Don’t Let a Leaky Skylight Rain on Your Parade!

So you have a skylight on your roof and every time it rains, the buckets come out. If you live somewhere like Florida, you know that a leaky skylight is a hard problem to ignore. Perhaps you’ve hired a handyman to come take a look and they put caulk around the glass. That usually buys you time until the next big storm but it never lasts. The trouble with skylight repairs is repairmen overcomplicate the issue. You don’t need temporary fixes. The repair or replacement skylight should be installed thoroughly and match evenly with the trim work inside. What that means to you, as the homeowner or contractor, is getting to the problem as soon as possible. Don’t delay, because skylight work can be a hassle if the damage it’s caused has gone on too long.

Still, even if it has been awhile, there’s still no better time than now to have your situation resolved. A skylight replacement or repair comes with it’s complications, but it’s best to do the job right the first time and then you can forget about it and enjoy that extra source of natural light.

One thing you can do when you notice your skylight is leaking is check for the source of the leak.

Next time it starts raining inside your house, look up and see if you can spot one of these sources, but be careful: don’t let the water droplets fall in your eyes. It happens all the time.

Your typical skylight leak is going to show water coming from either, a) the trim, b) the glass, c) the ceiling around the skylight, or, d) one or more above.

In more extreme scenarios, some homeowners have filmed their skylight leaking with their phones in order to show their contractor. This can help determine the source of the water intrusion, but it’s certainly optional. If you cannot determine the source of your leak or capture it on camera, don’t worry. A professional should be able to inspect the situation closely even on the sunniest day and determine the source via water marks on the area in question.

Timing is everything when it comes to repairs. If your skylight leaked once, it can and will leak again. If it rains again and you don’t see the leak the second time around, it’s entirely possible the water has been diverted into the surrounding areas, sometimes the attic, and hasn’t shown up on the ceiling yet. Don’t wait for your skylight to leak a couple of times to determine whether or not you need to call a roofer. I know I don’t have to be telling you this, but trust me when I say, people always regret waiting. Because what happens is the water starts spreading and rotting out plywood and support beams.

Skylights can be intimidating to a lot of contractors. That’s why we see a lot of scenarios where somebody simply spread caulk around the glass, flashing, shingles or all of the above, assuming that would fix the issue. You want to hire a licensed professional who can confidently assure you peace of mind as a skylight specialist. Call Nassau Roofing if you’re in the North Florida area. We guarantee results that are better than temporary. We provide a reasonable, competitive warranty, and we can even repair or replace custom skylights. If you don’t live in our area, find a licensed specialist in your area today.