Just spoke with the lead of the Tesla team that did my install a few weeks ago. He said they had not received the new underlayment at that time but I got the impression they are using it now. Said they made the switch for two reasons: 1. They do not need to overlap and can put it down in single ply; and 2. It has a texture on it to allow them to move around easier. I think we had guessed the second reason. The first one probably saves them some money and may give a more uniform look on top of it. Asked about the "no residential use" issue. Will post any response there.
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Solar Roof Installation Tips
- Thread starter MXDogCrate
- Start date
Thanks for all the research here. Slight bend in the story again.
The sub showed up only to collect his gear and supplies after stating they would install the underlayment. Tesla showed up shortly after with a crew of six saying they would take over. This team is only here to install the underlayment.
Spoke to the crew chief(not our PM) regarding the underlayment. He stated that he thought the FT was UL rated and would take a closer look at his spec sheet.
Called FT Synthetics. The fellow I spoke to said the FT COLBALT FR is not the Colbalt Ultra. The FT COLBALT FR is a Tesla specific product and is UL-rated. I should have figured out that the FR means fire rated.
The sub showed up only to collect his gear and supplies after stating they would install the underlayment. Tesla showed up shortly after with a crew of six saying they would take over. This team is only here to install the underlayment.
Spoke to the crew chief(not our PM) regarding the underlayment. He stated that he thought the FT was UL rated and would take a closer look at his spec sheet.
Called FT Synthetics. The fellow I spoke to said the FT COLBALT FR is not the Colbalt Ultra. The FT COLBALT FR is a Tesla specific product and is UL-rated. I should have figured out that the FR means fire rated.
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From other thread...
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Our Lead was not on site today. Bummer. He definitely knew what he was talking about. I’m a process person and I definitely prefer solid institutional knowledge on the project.
Progress.
Progress.
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Normally an installer would need a reason to put on 2 layers but they don't really tell us what that reason was.. perhaps waterproofness? The Firestone underlayment is specified to install only 1 layer to get the class A fire rating which allows Tesla to be UL compliant right? So someone made the decision to install 2 layers using the 'half & half' method which worked very well to keep things waterproof. Then someone else decided, without giving reason, to only install one layer of the China brand which is expected to have better traction.
The issue with the "No residential' for the Firestone is the manufacturer specifies it is for no residential use and as an underlayment for metal and it is within the UL family. So Tesla has likely been forced to switch to the China brand and experiment with underlayments as displayed on the Electrek house. Also notice they used 2 color tones of generic unmarked underlayment which is likely not FR rated and only a single layer. Then above it appears the Firestone is 2 layers thick. Also, the underlayment was installed without any exposed nails. I think that is because the system uses the underlayment as a primary covering as it is exposed to some of the elements (water & air) during the life of the solar product.
The issue with the "No residential' for the Firestone is the manufacturer specifies it is for no residential use and as an underlayment for metal and it is within the UL family. So Tesla has likely been forced to switch to the China brand and experiment with underlayments as displayed on the Electrek house. Also notice they used 2 color tones of generic unmarked underlayment which is likely not FR rated and only a single layer. Then above it appears the Firestone is 2 layers thick. Also, the underlayment was installed without any exposed nails. I think that is because the system uses the underlayment as a primary covering as it is exposed to some of the elements (water & air) during the life of the solar product.
marty2112
Member
We have the same Tesla branded underlayment. Current roof install in progress now. Sticky as hell and a pretty cool fabric/material.
Attached a few in progress pics.
Attached a few in progress pics.
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Marty2112...Thanks for posting your pictures. We’re at the same point in our project. Your roof is going to look great! Keep posting pictures!
These guys really work hard. The last two days they’ve arrived at 7:45am and leave around 6:00pm. Tonight the crew left at 5:40pm then returned 50 minutes later. They had seen a forecast for 10% chance of rain and they came back to cover a small exposed area.
marty2112
Member
Officially Day 4....Crazy busy! Crew is amazing and making great progress. I love all their attention to the details. They have a few extra guys that are new, so stressing safety and "measure twice, cut once" approach.
PW was installed earlier this year, so that's a positive.
