The Boy That Cried PV Extension

[Mart]

Thanks Moxi. May sound weird, but I'm not great with heights nor ladders, but stick a harness on me, and I'm the first on the climb, or abseil etc.

Stood in the loft and taken some pics out the Velux and actually the pointing isn't as bad as I thought. So it's really a matter of removing and replacing the top cement.

What's good for me, is that there are panels with mounts and rails, on both sides of the roof making access and 'safety'(?) a little better. Not bad locations to attach straps. I have sprayed the chimney with weed killer in the past, but obviously losing that battle.



Quick snap of the gear I bought for ~£35,




[Really need to get a new carpet for the loft, that was a cheap end of roll I bought 25yrs ago after converting the loft.]

[spread-tee]

Nice one Mart, I see you have installed a new Feline automated panel cleaning system, I bet that was expensive, probably going to need ongoing maintenance as well

I agree with Moxi about your chimbley, get someone in to do it. Stacks are a lot bigger than they look from the ground, you can reach the top when standing on the ridge but the front and rear faces will be a stretch from a roof ladder. Looking at all that vegetation I would bet your flaunching is shot and needs replacing, while doing that you have to find somewhere for the pots to sit, you should rake out the joints quite deep too. All in all it involves shifting quite a bit of heavy stuff, and without some kind of working platform it would be quite dodgy in my view.
Not worth the risk to you and if you are going to do the job, may as well be done once and for all properly.

Desp

[openspaceman]

They look good well fired bricks compared with the soft stocks I have but if the joints are lime mortar it's best to repoint with something a bit more giving than portland cement.

[openspaceman]

Mart in your "low roof" picture did you make the brackets for the overhanging panels?

I aim to do something similar at my granddaughter's house but was thinking of bifacial panels so it was less dark under.

[Mart]

Mart in your "low roof" picture did you make the brackets for the overhanging panels?

I aim to do something similar at my granddaughter's house but was thinking of bifacial panels so it was less dark under.

Yep. My father had a friend who was an 'iron man'. He made the garden rails for us, part seen in the very first picture. So I asked him to make up the brackets so that the canopy panels would match the pitch of the low roof panels.

Got some pics here,








Obviously times have moved on now from 2011, but the cost for 4, galvanised, with 12 threaded rods, nuts and a tube of resin fix was ~£100. Oh, and a selection of pre-drilled holes for mounting panels with 800mm centres.

[Mart]

Thanks for the advice on the chimney guys. Might just do a recce for now then, clean out some plants and add weedkiller. Then get it done properly.

[openspaceman]

Obviously times have moved on now from 2011, but the cost for 4, galvanised, with 12 threaded rods, nuts and a tube of resin fix was ~£100. Oh, and a selection of pre-drilled holes for mounting panels with 800mm centres.

Seems very reasonable but the price would be double now I suppose

[Moxi]

Wouldn't be as aesthetically pleasing as Marts but you could put the bits of the brackets together from Unistrut and if you shop around the bits can be had quite reasonably.

Moxi

[openspaceman]

Wouldn't be as aesthetically pleasing as Marts but you could put the bits of the brackets together from Unistrut and if you shop around the bits can be had quite reasonably.

Moxi

Yes that was the plan before I saw the welded and galvanised ones at Mart's.

Has anyone views on using bifacial?

Also I intend to have the panel rails running down the joints between to make then rain tight.

[Mart]

Also I intend to have the panel rails running down the joints between to make then rain tight.

Only a temporary fix, but one I've used since 2011 (is that temporary?), is to use greenhouse glass repair tape*. It's clear and extremely strong, so I put a strip over the joint to stop rain.

It's temporary in the sense that it slowly degrades in the sun. Doesn't tarnish, but eventually tears/splits, lasts perhaps 3 or 4 years, but I'm still on the original roll.

*That term Googled should find lots of suggestions, or similar products - essentially, very strong (and clear) sellotape.