What You Need to Know Before You Put In a Skylight

Lots of homeowners want a skylight to help brighten the inside of a dark and dreary room in their house. Skylights instantly change and enhance any living space with natural sunlight as well as add ventilation to a room. An experienced Los Angeles skylight installer knows how to transform a specific living space into a wonderful room of natural light.

Most homeowners have concerns about installing a skylight. A homeowner’s concerns can range from cutting a hole in the roof to what type of skylight is best for their house to what type of water damage can happen by installing a skylight. Hiring an experienced Los Angeles skylight company eliminates all of your concerns about installing a skylight.

You can purchase skylights in many shapes from round to triangular as well as from large to small sizes. A professional can install a skylight that is made of glass or plastic. You cannot open a fixed skylight. A vented skylight allows air flow into a living space.

Advantages of Fixed or Vented Skylight

A professional can install a fixed or vented skylight in your home. Each particular style of skylight has advantages and disadvantages.

The manufacturer seals a fixed skylight at the factory. Correctly installing a fixed skylight makes the skylight leak proof. You create leaks when you install a fixed skylight with improper flashing materials. Manufacturers make custom flashing kits for you to install to prevent leaks. A custom flashing kit is riveted and soldered to seal the corners of the skylight. One downside to installing a fixed skylight is a lack of ventilation.

A vented skylight allows a room to breathe more freely. A vented skylight is the best choice for kitchens and bathrooms as well as living areas that contain excess heat. Water leakage occurs when you use incorrect flashing materials, or you do not shut the skylight during a rainstorm. Some vented skylights do not securely seal when closed shut. Manufacturers have made strides in sealing vented skylights more securely in the past few years.

Price points for fixed and vented skylights are quite different. In general, a fixed skylight is a more economical choice for most homeowners.

Installing a Skylight

The installation of a skylight is important because you must cut a hole in your roof. When you install a skylight improperly, you create water damage. A professional skylight company follows the manufacturer’s installation instructions and uses a proper custom flashing kit.

Two items you must think about before installing a skylight are moisture control and the slope of the roof.

Incorrectly installing a skylight leads to moisture control problems. A proper flashing kit covers the curb of the skylight and stops potential leaks. Proper flashing covers the width of the curb by an additional ¼” which aids in step flashing the sides. The height of the flashing is 1” higher than the curb which allows the flashing to be bent over the skylight.

Understanding the slope of a roof is an important part of the installation process. The slope of a roof determines the amount of solar heat a skylight absorbs. A low pitched roof absorbs less solar heat in the winter and more in the summer. A high pitched roof absorbs more solar heat in the winter and less in the summer. A professional skylight installer considers the geographical latitude of your home. A professional installer knows to add 10 degrees to your current location to optimize the absorption of solar heat by the skylight.

Other Items You Should Consider

You can install a skylight any time of the year. Dry weather conditions determine when a professional skylight company can install your skylight. You might find that some companies will offer a discount to install your skylight during winter months.

You can decide to purchase a glass or plastic skylight. Violent weather conditions can break your skylight. When a glass skylight breaks the tempered glass creates a thousand shards. Installing a tempered and laminated glass skylight eliminates the problems of glass shards.

You can purchase a skylight in a variety of sizes. A professional skylight installer measures the distance between your roof trusts to determine the correct size of skylight to purchase and install.

After reading this article, you should know a little more about skylights and the importance of installing a skylight properly. If you have additional questions, please call our professional skylight company about products, pricing and installation.

2018-04-28T00:11:57+00:00
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