For any home, regardless of the size or location, skylights are one of the best accessories you can add. Not only are skylights practical and aesthetically pleasing, they’re also features in high demand, that can add considerable value to a home.
Skylights essentially serve as windows in the roof or ceiling of your home. They come in many different shapes, sizes, and designs, and are ideal for letting more natural light into the home, along with providing ventilation in some cases. Add to this, the fact that they provide unobstructed views outdoors up into the sky, and you can see why they’re so highly sought after by homeowners all over the globe.
While skylights are great for light, ventilation, aesthetics, and energy efficiency, they don’t last forever, and do require regular maintenance and upkeep to keep them looking their best and working as they should.
Replacing a skylight is costly and time-consuming, so the longer your skylights last, the better. This is where regular care and maintenance enters the fold. Here are six maintenance tips for skylight longevity.
Regularly Clean Your Skylights
Cleaning skylights isn’t like cleaning your bathroom mirror, it’s something that takes a lot more time, equipment, and effort. Skylights are located in the roof or ceiling of a property, which means that you need to be able to get up there to clean them.
Once you have the necessary tools and equipment, I.E ladder, cleaning solutions, fresh water, cloths ETC, carefully make your way up to the skylight and give it a good clean. Don’t just clean the glass, clean around the edges, clean the seals, and remove any debris or detritus from the surrounding area.
Make sure you aren’t too rough with the seals, or that you don’t use too much water. If water is able to penetrate beneath, it will no longer be watertight, and the problem will only get worse.
Don’t forget to clean from inside your property as well. The inside won’t be as dirty, but it’s still important to keep it clean.
Try to clean your skylights at least twice a year, although if you can manage more than that, that certainly won’t hurt.
Use the Right Cleaning Solution
Whereas some people spend hundred of dollars on expensive cleaning solutions and chemicals, most experts agree that all that’s needed for cleaning your skylights is warm soapy water mixed with a mild dish soap.
Harsh chemicals could damage the skylight’s flashing and seals, and even cause the glass to discolor and fade. Abrasive cleaners are especially detrimental, as they can cause minor scratches in the glass.
Simply wash as you would anything else using a soft, microfiber cloth, rinse with clean water, and dry using a lint-free cloth or rag. This will not only dry it quickly, it will also prevent water spots and streaks so you’ll get a nice clear view through the window.
Clean Under the Right Conditions
When you do clean your skylights, it’s important that you choose the right conditions to do so.
A lot of people make the mistake of choosing a hot, clear, sunny, summer day as it will be so nice to be outside. The problem here is that direct sunlight and warm temperatures could cause water droplets and cleaning solutions to dry too quickly. This could result in streaks and smears which look unsightly.
Obviously, you wouldn’t choose a cold and wet day, or particularly wintery day as this would be unsafe. Not to mention unpleasant. Ideally you want a mild, dry, fairly cloudy day with not too much breeze. This will allow you to wash the skylight, and will let it dry naturally, without any streaks, smears, or stains.
Inspect Your Skylights Regularly
Even if your skylights look perfectly fine and you have no reason to suspect they’re damaged or weathered, you should still make time to inspect them regularly.
Carefully get up there using a safety ladder, and check the skylight and seals for any visible signs of damage or wear and tear. Are the seals and flashing intact? Is the glass chipped or cracked? Are there spiders webs and signs of bugs and insects? Can you see any condensation or evidence of a leak? All these things need to be considered when you give your skylights a once over.
Ideally you should inspect your skylights twice a year. Most people will check before Fall, and immediately after the winter. This is where the weather is the most extreme and is where most damage may occur.
Take Care of Any Problems Immediately
Far too many people will notice a leaking skylight, chipped glass, or any other signs of damage and will simply ignore it, hoping it doesn’t get any worse. Unfortunately, life doesn’t work that way and if your skylight is damaged, the problem will only get worse.
If you see any signs of damage, or harsh wear and tear, get those problems taken care of immediately. If you’re able to carry out the fixes yourself, by all means do so. If not however, bring in the experts and leave it to them instead.
Don’t Be Afraid to Change Glass
While replacing the glass of your skylight may seem like an expensive and daunting task, it isn’t as bad as some people believe.
While it isn’t a quick 5-minute fix, you certainly don’t need to spend an entire day working on it. If you have an older skylight that was perhaps there when you first moved in, it could have single pane glass. This is thinner, more susceptible to damage, and less energy-efficient, especially in the winter.
Replacing single pane glass with double, or even triple pane glass means your skylights will be more energy efficient, plus the glass will be harder and more durable, so it will last longer.
Replacing the glass is far more affordable than replacing the entire skylight, frame, flashing, seal and all, so don’t be afraid to make small changes to prevent larger problems later down the road.