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YOUR SKYLIGHTS AND WINTER
Skylights, or windows installed in roofs, are an excellent way to warm and brighten up your home, especially during winter. Not only do they allow natural light in and give you a spectacular view of the sky, but they also reduce the need for electric lighting. If you’re looking for ways to reduce energy costs and improve your house’s aesthetics, you’ll find skylights to be a great addition to your home.
But skylights can also be troublesome when they’re leaky. Any roof installation that breaks the slope of the roof is prone to leaks, as moisture or water can seep into even the tiniest gaps between the roof and the installed roof structure. Skylights can also leak due to misplaced or damaged flashing, roof damage, and poor roof maintenance.
A roof inspection should be done after winter to assess the damage sustained by your roof due to high winds, storms, and snow.
Here are some ways to prevent your skylight from leaking during winter:
Schedule regular roof inspection
Conducting seasonal roof inspection allows you to catch and fix many skylight problems before they cause severe damage. It’s recommended to conduct at least two roofing inspections in a year, with one scheduled ahead of the winter season. Conducting seasonal roof inspections allows you to catch and fix many skylight problems before they cause severe damage.
Regular roof inspection involves checking for and replacing damaged or missing shingles, fixing dented or misaligned flashings, and cleaning gutters and downpipes. Doing these before winter arrives ensures that your roof is in perfect condition to withstand harsh weather conditions.
Do the following to winterize your skylights today:
Skylight installation
By properly installing your skylight, you can prevent leaks in the winter. Instead of flushing with your roof, you should mount the skylights slightly above. To ensure the roof is protected, place window panels on top of the curb and reinforce with an underlayment.
Positioning
Your skylight’s location on the roof affects the amount of light and heat it collects during certain seasons and times of day. In the winter, it’s prudent to position them facing southwards. That way, they’ll face the sun for the better part of the day.
Slope
The sun’s position in the sky combined with slope’s angle highly affects the heat amount that passes via the skylight. The golden rule is to make sure that the skylight’s slope is equal to the geographical latitude plus 5-15 degrees.
Ventilation
High humidity levels in your home’s upper areas can cause condensation. Condensation normally gets caught in your skylight’s frame. Bathrooms or laundry rooms on the top floor are what raise humidity levels in in your home. You can prevent condensation by making sure there’s adequate attic ventilation. You can also install a ventilation system on the roof. The third alternative is by running a dehumidifier in order to dry air.
Ice dams are also caused by uneven roof heating, and a well-insulated attic guarantees that the entire roof is evenly heated from its apex to its edges. Proper ventilation, on the other hand, prevents excessive indoor humidity from building up. Humidity can be a problem when it causes skylight condensation, which is often accompanied by leaking around the frame of the skylight. These can lead to peeling or bubbling wall paint, mold and mildew formation on walls, and furniture damage, among other things.
Maintenance
Maintenance is a great way of ensuring your skylight doesn’t experience winter related issues. If you have already installed them, clear any debris including leaves, stray twigs, snow and ice. All these might hamper the drainage system of your home. Ice dams that build up on a roof can cause leaking to the house. That might happen not only via the skylight but also through loose shingles and siding.
If you’re worried about any potential skylight issue in the winter, you need to contact a professional immediately. To address many issues that affect your skylight in the winter, you must hire an expert to conduct regular upkeep and inspection throughout the year. Local contractors provide professional inspections that prevent damage to the ceiling, roof, and skylight. In addition to handling inspection, a professional can also repair and replace your faulty skylight.
CALL OR EMAIL US TODAY FOR YOUR FREE ESTIMATE – 202-276-5004 
Skylights, or windows installed in roofs, are an excellent way to warm and brighten up your home, especially during winter. Not only do they allow natural light in and give you a spectacular view of the sky, but they also reduce the need for electric lighting. If you’re looking for ways to reduce energy costs and improve your house’s aesthetics, you’ll find skylights to be a great addition to your home.
Ice dams are also caused by uneven roof heating, and a well-insulated attic guarantees that the entire roof is evenly heated from its apex to its edges. Proper ventilation, on the other hand, prevents excessive indoor humidity from building up. Humidity can be a problem when it causes skylight condensation, which is often accompanied by leaking around the frame of the skylight. These can lead to peeling or bubbling wall paint, mold and mildew formation on walls, and furniture damage, among other things.