Solar Panels on Slate Roofs

Why slate needs more care

Slate is thin, brittle and fixed with nails rather than hung on a nib. Anchors have to be placed carefully and the slate dressed or replaced around them. A rushed job on slate shows up as cracked slates and, eventually, water ingress.

The Leeds context

Much of the older housing here is back-to-back and through terraces, interwar semis, and substantial newer estates to the north and east, with Welsh and Westmorland slate on the older stock, concrete tile on post-war housing. Leeds back-to-backs often have a short, steep roof plane, so panel count is usually limited by roof area rather than by budget.

Fixing detail

Anchors fix to the rafters, with the slate above dressed over the bracket or replaced with a lead soaker. Done properly there is no reliance on sealant to keep the water out.

Age and condition

Old slate can be sound for decades more or can be at the end of its life with failing nails. A survey should include a genuine assessment of that, because it changes the sequencing of the whole job.