Skylight Repair
Leaking, fogged or failed skylights repaired or replaced by the roofing crew that installs them.
Skylight Repair in Seattle From a Roofing Contractor
When a skylight leaks, the glass is almost never to blame. The trouble is nearly always the flashing that ties the unit into the roof or a seal at the curb that has dried out and pulled away. Rain that gets past either one runs into the light well, which is why the first sign is usually a stain on the drywall around the opening rather than a drip from the glass.
That is also why a roofer, not a window company, is the right call. Stopping the leak means lifting the shingles around the unit, replacing step flashing or a flashing kit, and sealing the roof back up around the curb, all of which is roofing work. We repair and replace skylights as part of our roof repair service, so the unit and the roof around it are handled by one crew.
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Workmanship warranty on every install, plus manufacturer material warranties up to 30 years.
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What's included with our skylight repair service
- ✓ Skylight leak diagnosis
- ✓ Flashing kit replacement
- ✓ Curb and step-flashing reseal
- ✓ Glass or dome replacement
- ✓ Full skylight replacement
- ✓ Tubular skylight service
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Most estimates scheduled within 48 hours. No obligation, no high-pressure sales, written line-item quote.
Request Free Estimate Call (206) 659-4349172+ verified Google reviews from Seattle, Bellevue, Kirkland, and Greater Seattle homeowners.
Common Skylight Problems
Skylight trouble comes in a few recognizable forms. Knowing which one you have tells you whether the fix is a reseal, new flashing or a new unit.
Leaks at the Flashing
Step flashing or a manufacturer flashing kit laps under the shingles on each side of the skylight and steers water around it. If the kit was never installed, if the step flashing has rusted through, or if someone relied on caulk alone, water finds the gap on the uphill side first. This is the most common skylight leak.
Condensation and Fogging Between Panes
A double-pane skylight that looks cloudy, or has moisture trapped between its layers of glass, has lost its insulating seal. It is not letting rain in, but it will not clear on its own, and the fix is new glass or a new unit. Condensation on the inside surface is a different issue: warm, humid indoor air meeting cold glass, which is about ventilation more than the roof.
Cracked Glass or Acrylic Domes
Falling branches, age and years of sun crack acrylic domes and, less often, glass. Older acrylic domes also turn yellow and brittle. A cracked dome lets water straight through, and it can often be replaced without disturbing the curb or the shingles around it.
Failed Seals on Older Units
Many older skylights depend on gaskets and sealants that dried out long ago. When the seal between the frame and the glass or dome lets go, water gets in at the frame itself. A reseal buys time on a sound unit, but on a very old one, replacement usually makes more sense.
Leaks at the Curb
A curb-mounted skylight sits on a raised wooden box built on the roof deck. When the flashing around that box fails, water soaks the wood, and a rotted curb can no longer hold fasteners or sealant. Fixing a curb leak means opening the roof around it, replacing the damaged wood and reflashing it properly.
Repair or Replace the Skylight?
Age of the Unit
Age is the first question. A skylight with a solid frame and clear glass is usually worth repairing, because a new flashing kit or a reseal stops the leak and the unit keeps doing its job. An older unit with a failed seal, fogged glass or a yellowed dome is a different case, since fixing one problem leaves the others in place.
Deck-Mounted or Curb-Mounted
The type of unit matters next. Deck-mounted skylights fasten directly to the roof deck and come with their own flashing, so swapping one out is a fairly clean job. Curb-mounted units sit on a wooden curb, and the condition of that curb often decides whether we reflash the existing unit or replace the whole assembly.
The Roof Around It
Finally, look at the roof around it. If the roof is due for replacement in the next few years, it usually pays to replace the skylight at the same time, because the flashing has to come off either way. If the roof has plenty of life left, a repair or a like-for-like unit swap keeps the job small.
Whichever way it goes, you get the reasoning in writing. If a repair is the right call we will say so, and if the unit is past saving we will show you what failed so the recommendation makes sense.
How We Repair a Skylight
Skylight repairs go wrong when someone treats the symptom with a bead of sealant. We find the failed part first, then fix it in a way that lasts.
- 1
Inspect Inside and Out
We look at the stain and the light well from inside the house, then check the flashing, curb and glazing from the roof.
- 2
Pin Down the Failure
We work out whether water is coming through the flashing, the curb, the seal or the glass itself, since each needs a different fix.
- 3
Written Quote
You get a written quote for a reseal, a new flashing kit, new glass or a new unit, with the reason behind the recommendation.
- 4
Repair or Replace
The crew lifts the surrounding shingles, repairs or replaces whatever failed, and flashes the unit back into the roof.
- 5
Check and Clean Up
We look over the finished flashing and seals, tidy the work area inside and out, and walk you through what was done.
If a skylight is dripping now, keep the floor below it dry, move anything valuable out of the way and call (206) 659-4349. Leaking skylights are prioritized during business hours, Monday through Friday, 7:00 AM to 4:00 PM.
Skylights in Seattle's Climate
Months of Steady Rain
A skylight is an opening in the roof that has to stay sealed through months of steady rain. From fall through spring every seam around it gets tested week after week, so small gaps that might go unnoticed in a drier place turn into leaks here.
Tree Debris
Tree cover adds to the load. Needles, leaves and twigs pile up against the uphill side of a skylight, where they dam water and hold it against the flashing. On heavily wooded lots, that debris pile is often where a skylight leak begins.
Wind on Exposed Slopes
Wind adds another test. Gusts off the Sound and across open ridgelines drive rain uphill under the flashing on the windward side, which is how a skylight can stay dry for months and then leak during one blustery week.
North-Facing Slopes
North-facing slopes stay cold and damp longest in winter. Water sitting in a gap around a skylight on those slopes freezes overnight and expands, pushing the sealant and flashing a little further apart each time the temperature drops.
Recent Work
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Common Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does skylight repair cost in Seattle?
Why is my skylight leaking?
Can you repair a skylight without replacing it?
Do you replace skylights during a roof replacement?
How long does a skylight repair take?
Do you repair tubular skylights and sun tunnels?
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