How to fix a leaking skylight
Updated: Sep 8
A leaking skylight is no fun.
Here are a few things we might do following your skylight inspection, to repair and maintain your skylight.
You might notice your skylight is leaking when it rains or only in certain winds, you may even discover leaves and debris on the floor.
In our experience these are the five common fixes for a leaking skylight.
1. Replace the Flashing
Flashing's are metal/lead/membrane installed specifically to prevent projecting roof elements from developing leaks around their sides. Quality metal flashing needs to be installed around the skylight to keep it from leaking. Unfortunately, even the best flashing is prone to wear out much sooner than other roofing elements, especially by the beach.
2. Check room ventilation
Without enough ventilation warm air will flow up freely from inside the house. When it touches the acrylic dome or pane of glass, condensation can result. Often in homes it is seen by way of single glazed windows in winter “crying”, or dropping water providing the opportunity for mould to grow. Check out Auckland Skylights mechanical ventilation options for the home.
3. Pitched Skylight In Low Pitch Roof
A common issue we find is pitched skylights requiring 15 degree minimum pitch of roof, being installed into a low pitch roof below 15 degrees. This requires the right type of skylight to be installed into the home.
At Auckland Skylights we can provide solutions that do not require you to invest in the expensive process of reframing the light well to install a standard off-the-shelf product including plastering and repainting the ceiling.
4. Replace the Weather Seals or Glass
Weather seals provide a waterproof barrier to further support all the elements that keep your roof leak-free. If your skylight is leaking, the weather seals may have aged and peeled thanks to exposure to the intense sun. In some instances the glass may have fogged between the glass like below example from Auckland Skylights Limited inspection visit.
5. Replace the Skylight Itself
Skylight replacement is necessary in any case where there are cracks in the frame, glass or dome. A weathered frame, or cracked glass or dome may be the reason your skylight is leaking if you have had an intense storm. Small hailstones often cause chipping or tears in acrylic domes. Minor damage can grow worse over time, and then one direct hit from a larger stone may cause a crack. Or in the case of domes, cracks formed in storms can grow quickly to cause the dome to be ripped off the roof from intense winds. We can do insurance assessments.
Is your Skylight more complex than a standard repair?
Architectural Skylights, large custom systems, multiple skylights and recurring leaks can require a more detailed investigation.
When replacement can run into thousands of dollars and on some projects approach or exceed $100,000 understanding whether the existing system can be successfully repaired or modified can be extremely valuable
Reachout to the team at Auckland Skylights Limited
Call us on 09 440 9820, or email brighterspace@aucklandskylights.co.nz or click here to send us a contact form.
