Case Study: Goodbye Leaky Skylights

Late last year Naturalight Solar, Inc. completed a large skylight replacement job in Novato. There were two old 2x9 skylights that were failing, causing leaking that resulted in water damage. Due to the large size of the existing skylights, Naturalight ordered custom curb adaptors so that new, standard size VELUX skylights could be installed. 

Old, leaking skylight arrays.

Interior water damage from leaking skylights. 

Visible cracks in the old skylights.

Naturalight removed the existing skylights and stripped down the old, damaged material to the base, from which we started fresh. Layer by layer, we installed the new skylights. Underlayment, metal flashings, shingles, curb adaptors, and finally, new VELUX Skylights. 

Stripped down to the base. 

New shingles going on over the underlayment. 

Metal flashings installed. 

Thybar Curb Adaptors in place and awaiting the new VELUX skylights. 

The two curb adaptors held three VELUX Skylights each, two of which were solar operable skylights. The addition of the solar operable skylights made the entire project eligible for a 30% Federal Solar Tax Credit, which resulted in a $5,000 credit for the homeowner. 

The completed VELUX Skylight arrays.

The VELUX Solar Operable skylight flanked by two VELUX fixed skylights. 

Skylights in a Flash

“If there were 10 stars I would gladly give them a 10. I'm a real estate agent in Sonoma and they came through and delivered like no other. I had an escrow contingent on the replacement of a leaky old Velux skylight and literally had 4 days to remedy the issue. I called Naturalight Solar, spoke with Patricia, explained the circumstance and she was understanding, effective and quite frankly just wonderful. She quickly called the owner Joel immediately to see if there was anyway to squeeze this job in to save the escrow. Joel quickly mobilized his son Chris to come out and take measurements, he ordered the new skylight and then gave up his Sunday to do the professional install all within 3 days!! All with a big smile and a terrific attitude. In my business, it's becoming a rarity to find companies and trade professionals who are willing to bend over backwards to help you. They are professional, friendly, responsive and I will be using them again and again. The new skylight looks great! –Holly”

 

Measuring for a Replacement Curb Mount Skylight

        Are you planning your spring home improvement projects? Thinking about replacing that old, inefficient skylight? If you’re old skylight is a curb mount, then it is important to know the correct dimensions for ordering the replacement skylight so that it will fit the existing curb. 

        When ordering or describing a skylight, the measurements are always expressed as width (dimension horizontally across the roof) x length (dimension vertically up the roof).

        When measuring, you want to get the Outside Curb Dimension. This is the overall outside dimension (OD) of the finished, built-up curb. Skylights are then sized slightly larger than the OD of the curb in order to fit over the necessary roofing materials and sheet metal flashing, covering the whole like a box cover. 

If you’re not comfortable getting on your roof to take measurements, 

give our office a call at 707-527-5330 to schedule a site visit. 

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. 

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!

How to Measure for a Curb Mount Skylight

It is important to know the dimensions for your replacement skylight so the correct size can be ordered to fit the existing curb.
When ordering or describing a skylight, the measurements are always expressed as width (dimension horizontally across the roof) x length (dimension vertically up the roof).

The Outside Curb Dimension is the overall outside dimension size (OD) of the finished, built-up curb. To determine a correctly sized replacement skylight, also include the necessary roofing materials and sheet metal flashing. Skylights are sized slightly larger than the OD of the curb in order to fit over the top like a box cover.