“Skylights - Owner Review”

By Ron Stultz

21 January 2009

Updated: 26 August 2024

Summary: think  twice. A Skylight is a hole in your roof and sooner or later going to leak water into your home.

You would not be reading this if you were not considering installing one or more skylights in your home or in someone else’s home. Have to admit they do look cool from the inside but I do not recommend installing them.

 Why?

- Have had them, installed new, as part of new construction and after several years they began to leak water. Upon examination flashing, caulking, around each skylight had cracked open. All caulk and/or flashing was removed and replaced and 5 years later, same thing happened again.

-  Experience defined above has happened to every single homeowner I have known that had a skylight.

 If you think about it, a skylight is a hole in the roof and is purposefully placing a hole in a roof a good idea? And although you would not think it but the heating of the sun and then cooling at night, i.e., thermal stress is just too much for any kind of sealant, caulk.

 So, if you must install skylights, just beware they will need regular caulk/or flashing maintenance.

 As for me, don’t have any in my home now and never again.

Updated: 26 August 2024

Different house with 2 skylights installed. Of course 12 feet above floor on roof 30 feet off the ground. Obvious leak from dry wall water streaks on one edge. Ignored it until 5 years later and flood during a downpour.  Too high up for old me to inspect or replace. When installer came, $3000, and he set ladder up, I crawled up to see problem: manufacture issue. Metal edge that holds down glass was folded over out case of skylight and at corners, metal did not perfectly fit and a dab of caulk placed over obvious potential leak point. Yep, not a roof flashing problem, but a skylight design, manufacturer problem.  Expected life of skylight is 20 years. NO, NO, NO. Skylight should last 50-100 years.