Newbie's Situation

[Robert Cohen]

A rank amateur, I should be reading Wikipedia initially, though I
shall state hereby the immediate problem situation anyhow.

House is 4 years old. It's on a slab. Has finished attic. All
electric. The shingled roof is too steep for an 64 year old amateur to
get onto. The house is about 2300 square feet.

Currently a back porch slab is framed for a "tin" roof.

We employed a skilled carpenter on reccomendation of neighbor.

He has other jobs, and so progress is slow and it's a hot miserable
summer for regular daytime work.

Thus, while waiting:

I had not previously thought of solarizing the new porch roof.

Only the frame and most of the cross ties are up, and I suppose solar
is a doable.

So, now I'm considering a solar something.

The tin roof idea is simply because the wife wants an ole fashioned
roof which sounds quaint in the rain, whatever that is.

The carpenter had recommended a "plastic" roof, though he did not tell
why.

I think I know why.

The 20 or so tin sheets are f'ing sharp, and so hand-wounding:

Caveat installer: WEAR GLOVES when merely stacking & handling 'em.

The slab porch is a small typical size.

I can't cite its measurements from present memory.

What to do?

I am thinking of my first solar water heater.

I've read how flexible and efficent solar cellls are getting nowadays,
such as the kind being made by a modified printing press in Germany &
Calif.

The porch faces north, and my house's setting is treeless pastureland
in middle Georgia, USA.

It's so warm outside currently that nobody half-sane would enjoy
cutting the lawn even with my garden tractor on a hot, sunny day.

Adding a water heater is curently the idea floating

So, I'lll be reading tips and discussions about such, at least until I
give up the idea about adding trouble and more expense which i think
is about $1700 parts 'n labor so far for the roof alone.

We could probably take back the hazardous tin to the fine folks at HD

[Tommy]

Go with the tin, It goes on fast. Your the customer, get what you want.
I have a gav-alum metal roof(a tin look alike), and love the old look.

Being a north facing porch, I would just make it a nice shady area,
maybe a summer kitchen. A roof mounted solar water panel should be on
the sunniest spot due south.

[wmbjk...@citlink.net]

On Sun, 20 Jul 2008 14:37:40 -0700 (PDT), Robert Cohen
<robt...@msn.com> wrote:

>I am thinking of my first solar water heater.

Web site with tons of project plans and info.
http://www.builditsolar.com/Projects/WaterHeating/water_heating.htm

I'm happy with the absorbers I purchased from this outfit
http://www.sunraysolar.com/absorber.php some years ago. Price was
reasonable, and they were very accommodating and pleasant to deal
with.

Wayne