Skylight Maintenance

Overview:

Skylights are a great alternative to capture more light for what is otherwise a dark room. As in most things around the home skylights require skylight maintenance from time to time to prevent roof leaks, especially the area behind the skylight where water can build up underneath the shingles.  

A skylight is essentially a horizontal roof window placed on the house roof. They are relatively inexpensive to install either during the initial construction or after construction. Skylights admit more light per unit area than regular sidewall windows, and distribute it more evenly throughout the room. Poorly constructed or poorly installed skylights may have leaking problems and single-paned skylights may weep with condensation causing serious damage to ceilings and floors. Using skylights with at least two panes and a heat reflecting coating will increase their energy efficiency and reduce if not eliminate condensation problems.

Skylights also provide a radiant heat from the sun directly into the living space unless they are a reflecting coating to reduce radiation.  As an option skylights can be equipped with shades to block unwanted sun during warm seasons or during high sun angles. Excessive radiation will bleach out furniture and carpets. Although skylights are a great alternative to lighting up rooms they can also become a major headache for the homeowner if not maintained properly.

Most skylights set above the roof surface approximately five inches. Although they are installed with flashing to prevent leakage they can still pose a leakage problem if the area above the flashing is not kept clear of leaves and other debris. The area on the upside of the skylight is the most likely place for debris to gather. This will cause water from rain or melting snow to back up the roof line and penetrate underneath shingles that are loose or not completely sealed. In turn the water will run underneath the shingles to the roof edge and often show as dripping water on the inside of the house.

The solution to this problem is to perform skylight maintenance to include cleaning the area above the skylight. Once a year, in the late fall, is usually adequate. If your house has skylights insure that they are clean periodically. Exercise care when climbing on house roofs. 

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Maintaining Gutters and Downspouts

Roof Ice Dams