Skylight installation in Albany and the Capital Region

We install and replace skylights on homes across Albany, Troy, Schenectady, Saratoga County and the surrounding towns, both as standalone jobs and as part of a roof replacement.

New skylights

A skylight is a hole in the roof. Whether that becomes a problem comes down almost entirely to how the flashing is done.

We install skylights with the manufacturer’s flashing kit for that specific unit and that specific roof covering, woven into the surrounding shingles rather than sealed over the top of them. Sealant is not a flashing method. It has a service life measured in a few years, and a skylight bedded in caulk will leak eventually.

The opening also has to be framed properly. A skylight sits between rafters, and where an opening is wider than the rafter spacing, the framing has to be headed off so the roof structure still carries its load.

Curb-mounted and deck-mounted units flash differently, and the right choice depends on the roof pitch and how the opening is framed. We will tell you which one suits your roof.

Replacing a skylight during a re-roof

This is the moment to do it. The flashing kit ties directly into the shingle courses around the opening, so replacing a skylight means disturbing that area of roof either way.

Doing it while the roof is already off costs a fraction of doing it as a separate job, where you are paying to open up and re-weave a roof that was just finished. If your skylights are getting on and you are planning a roof replacement, price them in at the same time.

An older skylight left in place under a new roof is also the most likely thing to fail on that roof, which is a frustrating way to get a leak in a roof you just paid for.

Leaking skylights

Before assuming the skylight is leaking, work out whether it is condensation.

Skylight glass gets cold. Warm, humid indoor air, especially in a bathroom or kitchen, hits that cold surface and condenses, then runs down the inside of the frame and drips. It looks like a leak and it appears in winter, which is also when real leaks appear. The tell is that condensation shows up on cold, clear days and is worst where indoor humidity is highest, while a genuine leak tracks rainfall.

If it is a real leak, the usual sources are:

• Flashing at the head, sides or sill of the unit, particularly where it was sealed rather than properly stepped in
• A failed seal on an older double-glazed unit, which often shows as fogging between the panes
• The surrounding roof, with water entering uphill and simply appearing at the skylight because that is the first thing in its path

This matters because the fix is completely different in each case. Condensation is a ventilation and humidity problem, a failed seal means replacing the unit, and a flashing failure means opening the roof around it. We treat a leaking skylight the same way we treat any other leak, working from the roof side rather than guessing from the stain, which is covered under roof repair.

We find which of those it is before quoting, because they are very different jobs. Sometimes the skylight is fine and the roof around it is not.

Sun tunnels are worth mentioning as an alternative. Where a room needs daylight but a full skylight is impractical, a tubular unit brings light down through the attic with a much smaller opening in the roof, and therefore a much smaller flashing risk.

Tell us the age of the unit and when the water shows up, and we can usually narrow it down before we get there.