{"id":68088,"date":"2023-01-12T08:53:58","date_gmt":"2023-01-11T22:23:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/?p=68088"},"modified":"2026-02-27T13:32:47","modified_gmt":"2026-02-27T04:02:47","slug":"solar-raked-ceilings","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/solar-raked-ceilings\/","title":{"rendered":"Installing Solar Panels with Raked Ceilings: Challenges and Solutions"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Solar

Spot the screws poking through…<\/p><\/div>\n

They say that happiness is directly proportional to ceiling height.<\/p>\n

Having grown up in a substantial c.1875 stone house, with ceilings closer to 4 metres than the standard suburban 2.4 metres, I can attest to the extra space offering some comfort – even if it’s just lower temperatures during hot summers.<\/p>\n

I guess it’s not surprising then that the seventies and eighties saw more than a few places built with raked (or cathedral) ceilings to make them feel less cramped. Like mission brown colour schemes, oil-burning heaters and olive green roofing, raked ceilings have faded. Trends in building now favour square set corners, ducted air conditioning<\/a> and appliance white everywhere, probably because it’s cheaper.<\/p>\n

Why Do Solar Installers Hate Raked Ceilings?<\/h2>\n

I’ll try to explain the reluctance of some solar installers to tackle pitched or flat roofs with vaulted ceilings and exposed structure. It need not be a deal breaker and in some instances, a minor ceiling repair will suffice.<\/p>\n

I don’t think I’ve ever encountered a roof I can’t put solar panels on, however that might have been because I was pretty willing to push what I could do, and the framing we had to use at Solar Depot<\/a> was very<\/em> adaptable. It gave you choices of where to put screws that weren’t dictated by panel placement.<\/p>\n

With that said, raked ceilings with exposed rafters can be a pain in the backside, no matter what frame you use.\u00a0 Not just because wiring often has to be run externally in conduit, which can be aesthetically challenging. The real issue is raked ceilings are very thin structures.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"Raked

The “unventilated space” leaves precious little room for insulation and no room for error when driving screws into the rafters. image credit National Construction Code<\/p><\/div>\n

While construction detail varies, generally the rafters are exposed as a feature, so the ceiling goes on top and then the battens\/purlins are fitted to carry the roof cladding. When you’re on top of the roof, finding the right place to put substantial fixings in can be difficult.<\/p>\n

Despite my best efforts, I will admit I have once driven screws through the roof and embarrassingly had a row of them come out through the lounge room ceiling. In that instance, we got away with cutting them off flush and putting a dab of white paint on to cover up the mistake, but even that was a mission.<\/p>\n

\"fake

This delightful mess shows an original 1970’s feature that has been covered up. The gold air conditioning duct now sits on top of a conventional flat ceiling. However, with some wall missing, you can see highlighted the real structure above the decorative raked ceiling.<\/p><\/div>\n

Some installers just put raked ceilings in the too-hard basket along with asbestos, steep pitch, tin tiles, slate, and retired electrical engineers. A good solar installer will still be able to cope with any of these challenges, but they won’t be found at the cheap end of the market.<\/p>\n

It’s also worth mentioning that some raked ceilings aren’t what they appear. You may have a conventional roof with conventional rafters supporting standard purlins\/battens, which makes installation easy enough because the actual ceiling is below the rafters and has decorative “rafters” fixed on the very bottom.<\/p>\n

\"a

Mid-century modern with cutting-edge white paint. This certainly isn’t a vaulted ceiling in the Sistine Chapel sense. Image Credit: Solar Depot<\/em><\/p><\/div>\n

Have A Raked Ceiling? I Recommend Two Things:<\/h2>\n