True Value Solar - no value, just structural damage

competitions on 10/12/2013 - 08:44

True Value Solar review

Summary: don't

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s7qa6TVkoI0

Signed up in late August. Contractors installed solar system on Wednesday 27th November.

Panels were not one of two brands the sales person stated in an email would be used, (ranked 112th compared to a ranking of 3rd in a German study) but that is the least of my concerns.

What started as an exciting project for me has quickly turned into a nightmare. I wish I had never considered going with True Value solar.

Roof truss or rafter?

I went into the roof space on the 3rd December to have a look at the workmanship and noticed one of the fastening bolts/screws had caused a split along almost the entire rafter/truss length. Cause: no pre-drilling* before driving in fasteners with a "rattler" power tool

http://oi39.tinypic.com/4uxt8x.jpg

http://oi39.tinypic.com/kb4vgl.jpg

http://oi42.tinypic.com/281r8lt.jpg

http://oi39.tinypic.com/257p341.jpg

On the same truss/rafter, it appears the installer realised the damage caused as that particular truss/rafter is the only one where a fastener wasn't screwed in further along the length, probably knew doing so would cause the entire rafter/truss to collapse.

http://oi43.tinypic.com/xmv2ic.jpg

  • Quick research revealed that hardwood is supposed to be predrilled and 5cm, not 8cm bolts used as a precaution against cracking.

True Value use their own (non SunLock) tile bracket system, however procedure to fix to rafters would be the same across tile bracket manufacturers to protect from hardwood damage.

From the SunLock manual:

To prevent splitting the timber, pre-drill the screw holes at an inward facing angle.

This is especially important for hardwood rafters.

Tile brackets are supplied as standard with 90 mm timber roofing screws, which supply the required 80 mm embedment in softwood rafters.

For hardwood rafters, the embedment can be reduced to 40 mm (i.e. use at least a 50 mm screw, or longer if you have any packers between the tile bracket and the rafter).

Good article from the the National Federation of Roofing Contractors Limited in the UK on fixing solar panels to timber rafters:

http://www.google.com.au/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web…

As the trusses/rafters were not predrilled and used the same length fasteners, it's conceivable that more trusses/rafters will crack, ie - if they have been weakened by the fasteners.

I sent True Value Solar photos and an email on the 3rd December to their [email protected] email address and no response from them so far.

However, the contractor didn't turn up or contact me on the 4th December to connect into the mains switchboard as arranged last week.

In addition -

Panels not in alignment:

http://oi39.tinypic.com/2d6qhjb.jpg

Tile brackets not straight:

http://oi43.tinypic.com/2ed1u77.jpg

A true sign of a company is how they deal with issues they have caused. As of the time of submitting this review, True Value themselves have not acknowledged the email I sent, nor started to fix the issues.

Update:

On Friday 6th December the original installer Tony arrived unannounced wishing to commission the system. I attempted to have a discussion about the rafter however Tony was unable to be calm and he stormed off stating he was not going to commission the system. All I want and am entitled to is my roof to be in the same condition it was prior to True Value Solar doing their install.

7th December 2013. Had a different installer and the original offsider (Angus) turn up at 5PM unannounced who wanted to commission the system and fix the rafter with the use of 'no more nails'. Week-end not being convenient, I asked them to come back during the week. Agreed on Monday morning, however after looking at the technical data sheet for no more nails, it states:

"PRECAUTIONS

Not suitable as a structural laminating adhesive or where structural loads are concentrated."

Given TVS contracted installers are apparently electricians, I refer back to my original email to them:

"I would like this rafter replaced at your cost by a qualified builder of your choice to at least the same undamaged condition it was prior to the install, prior to final payment on the install being made."

8th December 2013. Had a look at other rafters and found fastners coming out the side, splitting wood. Found three damaged tiles.

http://oi40.tinypic.com/5yb58o.jpg

http://oi43.tinypic.com/o0dz45.jpg

http://oi41.tinypic.com/1y5swm.jpg

http://oi42.tinypic.com/1zwzw3t.jpg

I'm extremely disappointed that a project that at the outset was exciting has turned into a nightmare, due to incompetence, then a denial of responsibility by Tony the first installer and finally by no response at all or acceptance of responsibility from True Value Solar management, with whom I signed the contract.

