A damaged or broken skylight is a major hassle. Not only could leaks when it rains cause severe water damage to the furniture, furnishings and the rest of the interior but if the water ingress is extreme, the structure of the house could be affected. Any of these situations will not only involve expensive repair but the normal daily routine of the home will also be affected, causing problems for all those residing there.
Repair Or Replacement?
Should a damaged skylight be repaired or replaced? It is often tempting to go in for a repair. It is usually a quick job and is, at least on the surface, inexpensive. But that appearance is deceptive. Repairing a skylight is like applying a band-aid to a deep wound. It may hide the injury from view, but the damage remains under the surface. And just as a wound can become infected and get worse if not given the right treatment, a skylight that has been repaired will usually continue to develop other problems, often unseen until they become very serious. By that time it is not just the skylight that has been ruined, the surrounding area of the roof may also be affected. It may be possible to repair a small leak, but a little way down the line the skylight may completely give way in the rain, flooding the area below it. And, to state the obvious, a repaired skylight, like anything else, will never be the same as a new one.
Evaluating The Damage
Examining a skylight is not the same as checking the condition of a window. Windows are easy to access and because they are opened and closed so frequently, signs of trouble will usually be noticed early before the problem gets worse. You can try to fix the problem yourself, or if that is not appealing, you can get a handyman to have a look at the window and try to repair it. It probably will not be expensive and if the repairs do not hold, you can then go in for a replacement. Unless the glass is shattered, posing a security risk or allowing rain and dirt to get in the house, it is not typically an urgent matter.
Skylights are very different. First of all, accessing a skylight is not easy. It means going up on the roof, which many homeowners may not be comfortable with. Once up, evaluating the damage is not simple. The most obvious problem is usually broken or cracked glass – you can see it. But what about other problems like leaks? There are various reasons why a skylight could leak and these range from worn-out sealing around the glass to damaged flashing or clogged weep holes. Weep holes allow condensation to evaporate into the atmosphere instead of dripping down to your floor. If the skylight has been secured with roof cement, the cement may have started to crack with age and this will allow water to enter. Discoloration or increasing opacity of the glass is another common problem. It may be possible to replace only the glass, but the chances of leaks occurring in the near future increase substantially.
Call In The Experts
A leaking, damaged or broken skylight is a major problem. Besides the possibility of water damage to your carpets and furnishing (and perhaps, in the worst case, even to the building structure), there are safety and security issues to be considered. Damp floors are an invitation to slipping and falling which may cause serious injury. A broken skylight is an entry point for robbers. And of course, the loss of natural sunlight in the house because of discolored or damaged glass reduces the happy atmosphere of the home.
Skylight repairs may, at best, be a short terms solution. It is far better to go in for replacement. And this replacement should be done only by experts so that you can be sure of many years without having to worry about skylight problems. When it comes to replacing skylights, Sunlight Concepts is the first choice for Bay Area residents. We are the Premier Dealer for Solatube, the world leader in skylight manufacturing and technology. We offer a range of skylights including both fixed and solar powered openable models. Our highly trained and experienced staff is just a phone call. The process is simple:
• You call us and we fix an appointment to come to your house.
• Our certified installation consultant will visit you and evaluate the existing skylight.
• You will be told about the problems that exist and helped to choose the replacement you need.
• As soon as the replacement is ready, we will come back to your house, remove the old skylight and install the new one. All this will be done by experts to the highest professional standards.
• That’s it - now you can sit back and enjoy the new skylight.
Call us at Bay area (408) 317-0510 or Monterey area (831) 208-5806 and ask for our free consultation. Our check out our website to learn more.
Comments
Post a Comment