When it comes to general home improvements, a skylight is one of the most effective ways of adding value to a property, while boosting its aesthetic appeal at the same time.
Skylights not only allow more natural light into a property, they also often provide additional ventilation, serve as eye-catching features, and are fantastic for star gazing, or relaxing with a good book on a wet fall afternoon as you listen to the pitter patter of raindrops.
As relaxing as it can be to listen to, and watch the rain through a skylight, dealing with a leaking skylight is certainly not relaxing. In fact, it can be extremely stressful. Skylights are great features, but they can be prone to leaks, and a leaking skylight needs to be taken care of as soon as possible.
If you’ve noticed the rain starting to seep into your home via your skylight, here’s a look at DIY skylight leak repair, as we look at some tips on fixing common issues.
Identify Where the Water is Getting In
Of course, one of the most effective ways of resolving a leaking skylight is to identify where the water may be leaking in from.
If you’ve a skylight in your kitchen for example, if you notice wet patches on your floor, or even small puddles forming whenever you’ve had rain, you know that the skylight is the likely culprit. Next, you can safely make your way up there to figure out precisely where the water is getting in.
Examine the Skylight
If you have the safety equipment, experience, and the wherewithal to get up and examine your skylight, go ahead and inspect it to try to figure out where the leak may be, or what may be causing it.
If you can see a gap where the skylight is installed for example, that is obviously going to be a location where rainwater gets in. It could be, however, that the location of the leak is not visible to the naked eye. It could be that the sealant has perished, or come away slightly.
Examine the skylight, or have an expert examine the skylight, so that you can look for any obvious holes, cracks, or signs of damage that may be responsible for the leak.
Locate the Source of the Leak
Dealing with a leaking skylight, or indeed, a leak of any kind, is particularly difficult because it is so difficult to identify the exact location where the water may be getting in from.
Water is notoriously difficult to deal with and will always find the most convenient way to escape. It doesn’t matter how small the hole may be, even if it’s the size of a pinhead, if there is a hole, water will find it and escape through it.
You may need to use a garden hose, or a bottle of water, to locate the source of the leak. Alternatively, if you have professionals come out and handle it, they’ll have the necessary tools, equipment, and experience needed to locate the leak much quicker.
Rule out Condensation
Believe it or not, but one of the most common causes of a leaking skylight is actually condensation.
People will notice water dripping from above, and will assume it’s because their skylights have a leak somewhere and aren’t sealed properly. In reality, condensation is often the culprit.
In homes with high levels of humidity, or with poor ventilation, condensation will cause the skylight to drip, rather than a leak. Hot air and steam tend to rise, which is why people often assume that a leaking skylight is to blame for water dripping down onto them below.
Before you assume your skylight is leaking, go ahead and rule out condensation as a cause. If condensation is to blame, this could be due to a lack of ventilation. In this case, a ventilating skylight that opens, rather than a fixed one, could be the best solution.
Inspect the Glass
Whereas a faulty or damaged seal is often to blame for a leaking skylight, you should never rule out the possibility of cracked glass either.
Even the tiniest of cracks, barely visible to the naked eye, could allow water in, where it would gradually build up and pool until eventually it leaks.
Cracked skylight glass can be caused by any number of things, though common causes include general wear and tear, extreme temperature fluctuations, hail, or even animals such as birds, dropping heavy items from above.
Safely inspect the glass of your skylight, and if you notice any chips or cracks, no matter how small, make sure you get the glass replaced as soon as possible. Again, the longer you leave it, the worse it will be.
Replace any Worn or Damaged Seals
Damaged, worn, or faulty seals are arguably the most common causes of a leaking skylight.
If you are able to do so, go ahead and carefully inspect the seals of your skylights. If you notice the seals are damaged, weathered, worn down, or simply not sitting flush, they of course won’t be watertight which means that they’ll allow rain to get in whenever it’s raining.
If you are capable of replacing the seals yourself, by all means do so, otherwise go ahead and hire a professional to take care of the replacement for you. It may cost money, but for experts like those, a simple skylight seal replacement is an easy job that they should have done in no time at all.
Ensure the Skylight is Clean Before any Repairs
Finally, whether you’re carrying out the repairs yourself, or having a professional do them for you, you must ensure that the skylight and surrounding area is clean beforehand.
Remove any loose debris, dust, and grease or oil as this could affect the adhesion of new seals. Make sure the skylight and surrounding areas are clean, smooth, and dry beforehand and carrying out any repairs will become much easier and render them far more effective.