WHO REPAIRS SKYLIGHTS?
Skylights can end up costing you a lot more money than you anticipated.
Though a skylight may offer a unique window into your home, if you don’t maintain it, you’re giving a direct pathway for water leaks, insects, and animals into your home.
We can tell how to avoid the particular and huge costs associated with unfixed broken, cracked, or improperly installed skylights.
Let’s take a look at how
Skylights are a valuable asset to any home – roof lights allow for maximised natural light within a room, increase ventilation, and can make any space appear larger than it actually is.
Skylights are light-transmitting structures that are installed in roofing panels and come in a variety of shapes, sizes, and styles. Most homeowners install skylights to give their homes more exposure to daylight and added air circulation.
When a skylight becomes damaged, the entire roofing system is vulnerable, and the interiors of your home may not be protected from the outdoors. This can lead to skylight leaks and drops in your property’s energy efficiency.
These vulnerabilities can come from:
- Improper skylight installation and repair.
- Lack of maintenance.
- Build-up of debris.
- Damaged or worn flashing.
- Impact damage from falling debris or precipitation.
- Unique damage to specific skylight options.
When any of these are the case, your skylights need to be repaired immediately before they affect other parts of your roof or interior space.
But who repairs skylights?
It depends on the type of damage and types of skylights you own. Let’s take a look at who repairs specific skylight challenges.
Improper Skylight Installation
Improper skylight installation can lead to water leak damage or a decrease in your property’s energy efficiency which will ultimately cost you more money annually. Repairs of this type need to be handled by professional roof contractors.
We here at Sydney Roofing and Gutters are fully licensed experts on all things roofing, so please don’t hesitate to call our trusted team for advice on fixing your skylight installation.
Build-Up of Debris
The build-up of plant or rock debris puts added pressure on the structure of your skylight and this can lead to spaces forming between the borders of your skylight.
Depending on the type and amount of debris and the structure of your property, you may be able to safely remove the build-up.
If this isn’t possible, please call a professional for proper skylight cleaning.
Damaged or Worn Flashing
Generally, flashing can be replaced by you. However, if you don’t feel comfortable enough–whether it’s the size of the property, type of skylights, lack of knowledge, or safety concerns–please do not hesitate to call a professional for help.
Impact Damage From Falling Debris or Precipitation
If you notice cracks or entire breaks in your skylight, this must be handled by a professional immediately.
“Patch jobs” for this extent of damage will only lead to larger costs in the future or worse, injury to you, your family, or your friends. If your skylight is cracking or breaking, please take this damage very seriously.
Unique Damage to Specific Skylight Options
Tubular Skylights
When tubular skylights become damaged, the culprit is often in the underlying structure.
This means that there will need to be significant work to repair the structure within the roof cavity, as opposed to a simple sealing solution. In cases like these, please call a professional for help
Fixed Skylights
A fixed skylight is relatively very simple to repair. Because of their straightforward designs, any leaks can usually be fixed by replacing the flashing.
If leaks are being caused by cracks or other physical damage to the skylight window itself, that’s when it’s time to call a professional for help.
Ventilating Skylights
A ventilating skylight almost always requires professional service. Manually-powered ventilation systems have many moving parts, but if you notice the leak or damage coming from compromised flashing, you may be able to fix this yourself; anything else and you’ll need a professional.
Electronically-powered ventilation systems definitely require assessment and repair from a professional. These systems may require minor electrical configuration; if solar-powered, may involve repairing solar panels; or repairing the general connectivity between the skylight and electronic panels.
Skylight Replacement or Repair?
A common misconception is that once your skylight becomes damaged, it cannot be repaired and will need to be entirely replaced. This is not true. Consult your roofing professionals before making any large decisions about remedying your skylight problems.
Even if you need to purchase a lot of skylight replacement parts to solve your problem, that might be the more cost-effective route when compared to a complete replacement.
Depending on what is causing your skylight problems, a repair and supplementary roof maintenance plan could be just what you need to keep your skylights lasting for many more years.
How to Install A Skylight and How to Replace a Skylight?
These are two questions that most people should not be tackling. Improper skylight installation or replacement can lead to damage not only to your home by way of water leaks and decreased energy efficiency, but damage to the surrounding roof structure.
If you damage your roof shingles, tiles, roof deck, or lining, you’ll be looking at much higher costs than you anticipated. Please consult a professional before considering installing or repairing your own skylights.
Who to Call for Skylight Repair?
In general, professional roofing contractors and companies offer skylight installation and repair services for both commercial and residential properties.
DIY skylight repair is not recommended for most people as you can end up damaging the surrounding roof shingles, tiles, or metal.
Relying on a professional to repair your skylight means relying on an experienced, skilled, and qualified roofer who will ensure the use of high-quality materials and craftsmanship.
Feel free to contact us with any skylight installation, maintenance, and repair questions you might have regarding your property.
We are the best providers of roofing and gutter cleaning services throughout New South Wales so please don’t hesitate to call our trusted team of roof and gutter experts. We’re here to help.