Reasons Why You Should Replace Skylights During A Reroof
A reroof is an expensive project, no questions about it. High-quality materials, expert labor, and insurance dont come cheap. That said, it can be tempting to cut corners whenever possible, and one of the areas where homeowners often want to skimp is skylights. After all, why replace a skylight when re-flashing seems a decentand less expensivealternative?
When it comes to work for skylight replacement over re-flashing, below are 5 reasons to check if a contractor for roofing in Raleigh is worth your consideration:
The cost of re-flashing is between $300 and $500 a replacement costs anywhere from $450 to $1500, depending on the type of skylight. If were talking multiple skylights, the per-unit price differential is even smaller. If you really want to save, think long-term. Barring shoddy workmanship and acts of God, your dollar will always go farther with a new skylight.
The price differential isnt big if youre getting the skylight replaced during a re-roof, but having it done soon after is a different story. Ask yourself whether that skylight is really worth saving. Remember that the seals on some skylights start failing when theyre 10 to 15 years old.
How Much Does It Cost To Replace An Existing Skylight
The average cost to replace an existing skylight is roughly £500. The skylight itself will cost £160 £300, depending on size , plus the cost of installation.
However, it can depend a lot on whether youre also replacing the roof. If you replace the roof and the skylight at the same time, the cost of replacing the skylight is likely to be less than doing the two things separately.
View the Dakeas skylight prices by size.
Skylight Seal Replacement Costs
It costs at least $200 to replace the skylights seal. However, its a critical maintenance practice that prevents leaks around the skylight.
One of the reasons its expensive is that skylight seal inspections are conducted from outside. Then re-sealing happens inside and outside for a waterproof seal. Only re-seal if your skylight is relatively new and hasnt cracked or yellowed.
You May Like: What Is The Cheapest Roofing Material For A Shed
What Skylight Options Are Available
The type of skylights you select depends on why you want them installed. Skylight designs include flat roof skylights, vented skylights, and solar-powered skylights. When the purpose of your skylight is to increase the natural light in your living space, fixed skylights that do not open will be sufficient. Alternatively, if you prefer skylights that you can open to allow fresh air flow, vented skylights are available.
Vented skylights open manually or remotely for fresh air circulation. A solar-powered vented skylight features a solar panel that uses the suns energy to operate the units battery. Skylights with UV coatings increase energy efficiency and can prevent carpet and furniture from fading. Installing a skylight on a south-facing roof can provide passive solar heat during the winter. The laminated glass used for skylights prevents them from shattering into pieces.
Should I Replace Skylights When Reroofing
Yes, it would help if you replaced the skylight when installing a new roof. First, its cost-effective. The roofer will bundle the shingle and skylight installation costs without extra bills.
Secondly, doing so allows you to synchronize the roof and skylight for the perfect roof infrastructure and curb appeal. Also, you can take advantage of full-roof warranties and new features, technologies, and coatings.
You May Like: How Much To Roof A Garage
Remove The Old Skylight
It will depend on whether the roof is also being replaced as to the exact way to remove the old skylight. Use the following as a guide, but it may need adjusting depending on other roof work.
- Remove the tiles around the window. This is likely to be a fairly wide area in order to fully expose the flashing and any foil barriers.
- Remove the flashing and membranes to expose the skylight window. The brackets holding the skylight in place should be exposed.
- The window should then be able to be removed. This might require the use of a crow bar or similar tool to ease the window out.
- Safety remove the roof window out of the area. Be careful not to drop or damage the glass as this could pose a hazard.
Choose From An Array Of Blind And Shutter Colors Patterns And Styles
In addition to helping to conserve energy, there are over 100 colors and pattern choices available. Rolling shutters and blinds by VELUX are designed to complement your new skylight.
The popular types of skylight blinds include
- Room Darkening: A double-pleated or flat skylight blind that can transform your space from day to night
- Light Filtering: The perfect option for diffusing light, ideal for areas such as kitchens and living rooms
- Venetian Skylight Blinds: This product provides a smooth and simple operation, conveniently allowing you to position your blinds at any point on the skylight
Not only are blinds and shutters aesthetically appealing, they can also earn you tax rebates with the federal government.
Mod skylights have new low-emissivity coatings, pane layering, and glazes which increase the energy efficiency and extends its lifespan. So many opportunities!
Also Check: What Is A Roof Boot
Our Commitment To You
Mission: Our mission is to combine a high-level customer experience and value of service while making it easy for people to do business with us.
Values: If integrity, honesty, respect, character and value matter to you, then youve come to the right place and youll be happy that you hired PRC.