Monday morning is now over. No sign of TVS and no call from them.

Turned up at 15:45 with the aim of 'fixing' the truss/rafter however I explained to them that that was not going to occur until I get a response from True Value Solar to my emails.

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Comments

  • pax on 10/12/2013 - 08:55
    +1

    Damn that is bad form.

    You'd want to be considering your legal position if you don't hear from them soon.

    Do you know if the people who did the work are TVS employees or sub contractors?

    Pax

  • Mikinoz on 10/12/2013 - 09:03

    Did you get a chance to take photo's or inspect prior to installation?

  • Baysew on 10/12/2013 - 09:04
    +1

    What a nightmare ! It looks like you are not alone with your opinion on this company.
    True Value

    • Mikinoz on 10/12/2013 - 09:10

      Wow that was an amazing read, the only positive comments look like sockpuppets/reps

  • [Deactivated] on 10/12/2013 - 09:23
    +1

    We got ours installed by the same company early last year. Luckily my old-man checked the roof tiles thereafter and replaced the 2 - 3 damaged tiles as a result of the installation.

    The company also failed to list out the steps involved in getting the system on the powergrid (apparently, after the install, you need to call your service provider ASAP and lodge paperwork such that they can send someone out to confirm; then change your tariffs). We didn't do this for 5 mths thinking that everything was ok - and lost all of our power-generation credits once we realised that no credits were showing on our bills…

    • pax on 10/12/2013 - 09:26

      Good thing to know, as we are going to consider solar when we move into our house.

  • bigticket on 10/12/2013 - 13:00

    "Quick research revealed that hardwood is supposed to be predrilled and 5cm, not 8cm bolts used as a precaution against cracking."

    Firstly, I think you mean mm above not cm. and I assume these are 50x100mm rafters.

    Secondly, the workmanship appears to be poor from the pics.

    The article you reference above is not talking about splitting the rafter along the longitudinal centerline as shown on your pics. It is referring to splitting along the 50mm centerline. i.e. using a 8mm instead of a 5mm fastener, especially without pre-drilling, is going increase the likelihood of a split along the 50mm centerline.

    Now to the nitty gritty, in my opinion, and I am sorry to say this, it appears that your rafter had a pre-existing flaw that revealed itself after the the installation of the fasteners. The fasteners have 'pushed' the rafter apart when the flaw was reached.
    You can check this by noting that the fasteners have not penetrated the lower part of the rafter significantly, but merely pushed it apart.

    Also note that I am not affiliated with True Value Solar in any way.

    • competitions on 10/12/2013 - 14:08

      I guess you failed at maths. 50mm = 5cm and I mean length. The article I reference makes no definition of where the splitting may occur. You are surmising what you want, but usually a split will occur along the grain of the wood, as has occurred. I suspect one of the fasteners caused a small crack, then his subsequent driving in of fasteners split it open. I've seen the rafter in question up close and can see no evidence of an existing fault, but can see plenty of fasteners that came out the side of that and other rafters causing damage. In any case, the lack of taking 5 to 10 seconds to pre-drill hardwood (as any handyman would know) is bad enough but this incompetent also couldn't drive fasteners in straight, resulting is breakage out the side of other rafters. In summary, ensure you use someone who knows what they are doing - I wish I had seen a video like this before they accessed my roof space.

  • apmacfam on 10/12/2013 - 20:31

    Repost this on Whirlpool, you might find support there.

    http://forums.whirlpool.net.au/forum/143?&g=371

    And there are numerous threads about True Value Solar

    http://forums.whirlpool.net.au/forum/?action=search&q=True+v…

  • r2160 on 11/12/2013 - 08:12
    -1

    Time to talk to the Department of Fair Trading and the media.

    You didnt get the advertised panels. They have damaged your property on installation.

    Go after them!!

  • FirstNameLastName on 08/03/2015 - 14:17

    Would like an update if you have time to write one.
    Did you have home insurance.. if so did they assist?

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