Skylight can give additional charm to the room; it enables you to enyoj the sunlight and makes the room look more spacious. The most common problem with skylights is water leakage. If it is only smaller leak, you can try to do skylight repairs yourself. Before you start with repair you should determine whether the water in the room is caused by the leakage or by the condensation. Condensation usually occurs when the warm air in the room meets the cold surface of the skylight. Air condenses and starts to leak. You can see this mostly in the bathrooms, kitchens or greenhouse rooms. If that seems to be a problem, improve the ventilation. Sometimes when the skylight is very high, you can’t see if it is fully closed. Inspect the roof around the skylight; there can be leaves, ice or snow which block water flow and cause the leakage.

If you have leaking skylight, most probably the reason is flashing. Skylight is flashed with base flashing, step flashing and saddle flashing. Base flashing connects the base of the skylight with the roof. Step flashing is found on the sides of the skylight and saddle flashing goes across the top of the skylight. Entire flashing has to be done properly and firmly in place in order to prevent the water from penetrating the house. If the water leakage is caused by damaged flashing, you can repair skylight yourself; it is an easy project. Still, be careful when walking on the roof; it can be slippery, especially if it is wet. Be careful when leaning the ladders against the wall; avoid damaging the gutters.

Use pry bar or claw hammer to lift up the neighboring shingles. You do not have to remove them; just lift the edges. Spread some roofing cement over the flange and under the shingle where the metal flashing is in contact with the roofing felt. Press down the shingles firmly. Place the brick over the shingles and leave for 48 hours. Check the seal between the glass and the frame of the skylight. If it is cracked, use some silicone sealant to fix it.

Most of the skylights come with their own flashing system. It is usually metal flange which extends from the skylight and goes underneath the shingles.

If you have a glass skylight that is placed in an area where it can easily be broken, you might consider replacing it with more resistant, plastic type. And do not forget that skylight repairs are temporary solutions; sooner or later you would have to replace it.

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