Skylights come in a wide range of shapes and styles. They boast of a host of different flashing systems which serve one purpose – to achieve a water tight seal without compromising the quality of lighting getting into a room. This doesn’t happen sometimes. The desired amount of light gets in a room, illuminates it and improves the room’s aesthetic appeal. But along with it comes water. In other words, the skylight leaks. Puddles of water on your floor under the skylights or stained ceilings are always nice indicators that the skylight is leaking. So just how do you fix the problem?

Find the source of the problem

The water stain could be either on top or at the bottom of your skylight unit. There could be water trails or stains in the skylight trail. Finding the source of the leak should therefore not be a problem. The water stains will always give you more than enough clues on the source of water infiltration. You can also stand right below the skylight, look up and find the highest water stain you can see. You may have to seek professional help if the leak is at the top of the skylight. Request the professional to pay special attention to the head flashing which should be on top of the skylight.  Most of the time, rain water running down the roof with some speed will hit the top area of the skylight before running between the roof shingles. That explains why old skylights had plastic vinyl flanges fastened around the skylight border with the skylight glass right above the flange by three inches.

Examine the surrounding areas of the skylight

Take time to examine any type of roof flashing near the skylight. These include plumbing vent pipes collars and roof vents. You may not know this but a leaking roof flashing next to a skylight always leads to serious leaks through the skylight. Simply examine the flashing about leaking skylights all the way to the peak. Do not just focus on the skylight. Don’t be surprised when you find the leaking problem on the roof ridge cap. Rain water can easily run down the shingles and gather on the skylight.

Examine your skylight’s interior

You may want to take a look at the skylight’s interior part. That is, the part facing the floor. Water stains near the bottom of the skylight and outside the flashing is a sure sign that you have a condensation problem. Rule out ice dams. This is because condensation usually forms on the inside of skylights when the temperatures are high or when humidity is high. You may be surprised at the amount of condensation that occurs on the inside of your skylights during a rainy storm or when the humidity outside is extremely high. A good skylight should have a condensation channel to capture the water droplets that form because of condensation. The channel should be able to exacerbate condensation. Keep in mind that condensation cases poor air movement on the skylight. The channel facilitates air movement which absorbs moisture. The channel also makes it possible for water to evaporate easily and quickly back into the air, instead of trickling into your home and staining your ceiling or walls.

Check your skylight designs

As hinted, skylights come in a wide range of designs. Your preferred design could be the main reason why your skylights leak. This has more to do with wrong installation of the design than the design itself. Some architects and roofing experts mount skylights as diamond instead of rectangle or square. There are diamond designs, so avoid modifying that square skylight. If the design is not fitted well, you can always expect issues with the condensation channel. It is easy to understand why that happens. First off, the skylight will have been mounted on the roof with a slope. That means condensation will run into the bottom areas of your skylights and leak into your room.

Skylight installation contractors

There are so many contractors these days. They all promise quality work, value for money, customer satisfaction and such kind of things. But only a few of them stick to their word. Find the best contractor for your skylight installation and replacement needs. Ensure the contractor is not just skilled, but also experienced. That is usually the best way to avoid unpleasant surprises.

Skylight quality

There are some skylights that cannot withstand extreme weather conditions for long. They wear out after sometime. Others can withstand extreme conditions but their edges and insulation wear out. It is therefore a wise idea to invest in quality skylights. They may be expensive, but don’t just buy them anyway. Think of your purchase as a home investment, not an expense. Then remember to always stick to skylight brands that offer warranties.