How do you locate the rafters on a roof when starting a solar installation? Ideally without needing to remove tiles/slates.

Top tip: Always start by locating the pins fixing the sofit to the roof. These pins are usually fixed into rafters so this will tell you where they are. Measure the distance between pins/rafters if you can't do so internally. Rafters will be spaced 400, 450 or 600mm apart.

A solar installer has made a helpful video here.

The easiest, fastest and most accurate option.

Using a Bosch D-TECH 200 to detect wood up to a depth of 38mm-80mm. It's as easy as scanning the roof area where you think the rafter should be, pass a few times and draw an X in the centre.

These are approximately £700 each but can also be hired from the SolVe shop on a weekly basis (Coming soon).

Video

About Bosch D Tect 200

Bosch D-TECT 200 demo

If you are a regular solar installer - this is the tool to use.

The most common method. Removing a tile or slate to expose the rafter, marking the tile above/below and measuring out from there.

Simple method but can be a pain on slate roof or not possible when tiles cannot be removed.

If you have access to the rafter internally, you can have a coworker assist you by calling out the rafter location internally and/or placing a metal strip onto the rafter so that even a cheap metal stud detector will give an accurate reading.

NOTE: Check that the rafters run straight to the top of the ridge. Once you have found the sofit pins and measured the width apart, the rest should become second nature with practice!