Skylight Leak Repair and Replacement

Why Skylights Leak

Most skylight leaks are not the glass. They come from the metal flashing around the curb, a dried out seal between the frame and the curb, or a valley of leaves piled up on the uphill side. Older plastic bubble domes also crack and turn yellow after years of sun.

Some drips are not leaks at all. Warm, moist air from a kitchen or bathroom hits the cold glass on a winter morning and runs down the frame. If it drips on dry days, it is probably condensation. We can tell the two apart on the first visit.

Reflash, Reseal or Replace

If the unit is sound, new flashing and new seals fix the leak. If the dome is cracked or the frame has rotted, we replace the skylight. When we replace one, we put in a new flashing kit made for that unit and that roof.

Some owners would rather lose the skylight. We frame the opening, deck it, and roof over it to match. The ceiling below gets patched by your drywall person or ours.

Skylights in Tile Roofs

On a tile roof the skylight sits on a curb, and the tile has to be cut and fitted around it. Water that runs down the slope has to be steered around the curb by metal pans under the tile. When those pans rust or the paper around the curb wears out, the leak shows up on the ceiling next to the skylight.

We lift the tile around the curb, replace the paper and the pans, and set the tile back. If the rest of the roof needs a tile underlayment replacement, it makes sense to do the skylight at the same time.

Older Homes With Old Skylights

Many 1970s and 1980s homes in Montclair, Upland and Pomona have the original bubble skylights. They let in heat all summer and they are near the end of their life. A new unit with a better glazing keeps the light and cuts the heat.