Why does my roof leak after solar panels were installed?

Solar mounting brackets are usually bolted through the roof slab or sheet, creating new penetrations. If installers don't properly seal around each bolt and bracket base, water tracks down the bolt shaft or under the bracket foot during rain.

Can solar panels be installed without drilling into the roof?

Ballasted mounting systems that sit on weighted frames without penetrating the roof exist, but most residential and commercial installs in Ghana use bolted mounts because they're cheaper and more wind-resistant — which makes proper sealing at each penetration essential.

How do you fix a leak around a solar mount?

Each penetration needs to be sealed with a waterproofing collar or fillet, typically using fleece-reinforced polyurethane around the bracket base, rather than just caulk or sealant alone, which degrades faster under direct sun.

Should solar installation and waterproofing be coordinated?

Yes. The best outcome is waterproofing the roof first, marking penetration points, then having the solar installer work with a waterproofing contractor to seal each mount properly — not leaving it to the electrical team alone.

Roof Leaks Around Solar Panel Mounts in Ghana — Causes and Fixes (2026)

September 14, 2026

Roofs commonly start leaking after solar panel installation because mounting brackets are bolted through the roof without the penetration being properly sealed. Water tracks down the bolt shaft or under the bracket foot during rain — a problem that gets worse, not better, over time as bolts loosen and sealant ages.

Why Solar Mounts Cause Leaks

Most solar installers in Ghana are electrical specialists, not waterproofing specialists. Their focus is getting the array securely mounted and wired — the roof penetration is often sealed with a bead of silicone caulk around the bolt, which is not built to survive Ghana's UV index of 11+, roof surface temperatures up to 75°C, and repeated thermal expansion and contraction of the metal bracket against the roof material.

Caulk-only seals typically fail within one to two rainy seasons. By the time a leak shows up on the ceiling below, water has usually been tracking in for months.

The Correct Fix

Each mounting point needs a proper waterproofing detail, not just sealant:

Clean and prepare the area around the bracket base.
Apply a fleece-reinforced polyurethane collar around the penetration — fleece bridges the movement gap between the rigid bracket and the flexing roof surface far better than caulk alone, handling cracks up to about 3mm versus roughly 0.3mm for standard film.
Extend the membrane beyond the bracket footprint so water is shed away from the penetration, not pooled against it.
Re-inspect annually, since bolted mounts can work loose slightly over time as the structure expands and contracts.

Coordinate Before You Install

If you're planning a solar installation, waterproof the roof first and mark out the planned mounting layout so penetrations go through a fresh membrane rather than an aging one. If solar is already installed and leaking, we can retrofit proper sealing around existing mounts without removing the panels in most cases.

Warranty Note

Our waterproofing carries a 3-year workmanship warranty and 3-year manufacturer material warranty, with a 20-year design life on the membrane. Sealing work added around third-party solar installations is scoped and quoted separately after inspection.

Get a Leak Diagnosed

Book an inspection at festghanalimited.com/pages/book or call 0555 548 001.

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