Each year, thousands of Arizona residents email or call Rosie Romero’s radio show with questions about everything from preventing fires in their chimneys to getting rid of tree roots invading their sewer system. His goal is to provide answers that suit the specific lifestyle wherever someone lives in Arizona.
Q: I’m interested in having a solar electrical system built on my roof. But I’m wondering what experience the solar industry has had with birds that try to nest under the panels. I have a sloped roof. Would it be harder for nests to be built in that situation?
A: Most of the time when birds try to nest under solar panels, it’s usually in the case of flat roofs. Generally, a frame is put up to deter birds from nesting. In addition, there are wire-mesh devices that can clip onto solar panels to keep doves and pigeons out. Plastic bird netting can be used as well.
Q: I have a foam roof on my home in Tucson and my air conditioner is on top of that roof, along with my ductwork. The ducts that come down into the house have been insulated with foam as well. But recently, my roof has sprung a leak around the air conditioner. Roofers have told me that to fix the leak, I have to take off the entire foam roof. Why can’t I just take off one section of the foam and then patch that area with new foam? The roofer says I can’t because new foam won’t stick to the old.
A: I can understand what you’re trying to say, and actually it does seem as if you should be able to do that. However, if the elastomeric coating that is on top of the foam has been sunburned, it might be impossible to get the foam patch to stick. You should get a second opinion on your situation from a qualified, experienced foam-roofing company.
Q: Does a person who climbs up on your roof to inspect the damage need to have a license or do they have to have some kind of certification? In other words, can my neighbor go up and inspect my flat roof to tell me what is wrong and where my leak is coming from?
A: Obviously, anyone can go up on your roof to check out what’s going on, and that person doesn’t need a license or certification. But I wouldn’t send just anyone up there; you need a licensed contractor who has a significant amount of experience. For one thing, flat roofs are tough to troubleshoot, because water can travel from one spot on a roof to another to leak into your house. Although walking around on a flat roof can be easier, one misstep on a sloped roof can lead to a fall or other injury. And sometimes just walking on a roof can do quite a bit of damage.
Keep in mind that if there is a problem on a roof that needs fixing and that fix requires $1,000 worth of work, then the repair has to be done by a company licensed by the state registrar of contractors.
About Pigeon Patrol:
Pigeon Patrol Products & Services is the leading manufacturer and distributor of bird deterrent (control) products in Canada. Pigeon Patrol products have solved pest bird problems in industrial, commercial, and residential settings since 2000, by using safe and humane bird deterrents with only bird and animal friendly solutions. At Pigeon Patrol, we manufacture and offer a variety of bird deterrents, ranging from Ultra-flex Bird Spikes with UV protection, Bird Netting, 4-S Gel and the best Ultrasonic and audible sound devices on the market today.
Voted Best Canadian wholesaler for Bird Deterrent products four years in a row.
Contact Info: 1- 877– 4– NO-BIRD (www.pigeonpatrol.ca)