Skylight Replacement in Upper Arlington

We recently replaced a skylight on a one story ranch in upper Arlington. The skylight had been leaking for quite a while,but not enough to be detected inside the house. Although it looked OK, the wood decking on the right hand side of the skylight was soft and obviously rotted. This could be detected by stepping on this area. The homeowner was aware of this because he found it while doing a routine inspection of the roof.

We were hired to replace the old skylight with a new opening skylight. Although the skylight had been leaking for years, it now was showing in the house.The wood decking was very soft and obviously rotted. The cause was an improper installation when the roof was installed. Most shingled roofs leak where the shingles terminate into another roof component.The problem is that a faulty install can look like a proper one.

The homeowner had already purchased a Wasco Ultraseal self flashing venting skylight. It has a screen installed and the lower section opens with a window crank.The white side is the side that faces the interior of the house. The flashing is integrated into the unit and rests underneath the shingles.

We removed the old skylight and found the rotted wood we suspected would be there. You can see the trail that ran down the decking, underneath the felt underlayment and shingles. Sometimes a chronic leak can exist without the occupants realizing it because a very small amount of water gets in each time it rains. It may get absorbed by the insulation and subsequently evaporate. Obviously it can still cause damage. Eventually more water will get in as the surrounding wood begins to rot.

We cut out all the bad wood and installed new 7/16" OSB. When we cut out the bad wood we place a cover over the skylight opening to prevent sawdust entry into the interior. We always coordinate with the homeowner to makes sure we have a drop cloth in place. No matter how much care we take, some of the shingle granules will drop into the house.

Then we placed ice and water shield around the perimeter of the skylight.
Then we fastened the skylight to the deck with the supplied hardware and replaced the shingles.

We normally use Velux skylights, which is the most popular skylight in the Columbus area. The Wasco seemed to be a good choice however. It should offer years of leak free service.

The new skylight installed. The bottom cranks open to allow ventilation. It's important not to leave a skylight like this open during a rain shower.

We have repaired many skylights over the years. They can be just as leak free as any other component of the roof as long as they are properly installed.
If you have a leaking skylight give us a call.

Click here to schedule a Skylight Repair Estimate!

614-792-6797