working for you year after year.

If you’re looking for gutter contractors to install or repair your home’s gutters, get in touch with the Werner Roofing team. We’re a trusted local resource with years of experience installing and maintaining a variety of gutter types. We’d be happy to help you, too.

How Often Should Your Velux Skylights Be Cleaned?

Your skylights should be cleaned twice per year to remove any dust, dirt, or debris so they can continue to work efficiently. You should also inspect all skylights annually to make sure the seal is sound and all parts are functioning well. You can clean and inspect your skylights yourself, or, if you’d rather save the hassle and the climb up and down a ladder, have a professional take care of maintenance for you.

How to Clean Velux Skylights

Cleaning your Velux skylights is a simple process. Rain will naturally remove dirt from the exterior of your skylight, but it should still be inspected regularly to check for any buildup of debris. To clean the interior of your Velux skylights, follow these six steps. Make sure you have a friend help you if you’re using a ladder.

Step 1: Use a sturdy step stool or ladder that won’t slide on the ground to reach your skylight. Don’t ever stand on chairs or other furniture.

Step 2: Fill two buckets with warm water and add a mild cleaning solution to one of them. You can use a glass cleaning solution recommended by the manufacturer, or mix 1 cup rubbing alcohol and ¼ cup ammonia with 7 cups of water. Never combine this solution with other cleaning chemicals.

Step 3: Start by spraying the window with soap and water and let it soak to loosen debris and dust. Using a cloth, wipe the dirt from the window.

Step 4: Using a clean cloth and the warm water bucket without cleaning solution, wipe down the window again, rinsing away any leftover debris and cleaner.

Step 5: Follow up with a squeegee, moving in even and overlapping paths. Wipe the squeegee clean after each pass.

Step 6: Finally, dust and wipe interior frames with a clean microfiber cloth.

As a bonus tip, to limit the chance of streaks, avoid cleaning your Velux skylights when the sun is shining directly through the window. If your skylight has a screen, you can remove it and spray it with water to remove any dirt. Let it dry completely before reattaching.

While cleaning your skylight, if you come across difficult spots or deposits like tree sap or paint, you can use a razor blade to gently remove them. Be careful to only use the blade in one direction to avoid scratching the window. Never use abrasive cleaners to spot clean as they could damage the glazing on the window pane.

Now that you know how to clean Velux skylights, your home will be brighter than ever. If you’d rather not deal with the hassle of cleaning or inspecting your Velux skylights, you can always schedule a visit from your local professional roofing company. They have the experience to complete regular maintenance quickly, the know-how to check your skylights thoroughly, and the equipment to get the job done safely.

Is it time to clean your Velux Skylights? Forget worrying about climbing up on the roof or wrangling with those windows at a height — let Werner Roofing handle them for you. We can help you clean your skylights, and perform an inspection of your roof while we’re at it. Get in touch for your free, no-obligation estimate.