If you currently own a home or building with a sprayed polyurethane foam (SPF) roofing system and would like to install a PV solar system, there are a couple of ways this can be done, however the best way is to re-spray the areas where the solar standoffs have been installed with SPF. Some solar installers or spray foam contractors may want to use a liquid urethane which comes in a can and uses a hardener for the urethane to solidify. If your foam roof has no warranty left on it, this would be the least expensive way to go and you wouldn’t need a foam roofer. If your foam roof has a warranty, the first thing you’ll want to do is contact the contractor who installed your roof and holds the warranty. If your solar installer starts putting penetrations into a roof with a warranty, the roofing contractor will void the warranty. It’s also possible that the contractor holding the warranty will use the can of urethane and complete the warranty terms with you if the roof doesn’t need a re-coat for the next 5 years or so. The best way to make sure of the continued performance and longevity or your foam roof is to spray in the roof penetrations and re-coat at that time. Your foam roofing contractor should offer you a whole new warranty and this is the proper way to install solar stand offs. The difference in pricing by using liquid urethane and spray foam would be anywhere from $650.00 to $2,200.00. A big gap yes, but one requires a foam machine & crew and the other only requires a can of urethane. Again, the depends on where you are in the warranty cycle. For more information, please contact me directly and we can discuss your best options.
Gus (925) 433-1192