If you have skylights on your roof and have been noticing any leaks or water damage, this post is for you because those skylights are likely the cause of your problems. We find that skylights are the root of a lot of ceiling and drywall problems because water seeps in through the cracks and down your ceiling and walls.
Signs That You Need to Repair Skylights
There are many warning signs that you to repair or replace your skylights. If you are unable to get up on your roof (please be careful if you do!) you won’t be able to tell until the problem has begun to appear in your home. These signs include:
- Discoloration of the window
- Water stains on your ceiling
- Drywall damage
- Mold growth
- Drops of water from the skylight
Mold Growth Caused by Skylight Leak
Why Get Your Skylights Repaired
A leaky skylight can end up costing you thousands of dollars in repairs to the interior of your home and potentially ruin some household items if the leak is near a TV, computer, piano or anything that you wouldn’t want to get wet. Some homeowners insist that they can fix the leaks themselves by placing caulk or some other sealant in the cracks. That may work for a few weeks, but after that the seal will break again and you will be back on the roof continuing to waste your time, energy and money. If your skylight is leaking, it needs to be professionally repaired or replaced to ensure that your problem is solved for years down the road.
How You Will Know that You Need a Skylight Repair
When you get any work done on your roof, you should always ask the craftsman to take pictures of what he finds to show you before the work begins. Obviously we can’t have you go up on the roof with the craftsmen, but he would be more than happy to take pictures and explain to you what your problem is and what the course of action should be.
ProMaster Installed Skylights
When You Should Get Your Skylights Fixed
If you have been experiencing any of the problems mentioned in this blog or the video, the time to get your skylights repaired is now! With spring fast approaching (temporarily at least, this is Ohio) now is the time to get your skylights fixed. Get a professional up on your roof before we get any more rain! To get your skylight repaired by one of our master craftsmen call ProMaster Home Repair and Handyman at 513-724-0593, visit us on the web at www.MasterMyList.com and as always, we’d love to be your friend on Facebook, keyword “ProMaster Craftsmen.”
Of course, only an expert can understand perfectly about Skylight repairing.
I've been in the home reno/home repair business for years. I've see it all. Beleive it or not, I carry a product call Fleaxseal that is used to stop leaks fast. And let me tell you this stuff really works. I always keep a couple of cans in my truck. A must have for every tool kit. give it a go and tell me what you think.
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Why can’t you be in CT!!? I would hire you!!
will homeowners insurance cover these problems? I am dealing with a liaky sky light. I am planning to replace my roof including the skylight within 60 days.
Shane-
It can depend on so many factors as what an insurance company will pay for. As a rule of thumb, we typically see insurance companies only pay for damage that is acute. That is, a storm or some other abnormal event caused damage to a roof that in turn, led to a leak. Water damage or wood rot that develops over time as a result of poor maintenance or normal “wear and tear” is not normally covered. But every insurance company is different and so is every situation. So if you think the damage is going to be significant enough… and you think it resulted from an event covered by your policy, you should have a conversation with your agent to figure out if it makes sense to initiate a claim. Good luck!!!
Don
Can you please explain how bad it would be to seal/cock around the sunlight?
Some techs are telling me that the leak is due to it being cocked so the water is unable to drain through the pinholes around the skylight.
Other techs are telling me that I need to replace the shield because it has been cocked around it.
Thanks so much!
Janice-
This depends a lot on the setup you have. In general, yes, caulking over the weep holes is a bad idea. They are in place to allow any condensation or moisture to escape the window should that window leak. However, we often see that windows are simply poorly manufactured… and even if they are installed and sealed correctly, they leak. In this case someone may attempt to caulk or seal additional parts of the window that were not originally intended just to combat a leak. The other thing to keep in mind is that water may not be coming from the window itself. We often see a leak originating from somewhere above the window, then it simply exits in the window region–thus masking itself as a window leak. I would call a professional home repair company that specializes in troubleshooting water intrusion problems. You can also ask if they work with a home inspection who has a thermal imaging camera… so they can trace the source of your water problem before conducting expensive diagnostics.
My husband and I are looking to put a offer in on a house with skylights. There is water damage on the ceiling around the skylight. The realtor said that the owners will pay to fix it. Clearly the ceiling will need to be replaced and unsure of mold yet. Do we ask to have the skylights just removed or to fix them. We live in Northern Wisconsin so I’m worried that due to frost and ice that they will leak every spring. Any advice? Should we make sure we pick the roofer to make sure its done right? Is this something we are going to have to deal with every so many years like a roof? Thanks!
Katie-
You have 3 options:
1. Replace all the skylights. (Most expensive)
2. Roof over the skylights. (Less expensive and won’t leak)
3. Attempt to repair the existing skylights and flashing. (Least expensive but least likely to last).
I would steer you towards option 1 or 2… depending on if you like the skylights and can accept the fact that even new ones are likely going to leak again in 15 to 20 years. If you don’t care to have the skylights, roof over them and be done with it.
Since the seller is paying, they may want to explore “option 3.” Don’t do it. Few people are good at repairing skylights… and any attempt to “fix” them is temporary, at best.
Don
Yeah, Skylight repairing must be performed by the experts. Thanks for posting all the related information about skylight repairing.
I have 3 inches of snow on the roof,the temp. is about 20 degr. Far, it is Sunday. How do I stop the leak now from the inside?
Winfield,
Great question. Unfortunately, unless you can get the snow off the roof from where it is leaking, you can’t stop the leak. Sounds like the underside of your roof is melting the snow and allowing it inside, or you might have an ice dam that has formed. If you can physically remove the snow, toss some snow melt up there.
Don