Skylights... Grr!

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majesty8

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I appreciate your experiences and suggestions here...

To cut to the chase, I've got a leaking skylight. I've been told skylights are notorious for leakage in due time, and well, it's gotten to a point where I'm thinking of just getting it removed and reroofed. Here's the dilemma: the room where the leaking skylight is at is in the darkest (and has most traffic) room in the house.

Does anyone have any suggestions on how to "lighten" the room up if I decide to get the skylights removed? The room does have a sidelight, but not enough to brighten the room up. I've thought about placing a mirror accordingly to help brighten the room up a bit. Thanks.
 

Jadnashua

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Skylights require very close attention to detail when installed. You might consider something like a www.solatube.com product. I have one in my bathroom that has no windows, and it took me a very long time before I stopped reaching for the light switch. They come in various sizes, and it sort of looks like a covered recessed light. There are other companies that make the things, but Solatube was the original, and I think still the best.
 

hj

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Is it a true skylight or a tubular skylight? If it is a true skylight then it has to be properly flashed, but can be a bit more difficult, depending on whether it has an integral curb or a built up one.
 

Terry

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I've had plenty of skylights installed and never though twice about them.
Of course, my brother Shannon was the roofer, and he knew how to install the flashing and the roofing.
If it's done right, no problems.
The ones Shannon installed are going on 35 plus years.
 

majesty8

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Thanks for your replies everyone. I do not have a tubular skylight, but a "regular" one made by Velux. I don't know much about roofing, especially concerning skylights, but I do know that my contractor friend who installed them (he basically remodeled my house, and I feel he does very quality work) was very meticulous in its installation when I decided I wanted skylights. My main reason was simply that the room where the leaking skylights are now is the darkest room.

My friend had "built up" the newer skylights from the previous old skylights, making it higher (I'd say around 6" higher than previous). Again, my friend was very meticulous in its installation. Suffice to say, it didn't work considering there's a failure somewhere since it's leaking. The funny thing about all this is that the other skylight, which is only 5'-6'ft away has no issues and is working fine!

I've had him come over last fall to look at this. He looked over both skylights and couldn't seem to find any indication with why it's leaking. But as a precaution, he had cleaned and resealed the seams on both skylights just in case. But of course, it's the leaking one that's still a problem, while the other is working fine and dandy. I'm having a few roofers come out to check on this issue, plus an estimate on getting it the skylights removed and reroofed. I'm hoping I'll have an option(s) that won't set me back to eating hot dogs or ramen noodles for a couple months. LOL.
 

Agu

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I'd suggest you have a professional roofer inspect the roof for possible leaks. You're making the assumption that the skylight leaks (even after your friend checked and resealed them). It's been my experience that the symptoms of a leaking roof can show interior damage several feet away from the actual leak. The skylight may just be slowing/stopping the water leaking in from up above it.
 

Jadnashua

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Sealant has almost no use in waterproofing a skylight install...it is nearly all in the proper flashing. Some ice and water shield material helps as well for the inevitable nail holes. Done right, they are a permanent solution. Other sealants are a bandaid to a poor install.
 

Dana

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Skylights are also notorious localized heat leaks leading to the formation of ice dams in climates with substantial snowfalls. Where possible it's almost always better to daylight a room with a window than a skylight. Fixed, smaller skylights tend to have fewer issues than larger, openable ones. Freeze/thaw cycles have potential for degrading the flashing & weather stripping over time, but on a high pitched roof & minimal snow load it can hang in for decades when done right. Summertime solar gains through skylights can also be intense, and difficult to shade. Tilted glass always comes with some risk.

"Light shelves" (either interior or exterior) can be used to maximize daylighting from windows (particularly on south facing windows), extending the reach of the natural light toward the interior. Higher reflectivity ceiling paints help too. Goggle up "light shelf" for both DIY & commercial versions. It tends to be done more often in commercial & retail than in purely residential.

Clerestory or horizontal-aspect windows placed higher on a wall tend to provide less shadowy, more even daylighting than narrower,vertical aspect ratio windows.

RPI has quite a bit of lighting design resources available online, including daylighting.

SB-3.gif
 

Terry

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I like to install my skylights on the North side of the roof. It's much better light then you would get from the South side of the roof.
But then, for reading, I also prefer the North windows too. I used to design homes with passive solar, which was great for heating, but the North windows had better lighting in many ways.

One of my plans had a large 4 four foot skylight on the North side that opened with a motor and a wall switch. On a warm day you could vent the home of it's hot air like a chimney.
 
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Jadnashua

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My stairwell has no outside wall, and no source of light except for the skylight. Because it is in the stairwell, it is a great chimney, and sucks the hot air out if you open anything downstairs. It's been in there now for about 25-years, and so far, trouble-free. I have a power venetian blind on it that has one side white, and the other mirror, which helps control some of the solar gain. For areas or rooms without outside walls, a skylight is often the only choice for natural lighting. Adding the skylight in the stairwell and the tubular skylight in the bathroom (again, no outside walls or windows) made a huge difference. On the tubular skylight, on a clear night with the moon up, there's enough light to see and not bump into things in that room. The glow, if the roof is covered with snow, is eerie coming through there. The manufacturer claims the light through this 10" tube on a bright sunny day is equivalent to that produced by a 300W lightbulb. Tubular skylights have the advantage of blocking most of the UV rays, and tempering the heat gain/loss verses a typically larger surface area of a glass window.

As with many things, proper installation and maintenance is critical anytime you put a hole in the roof!
 
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ChuckI Ingram

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It's hard to beat Velux, i have installed many over the years. 9 times out of 10, it's the way it was flashed.. Counterflashed to be exact. My suggestion is to keep the skylight and reflash as you need the light it provides. Reflashing will also be the least expensive. I would also suggest that you remove the ceiling around the leaking area to access any damage. Feel free to call me 253 315-1242 chuck
 

JLMA

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Indoor Clerestories (Frosted High Window Above Eye Level)

Dana,

I am interested in what you said about "clerestories". With and without a "light shelf".

I am in the preliminary design phase of a condo remodeling and am considering using the "clerestory concept" (a frosted high window above eye level) in the wall between the bathroom and the living room. The purpose is to bring daylight to the bathroom (which has no outside window itself).

I won't be installing these myself, but I'm trying to research this concept. The questions I have are:
(1) where would I find more info/resources/products on indoor clerestories?
(2) would the "light shelf" concept be also helpful for indoor clerestories?

Thanks!

JLMA
 

LLigetfa

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JLMA,
If you look at the pictorial of the light shelf, you can see its intent is to redirect highly directional sunlight. Indoor light is generally indirect light already.
 

JLMA

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Who Installs "Interior Windows"?

Thanks LLigetfa.

What you say makes a lot of sense :eek:, so no "light shelf" for me.

Who does one go to to have interior windows (regular window glass or "brick" glass) installed? To the same installer who'd place exterior windows?

JLMA
 

LLigetfa

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For glass block, I would use a tile setter or bricklayer but for a traditional window, a general carpenter would be your best bet.
 

Cookie

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I wouldn't take it out if you like it, I would get it checked, and, if, something happens over time, then, fix what is broken... sometimes, we can worry too much and miss enjoying something instead.
 
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