5 Things to Know About Skylights, Before Intstallation

Skylights can be a fun, helpful addition to your home. They can bring natural light into areas like bathrooms and closets where regular windows are less than idea. Or they can make rooms seem even larger, with an endless view up into the sky.

However, when not installed properly, skylights can do some real damage to both your roof and the interior of your home. So before you install a skylight, be sure you know these five things:

1.Placement is paramount

When you’re considering where to put a skylight, you should know that you can’t just plop it in wherever seems convenient. Sure, it’d be nice to be able to pick any spot on the inside of your home and stick a skylight there. But you can’t do that!

Skylights come in limited sizes for a reason: they need to fit between beams. You certainly don’t want to cut through your roof’s support beams to put in a skylight.

The easiest way to figure out where you can put a skylight is to look at your home’s official blueprints, which will lay out where all the beams in your home happen to fall. If you have attic access, you can also just look between the roofing supports to determine where your skylight can go.

Not sure where you can put a skylight in your home? Consult with a professional to determine the best course of actions.

2.Quality is essential

You can skimp on some items in your home that aren’t essentials. A skylight is not one of them. High-quality skylights will ensure that you don’t end up letting in unexpected water in with your skylight opening! Plus, some skylights have additional features, such as the ability to crank open or the option for self-ventilation.

Not sure how to go about finding a high-quality skylight for your home? Talk to your Orange County roofing contractor about what brands they would recommend. And be sure to look at user feedback on different skylight options.

3.You need the right flashing

Flashing goes around the edges of your skylight where it meets the roof. This is essential for keeping water from infiltrating your skylight. But the type of flashing you’ll need depends on a variety of factors, including the slope of the roof where your skylight is situated.

This is another instance where you may want to call in professional help. Ask your contractor which type of flashing you’ll need, and consider having a professional install the flashing to ensure that it gets done properly.

4.Installation can be dangerous

Any time you’re on the roof of your home, whether to repair some shingles or put in a skylight, it can be dangerous. Many homeowners are injured each year when dealing with home repairs and renovations like this.

If you do decide to install your own skylight, it’s essential to take safety measures, including setting up your ladder properly. But if you’d really like to protect yourself from potential injury, consider having your roofing contractor install the skylight for you.

5.It’s easy to mess up

Even with understanding all of these things, it’s very easy for the DIY homeowner to mess up a skylight installation. There are several steps that need to happen in order to get your skylight installed properly and without any issues related to leaking.

The problem with messing up the installation of a skylight isn’t just the time and money you’ll have wasted in installing it. It’s also the fact that an improperly-installed skylight can cause more damage to your roof and your roof’s underlayment. Some types of leaks let water get in between your roof’s shingles and underlayment, which can rot out your underlayment before you know there’s even a problem.

This is why it’s so important to ensure that your skylight gets installed properly from the start!

Not all Orange County roofers will install skylights for their customers. But it’s always worth asking if your trusted contractor is able to do this for you. If not, ask your contractor for the name of a general contractor or handyman they’d recommend to install a skylight in your home.

Skylights can bring warmth and beauty to an otherwise stuffy space. They can even help your home be more eco-friendly by offering additional ventilation for heat to escape from tall ceilings. However, these additions to your home can be complicated to install, so it’s important to ensure that you have professional advice, if not professional help, during the process.

If you have any questions about skylights, be sure to reach out to Luke Roofing. A long-established Orange County roofer in Silverado and surrounding areas, we provide prompt, reliable expertise for every residential roofing need and situation. Wherever and whenever you need roofing services in OC, you definitely can count on Luke Roofing.