While access to free natural lighting is one of the main benefits of skylights, it also has a drawback. Depending on the location, skylights can let in too much light, contributing to glare and excessive exposure to UV rays. Not only can this be harmful to employees, but it can also cause preventable damage to furniture, carpets, artwork, and more valuable objects. Leaks occur most often due to poor installation.
You should make sure to hire an expert maintenance personnel to properly fit your skylight and seal it hermetically. The most common problem with skylights is their tendency to leak because the flashes surrounding them are damaged due to corrosion.
They can also form under skylights because snow on hot glass melts and then refreezes on the cold roof surface below.
If you calculate the maximum load based on the rest of the roof, the skylight could fail due to the excess weight of heavy snowfall. Skylights also leak due to damaged flashes, the component that seals the space between the skylight and the roof.It perfectly seals the skylight frame and roof, so it must be kept in perfect condition to prevent more water from entering. Roof-mounted skylights are installed on the roof deck, while skylights mounted on curbs are placed on a curb that is then attached to the roof. Whether it's a persistent drip during heavy rain or a subtle seep that goes unnoticed until water stains appear on the roof, leaking skylights can become a nightmare for homeowners. To get the most benefit from free natural lighting, you should dedicate 7 to 10% of your roof to skylights.
Depending on the quality of the safety net or the weight of the victim, roof maintenance professionals can fall through it as easily as they would through a skylight. When considering skylights as part of your building's future, remember to think about hidden costs, such as increased roof maintenance, heating and cooling, and safety precautions. If you look at that article, you'll see an image cropped on the roof of a lighting shaft, which is a sealed reflective tube that brings natural light to homes from the roof, but doesn't have the same durability issues than a skylight. If you're wondering who to call to fix your leaking skylight, a trustworthy roofing company can help you by thoroughly inspecting the situation, identifying the problem, and resolving the problem once and for all.
A quality roofer can help you determine the ideal place to install skylights to maximize exposure to light and minimize energy costs.
