Skylight installation and repair in Little Rock without the leaks

A skylight is a hole in the roof, and every hole depends on flashing. Water that runs down the slope has to be steered around the curb by step flashing on the sides, a head flashing on top, and an apron at the bottom. If any piece is missing, bent or sealed with caulk instead of lapped, water finds its way in.

Other leaks come from the unit itself. Old plastic domes crack and craze in the sun, seals between glass panes fail and fog the glass, and frame joints open up as the unit ages. Condensation can also look like a leak when warm, damp room air hits cold glass in winter.

We sort out which one you have before suggesting a fix. That means looking at the flashing from the roof, the curb and drywall from inside, and the timing of the drips. Water that only shows during wind driven rain points to a different problem than water that appears on cold mornings.

When the unit is sound but the flashing is failing, reflashing is the right fix. We remove the shingles around the curb, pull the old flashing, add ice and water membrane up the curb walls, and install a new flashing kit before relaying the shingles.

Cracked domes, broken glass and fogged panes usually mean replacing the unit. If the curb is in good shape and the size matches, a new unit can go on the existing opening, which keeps the cost and the interior work down.

Rotted curbs are the hidden part of many skylight repairs. Years of small leaks soften the wood frame the unit sits on, and setting new flashing against a soft curb does not hold. If the curb gives under a probe, we rebuild it from new lumber, wrap it in membrane, and then flash it properly.

• Reflash a sound skylight with new step and head flashing
• Replace a cracked dome or fogged glass unit on the same curb
• Rebuild a rotted curb before setting a new unit
• Remove a skylight and close the roof opening

A new skylight starts inside. We look at the attic framing between the roof and the ceiling, find where rafters and ceiling joists fall, and plan the opening so as few framing members are cut as possible. Where a rafter has to be cut, headers carry the load around the opening.

On the roof, we cut the opening, frame or set the curb, wrap it in membrane, and install the flashing kit matched to the unit and your roof material. The light shaft between the roof and the ceiling is framed, insulated and drywalled so warm attic air does not radiate into the room.

Tubular skylights are a smaller option for halls, bathrooms and closets. They bring in daylight through a reflective tube with a small roof dome and need far less framing work than a full skylight.

• Water stains on the ceiling or drywall around the light shaft
• Drips during wind driven rain but not light rain
• Cracked, cloudy or yellowed plastic skylight dome
• Fog or moisture trapped between double glass panes
• Rotted or soft wood at the skylight curb
• Caulk or tar smeared around the flashing on the roof

Skylights in central Arkansas face strong summer sun, which yellows and cracks older acrylic domes and heats rooms below. Units with low-E coated glass cut heat gain noticeably, and many newer models offer built-in shades.

Hail is the other concern. Laminated or tempered glass holds up far better than plastic domes during spring hail season, and we point out the difference when you are choosing a unit. After a hailstorm, we check skylights along with the rest of the roof.

Leaves, pine needles and debris tend to collect on the uphill side of a skylight curb, where they hold water against the head flashing. A cricket or careful head flashing detail helps shed that debris, and a quick cleanout during roof maintenance keeps the area draining.

If your skylights are more than fifteen to twenty years old and you are replacing the roof, it usually makes sense to replace or at least reflash them at the same time. New flashing ties in with the new underlayment, and you avoid tearing into a new roof later to fix an old skylight.

Many homeowners also use a re-roof to remove skylights they no longer want. We frame in the opening, deck it, and roof over it so it blends with the rest of the roof, and the interior opening can then be closed and finished.

Older units on many central Arkansas homes were installed with a single bead of tar around the curb rather than a flashing kit. A re-roof is the cleanest chance to correct that, because the shingles around the opening are already off and the deck is exposed.

Before we pack up, we water test or visually check the flashing, clean the glass, and show you photos of the membrane and flashing details that end up hidden under the shingles. You get a written price before work starts, and any changes found once the roof is open are priced before we do them.

Manufacturer warranty terms on skylight units depend on the product and registration. We hand over the paperwork for any new unit we install so you have it if a question comes up later.

Skylight pricing depends on whether you need new flashing, a new unit, or a brand new opening.

Steep roofs, venting or powered units, and rotted curbs that need rebuilding are the main things that raise a skylight price. See the full roof pricing guide.