Solar Installation on Rosemary & Plain Tiles — Hook Mat Tile Protector
The shock-absorbing rubber tile replacement that eliminates breakages, removes the need to cut tiles, and cuts installation time on flat tile roofs by up to 70%.
The Challenge With Flat Tile Solar Installation
Rosemary tiles and Plain tiles are two of the most common roofing materials on UK domestic properties.
They are also two of the most difficult to work with for solar installation.
Rosemary tiles in particular are handmade, small, and brittle. Under the localised pressure of a roof hook, they crack. That can happen during the installation itself, or gradually from the vibration the system generates over its operational life.
The traditional fix is to cut tiles around the hanger and cover with flashing. It is slow, it creates waste, and it still does not fully protect the surrounding tiles from pressure damage.
The Hook Mat was built specifically to solve this problem.
What Is the Hook Mat?
The Hook Mat is a shock-absorbing rubber tile replacement for solar installations on flat tile roofs.
Instead of cutting around the roof hook, the installer simply removes one or two tiles at the fixing position and replaces them with a Hook Mat. The hanger sits on the rubber mat rather than directly on the tile. Pressure is absorbed. The surrounding tiles are protected.
It works on both Rosemary tiles and Plain tiles, fits all standard roof hooks and hangers, and requires no cutting tools, no flashing, and no specialist skills at the tile stage.
Key Features
Up to 70% Faster Installation on Flat Tiles
Cutting tiles around a roof hook is a time-consuming precision process. The Hook Mat removes that step entirely. Remove the tile, place the mat, fit the hook. It is faster, cleaner, and produces a better result than any cut-tile method.
No Tile Cutting Required
The Hook Mat replaces the tile rather than working around it. There is no cutting, no flashing, and no dressing required at the hook position. The surrounding tile course is left completely undisturbed.
Fewer Breakages, Fewer Callbacks
By preventing the roof hook from making direct contact with the tile, the Hook Mat removes the primary cause of cracking at the fixing point. That means fewer broken tiles during installation, less risk of pressure damage developing over time, and significantly fewer callbacks.
Built-In Spare Tiles
Because the Hook Mat replaces tiles rather than working around them, the tiles it displaces become spares. On any job where incidental breakages are a risk, having matching tiles immediately to hand is a practical benefit that costs nothing extra.
Universal Fit for Rosemary and Plain Tiles
The Hook Mat is designed to fit all Plain and Rosemary tile profiles without modification. One product covers the full range of flat tile roofs encountered on domestic solar installations across the UK.
100% Recycled Crumb Rubber
The Hook Mat is manufactured from crumb rubber, produced by processing end-of-life vehicle tyres diverted from landfill. The material is springy, flexible, UV-stable, and durable enough to last the full service life of a PV installation. It will not degrade, compress, or lose its protective properties over time. It is also a straightforward sustainability point to communicate to environmentally conscious clients.
Supplied in Boxes of 14
Hook Mats are supplied in boxes of 14, designed around the realities of a typical flat tile solar install. The box size is practical to carry on site, and the quantity is calibrated to cover a standard domestic job without excess.
Technical Specification
| Material | 100% recycled crumb rubber |
| Tile compatibility | All Plain and Rosemary flat tiles |
| Mat dimensions | [CHECK] |
| Box quantity | 14 per box |
| Installation method | Direct tile replacement |
| Hook compatibility | All standard solar roof hooks and hangers |
| Installation speed | Up to 70% faster vs cut-tile method |
| Environmental | Manufactured from recycled end-of-life tyres |
Installation Overview
Remove the tile or tiles at the intended hook position.
How to Fit the Hook Mat
Place the Hook Mat into the tile course in their place. For most fixing positions, one mat is sufficient. Where the hook sits at a course junction or additional support is needed, a second Hook Mat can be placed underneath or to the side of the primary mat.
Fit the roof hook through the Hook Mat as normal.
No cutting, no flashing, no specialist tools required.
Photo Gallery
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HOOK MAT Video
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Trade Pricing & Availability
Available to trade accounts in boxes of 14.
Contact the team for volume pricing, product samples, or technical support.
Related Products
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you install solar panels on Rosemary tiles?
Yes. Rosemary tiles are a type of flat tile that presents specific challenges for solar installation due to their small size and brittle handmade construction.
The Hook Mat makes Rosemary tile solar installation straightforward. By replacing the tile beneath the roof hook with a rubber mat, the hanger never contacts the tile directly, preventing cracking during installation and throughout the life of the system.
How do you stop tiles cracking during solar installation?
The most reliable method is to replace the tile at the hook position with a Hook Mat.
The rubber mat absorbs the bearing load from the hanger, protecting adjacent tiles from both the initial installation pressure and the ongoing vibration that causes cracking to develop over time.
Do you need to cut tiles to install solar on a flat tile roof?
Not with the Hook Mat. The cut-tile method is the traditional approach, but it adds significant time, creates waste, and still leaves surrounding tiles vulnerable to pressure damage.
The Hook Mat eliminates the need to cut tiles entirely.
Is the Hook Mat compatible with all flat tile types?
The Hook Mat is designed to fit all Plain and Rosemary tile profiles without modification or adjustment.
How many Hook Mats do I need per fixing point?
In most cases, one Hook Mat per fixing point is sufficient. Where the hook sits at a course junction, or where additional support is needed, a second Hook Mat can be placed underneath or to the side.
What is the Hook Mat made from?
100% recycled crumb rubber, produced from end-of-life vehicle tyres. It is flexible, UV-stable, and engineered to last the full service life of a PV installation.
Trade Pricing and Availability
Available to trade accounts in boxes of 14.
Contact the team for volume pricing, product samples, or technical support.