Why you should Replace your Skylight
1. Save Money
To save money, replacing your skylights when you replace your roof is the most convenient and affordable time to do so. Most roofers will charge up to double to come back and replace your skylights separate from replacing your roof. During a skylight replacement, a roofer removes the shingles around the skylight to re-flash and seal the window to the roof deck or curb.
2. The Risk vs. Reward
If you really want to save money on your roofing purchase, think long-term. A slightly larger investment of a new roof and new skylights now will cost less than ripping up your new roof to replace old skylights in the future.
3. Seal Failure
What happens if you replace your entire roof and don’t replace the skylights and 6 months down the road, you have seal failure (fogged, inefficient glass)? You guessed it; you have to replace that entire section of shingles around the skylight! All of the banging, tearing off, dumpster in the driveway, permitting, scrapping, nailing, mess in your attic, and living in a construction zone will all have to happen again.
4. Using old skylights with a new roof can cause leaks
Say your skylight has performed perfectly in the years leading up to your roof replacement. No matter how skilled your contractor may be, ruffling with that old skylight can cause problems. And keeping skylights in place only to have them leak afterwards isn’t worth the trouble, especially if disturbing the skylight itself can lead to leaks.
Building materials expand and contract over time and what many homeowners don’t understand is that you must partially disassemble the skylight to re-flash the skylight. This process can create many problems in the structure of the skylights if they have started to corrode.
5. The skylight will have to be replaced eventually anyway
Skylights have a short warranty for a reason. Inexpensive plexiglass bubble skylights can crack easily. Even high-quality skylights will warp over time. Choosing to re-flash rather than replace can result not only in leaks and moisture buildup, but also in expensive energy loss. Technology has advanced in the past 10 years and Velux, a brand we trust, has an advanced Low E-3 coating that provides more daylight and better heat control than older plastic models.
The most convenient and affordable time to replace a skylight is when you are installing a new roof.
By replacing your skylights when you replace your roof, you’ll save money in the long run and ensure you won’t be paying for a new roof twice! You can also take advantage of the new energy efficient models (there are solar powered options!) and increase the thermal comfort of your home with natural ventilation.
