Skylights in Fort Lee, NJ

A skylight is a hole cut in a roof, so everything depends on how the edge of that hole is detailed. Modern units come with a flashing kit made for the roof covering they are going into, and installed with that kit they do not leak. The ones that leak are almost always either an old unit whose seals have gone, or a newer one that was set in with roof cement instead of proper step flashing.

If your skylight is leaking, the first question is whether it is the glass or the flashing. Condensation running down the inside of the glass on a cold morning is not a leak, it is the room's humidity finding the coldest surface, and that is usually an insulation or ventilation issue instead. Water at the corners after rain is flashing.

The best time to put a skylight in or swap an old one out is while the roof is off, because the flashing is being done anyway. If you are having the roof replaced and you have been thinking about it, say so at the quote stage.

On every one of these jobs

What the work covers

Correct flashing kit for the unit and the roof covering it sits in
Step flashing up the sides and proper head and apron flashing, not sealant
Old units removed and the opening resized where the new unit differs
Fixed, vented and electric units
Interior shaft finished back to plaster ready where required
Fitted during a roof replacement where the timing works

Start to finish

The order we do it in

Work out whether it is a leak

Condensation and a leak look the same from a sofa and need completely different work. We check which one you have.
Size and position

We look at the rafter spacing inside, because that decides what will fit without structural work and where the light actually lands.
Open and frame

The opening is cut and framed, and the roof is kept weather tight while it is open.
Flash it properly

The manufacturer flashing kit for that roof covering, step flashed up the sides. No sealant doing a flashing job.
Finish inside and out

Shingles or membrane closed back around the unit, and the shaft finished inside where that is part of the job.

Skylights questions

Things people ask us

Do skylights always leak eventually?

No. That reputation comes from old units with failed seals and from skylights that were bedded in roof cement instead of flashed. A current unit with the right flashing kit lasts as long as the roof around it.

There is water running down the inside of my skylight. Is it leaking?

Not necessarily. If it shows up on cold mornings and it is on the glass itself, that is condensation, and the fix is ventilation and insulation rather than roofing. Water appearing at the corners during or after rain is flashing.

Can I add a skylight to an existing roof?

Usually, yes. The rafter spacing decides what fits without structural work. If you are already planning a roof replacement it is the cheapest time to do it, because the flashing work is happening anyway.