A Clean Roof is a Happy Roof

Are you experiencing leaky skylights?

With rain and wind from recent storms, leaves and other debris will tend to build up on your roof in the valleys and around flashings, creating leaf dams. 

The result? Pools of water that cause damage and leaks. 

The easiest way to keep your roof happy is 

to regularly clear away built up leaves and debris. 

A happy roof means a happy you. 

Need a hand clearing that debris? Give us a call today! (707) 527-5330

Weatherproofing Season has Arrived

We want to help Sonoma County rebuild

We have all felt the losses the fires have caused our community, and we want to help you rebuild by providing more than skylight services through our office. In order to assist those affected by the fires, we are partnering with JHD Construction to provide home restoration and construction services.

Call 707-527-5330
or visit  www.naturalightsolar.com

What can you do to make sure your skylights are weatherproof?

1. Check existing flashings, clean away debris, and make sure weep holes are clear.

2. Make sure curb mounted skylights are fastened down so they can’t blow off in a wind storm.

3. Replace old plastic bubble skylights with VELUX flat glass skylights that meet California’s Energy Code, have a 10-year warranty, and greater ability to withstand impact from hail and tree branches. 

4. Don’t wait to check your skylights! If they need to be replaced, standard sizes take one week from order to delivery, while custom sizes take three to four weeks to arrive. 

5. Can’t get on your roof? Call Naturalight Solar to schedule a Performance Check of your tube skylights, traditional skylights, and other roof flashings. 

Something Not Right with Your Light?

Have your old tube skylights stopped giving out light? Has the trim ring or diffuser fallen from the ceiling? Are there mysterious insects showing up inside your tube skylight?

All of these conditions can be caused by age or improper installation, and they don’t necessarily mean the tube skylights need to be replaced.

One of the twenty-year-old tube
skylights after being repaired.

Naturalight Solar recently performed a service call for an owner of two twenty-year-old tubes of unknown brand. The tubes had stopped giving out light and when our certified installation specialist took a look in the attic, he found that both tubes had only been taped at their seams when originally installed. After twenty years, the tape had failed, causing the tubes to fall apart in the attic. The tubes themselves were in fine condition, so our installer screwed them back together and re-taped the seams.

When the tube seams are connected and aligned properly with screws and tape, there are no places for bugs to enter, no pieces shifting down from the ceiling, and lots of natural light.

If you are experiencing a problem with your old tube skylight, give us a call to schedule a service appointment at 707-527-5330.

Before You Buy: New Home Skylight Checklist

The spring housing market has sprung! If you're looking for a new home, it's easy to be overwhelmed by all the details to consider. If the home you're interested in has skylights, it's important to find out their condition before you buy.

Here's a checklist to help you find out the condition of the skylights and if it might be more costly than usual to replace them, if necessary: 

·       Perhaps most important, look for signs of past water damage or discoloration on the frame and the ceiling around the skylights. This is a sure sign that the skylight will need repair or replacement, if the work has not already been done. 

Example of water damage on a sheetrock ceiling.

·       Find out how old the skylights are: skylights usually don't last more than thirty years, less if they are not high quality.

·       Are they plastic bubbles or flat glass? If they are dual-paned, lowe3, tempered glass they will be more energy efficient. 

The white skylight is an example of a plastic bubble,
while the near skylight is an example of flat glass.

·       Are they operable skylights? If so, do they open and close properly?

·       What size are the skylights? If they are unusually large (over four feet in both dimensions or over six feet in one dimension) or unusually shaped, they will be expensive to replace, and it may even be difficult to find someone who can or will replace them. 

·       How steep is the roof and what is the roof material? It is more difficult, and so more costly, to replace skylights on especially steep roofs and roofs that are a material other than composition shingle. 

Example of a Composition Shingle Roof.

Example of a Curved Tile Roof.  

Example of a Standing Seam Metal Roof.

Example of an especially Steep Roof. 

Replace Old Skylights Before they Fly Away

      Mother nature sometimes lets us know when we've been neglecting a project by making it impossible to put the project off any longer. This happened to a homeowner recently when their old acrylic dome skylight was blown right off the roof during a storm.

      The old, inefficient plastic skylight was due for replacing anyway. Before another storm could hit, we installed a new, energy efficient, flat glass VELUX Fixed Curb Mount 2x4 skylight. Well secured and durable enough to make it safely through the toughest storms, this homeowner is ready to weather many more winters.

   
      We recommend replacing your old skylight before mother nature begins the work for you. If you're not sure how much life your skylight has left, whether it's in danger of leaking, cracking, or being blown away, you can schedule a performance check-up with Naturalight Solar by calling our office at 707-527-5330 or sending an email to info@naturalight.org.

Don't wait until it rains to get your skylights checked out!