We were happy to set up Southland Solar and Home with everything they needed for a high-quality squirrel-proofing of a customer home near Pensacola, FL. Here’s some nice footage they took of the installation:
“The tools you sent over were a HUGE help on this tile roof job. We were able to give the customer a quality install that should protect his system for years to come.”
— Daniel Briggs, Owner, Southland Solar and Home
A couple aspects of this job made it unique:
- The PV array was over a Spanish tile roof, whose nooks and crannies require some extra work to seal completely.
- The PV array was positioned quite high above the tile roof, which is great for airflow and energy production, but requires an extra-wide piece of wire mesh fencing to seal off.
After consulting with Southland about the situation, we supplied the following tools and materials:
10″ Heavy Duty Wire Mesh
We went with 10″ mesh to ensure the ~8″ gap between tiles and PV modules could be filled, while leaving some extra material to bend into an L-channel. In the photo below, you can see how the wire mesh rises vertically from the roof, then makes a 90 degree bend under the solar module frame.
AG Bender modified for extra-large wire mesh
“The AG Bender came into play for the sides and the top edges. We made L bends on the sides to run the tile step-downs, L bends on the top tucked under the edge of the modules, and a chase on longer spans for added support.”
Creasing the mesh near where it meets the PV module frame gives it strength and stiffness in that area, preventing waviness. Because the stock AG Bender folding tool cannot create L-bends in wire mesh that large, we performed a simple modification to the tool allowing it to handle large rolls of mesh. Here’s video explaining that mod:
Wachtel Panel Cutter
“The biggest highlight for me was the panel cutter. That one tool easily saved several hours of cutting mesh by hand.”
To cut “waves” in the wire mesh so that it would match the peaks and valleys of the S-tiles, Southland used a Wachtel Panel Cutter to speed through the material. You can make these cuts on the ground or on the roof. On the roof, it’s possible to lay the wire mesh on top of the tiles they’ll be installed over, then make the cuts exactly where each tile peak is, so that the mesh lines up perfectly with the tiles– even over long distances.
SnapNrack Array Edge Screen Fasteners
“I was able to support the mesh by tying the bottom of the mesh into the lip of the tile step down and supporting the top of the mesh with a SnapNRack clip every 3 feet or so. This ended up being pretty strong and came out looking the best while also being a quick way to run those front edges.”
Slick Tools recently added SnapNrack’s clips to our wire mesh fastening options. They provide a secure grip, and while pricier than J-hooks, provide a far more secure grip for future serviceability of the PV array.
Hog Ring Gun and Staples
“I also liked the hog ring gun—though if you don’t have everything lined up just right, it can be a little tricky to use.”
The Hog Ring Gun creates durable connections between overlapping pieces of wire mesh.
If you’ve got a tricky critter guard job coming up, give us a shout! We often consult with homeowners and professional installers to find the best solution for them– whether or not it involves Slick Tools products.