We also are replacing all our windows so it is truly controlled chaos...loving it.
PW was installed earlier this year, so that's a positive.
We also are replacing all our windows so it is truly controlled chaos...loving it.
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Looks like a lot of progress. Also good to see that everyone is wearing a harness. I heard subs can get dropped for not wearing them on a Tesla job.
And BTW, that is the nicest looking garage I have ever seen. So clean and neat. And the PW blends right in.
Wow. This is going to be so pretty when done. The little black section above the window and shutters really blend in nicely
Marty...your roof is looking great! And your garage! Sadly, my garage looks like the opposite. We need more storage...or less stuff. Probably less stuff.
JBoy210, our tear off crew were mostly not harnessed. I’m glad they’re wearing harnesses. We’re only one story and not very high off the ground. Honestly, watching them yesterday, I was thinking, “If he falls, he’s swinging back right through the front window. He might have been better off allowing our landscaping to break his fall.”
They are placing most of the non-solar tiles first. The completed section you see has no solar at all. The designers said the area was too small.
A little worried about how shiny the roof is going to be.
This is a great crew.
JBoy210, our tear off crew were mostly not harnessed. I’m glad they’re wearing harnesses. We’re only one story and not very high off the ground. Honestly, watching them yesterday, I was thinking, “If he falls, he’s swinging back right through the front window. He might have been better off allowing our landscaping to break his fall.”
They are placing most of the non-solar tiles first. The completed section you see has no solar at all. The designers said the area was too small.
A little worried about how shiny the roof is going to be.
This is a great crew.
I started here asking for tips, but now I’ll give one:
Scan, scan, scan your driveway and street gutters for nails, screws and large staples lest you want to replace your car tires. We’ve had two nails in our Model X previous to this project and both times Tesla has said the tire cannot be repaired due to the weight of the car.
It’s become an early evening ritual with a cocktail. Scan and sip.
Scan, scan, scan your driveway and street gutters for nails, screws and large staples lest you want to replace your car tires. We’ve had two nails in our Model X previous to this project and both times Tesla has said the tire cannot be repaired due to the weight of the car.
It’s become an early evening ritual with a cocktail. Scan and sip.
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I started here asking for tips, but now I’ll give one:
Scan, scan, scan your driveway and street gutters for nails, screws and large staples lest you want to replace your car tires. We’ve had two nails in our Model X previous to this project and both times Tesla has said the tire cannot be repaired due to the weight of the car.
It’s become an early evening ritual with a cocktail. Scan and sip.
The guys on our team ran a magnet sweeper like this one around the perimeter, driveway, and even lawn areas every day. It did a pretty good job getting most of the excess screws and nails. But I still ended up picking up a 1/2 coffee can full at the end of the project.
Another thing to check is your gutters before and after the first rains. There were a lot of screws and metal scrapes that get washed into the gutters.
MXDogCrate and Marty2112
Curious, do you know if your design document stated Firestone underlayment? Do you know if the design documents submitted with your permit application was changed to state FT COLBALT FR? Does anyone know if that even matters?
I know my design documents still all say Firestone underlayment.
Curious, do you know if your design document stated Firestone underlayment? Do you know if the design documents submitted with your permit application was changed to state FT COLBALT FR? Does anyone know if that even matters?
I know my design documents still all say Firestone underlayment.
I'm not @MXDogCrate or @marty2112 (I think adding @ to their ids will tag them), but like you, my design document identifies Firestone underlayment. My guess is that all that really matters though is that the purchase agreement contract states "Your Solar Roof IS warranted against leaks for 25 years by the Provider".
marty2112
Member
No mention of the type of underlayment. My contract and design were signed back in February....
marty2112
Member
Agree. The magnet roller is always full at the end of the day...
We walk around the house every night picking up stray nails, screws, metal clipping. The crew does a good job cleaning each afternoon, but they can't get them all. Always make sure the driveway is clear.
Someone must like Johnny Cash!
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Sorry to go a bit off-topic, but your garage looks great - what is the brand of your wallmount cabinets and toolchests? Hanging cabinets are plentiful, but I've been looking for wallmount drawer toolchests, which are hard to find...
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