Purpose: Everyone wants to buy, but no one wants to be sold. We believe that relationships are at the core of business and you matter to us.
Skylights Have A Lifespan
Skylights,just like most other building structures, have a specific lifespan. Whether youhave invested in expensive or inexpensive skylights, they are not built to lastforever.
Over timeskylights can either crack due to the heat of the sun or they can lose theirshape due to exposure to weather elements and potential water or mold build-up.
It isimportant to replace them at some point, why not when youre replacing yourroof?
You May Like: How To Get Rid Of Bees In The Roof
Should Flashing Be Replaced Or Re
I knew comparing bids from different contractors was difficult for homeowners that dont do it everyday, but I didnt realize HOW frustrating it truly was until my grandmother in California sent me three estimates she had received from local roofing contractors and asked me to tell her which one she should go with. This is what I do for a living and I couldnt compare one to another as each contractor was recommending a different scope of work, different specifications and different products in each proposal. There was absolutely no way to compare apples to apples between the three bids and I came to the stark realization that this is the quandry that each of my customers are faced with, here in Hampton Roads, Virginia, when I present them with a proposal. I feel for them.
One of the biggest differences between roofing estimates that homeowners will receive is that one roofing contractor may have included replacing the flashing in his proposal while another roofing contractor may be re-using it. This could be a huge difference in the amount of work being performed and result in a very large price difference!
Why Dont Roofing Shingle Manufacturers Recommend Re
The short answer is, because the nails dont always go back into the same holes they were in originally. Practically, however, when youre replacing a 15-20 year old roof, you dont know:
1. How the original flashing was installed. Was it nailed properly?
2. Has the flashing been repaired in the past? What kind of repair was made? Weve found everything from pinholes repaired with caulk to cut up beer can aluminum as repairs.
3. How many times the flashing has been re-used over the lifetime of the house? Does the flashing look like swiss cheese its been nailed down so many times?
Recommended Reading: What Is A Red Roof Inn Plus
Benefits Of Replacing Skylights
It may seem like replacing the skylight is only an added cost but it can actually benefit your home in the long run. These are just a few major benefits that you get from replacing the skylights when you replace your roof.
Money Saver
While your contractor is already up there, getting your contractors to do work on your skylight will actually cost you less if added on to the cost of roofing. If you decide to replace the skylight at a later time, you might even end up paying double, especially on labor costs.
Seal Failure
A common occurrence when homeowners decide to replace their roofs and not their skylights is that the skylight glass would eventually start to fog up in half a years time. This is because of seal failure that often occurs when the surrounding shingles around the skylight are removed and replaced.
Replacing your skylight is inevitable. In all honesty, the best time to do this would be when you are replacing your roof. Not only will you save up on labor costs, but you also avoid the likely occurrence of damage from the replacement. The best thing is that youll get a whole new skylight as well.
Emergency Skylight Repairs Cost
Emergency skylight repair costs range from $100 to $300 on top of standard labor charges. For instance, whereas a regular heat loss repair job costs $50 to $800, emergency jobs cost $350 to $1,100.
However, the costs are worth it, given the potential savings. For instance, severe leaks can cause severe damage in the attic and down on the floor. In addition, rotting, wall damage, and water damage are possible. The leaks can also short-circuit electronics and damage your stationery.
Emergency repairs typically happen on weekends and public holidays. Some also start earlier than usual or go way into the night.
Don’t Miss: How Much Is A Tile Roof In Florida
But Is The Price Difference Worth The Extra Work
First we have to figure out when it comes to roofing what is flashing?
Flashing refers to thin pieces of sheet metal installed to prevent the passage of water into a structure from an angle or joint.
On a residential home you should expect flashing in the following areas:1. Where the shingles terminate against a vertical wall, such as a side of a second story or a dormer or chimney.2. Any protrusion in the roof such as a plumbing vent pipe, HVAC vent or stove pipe, or solatube or skylight.3. Sometimes in valleys where two roof slopes meet.Heres a good video that shows how the shingles, flashing, housewrap and siding all fit together:The flashing is nailed to the roof and it is critical that the nail placement is proper or it will result in leaks. In fact, after diagnosing roofing leaks for 15 years, I can tell you that roofs rarely leak in the field of the shingles, 90% of the time they leak where the roof stops, starts or changes direction which means most of the time the problem is with a flashing.
This roof leak in a Poquoson, Virginia home was from a pipe collar flashing.
This brings us to the question,if the flashing wasnt leaking on the old roof, why shouldnt we re-use it when the shingles are replaced? The short answer is you can and its possible there will be no problems. But re-using the flashing cant be considered a best practice, even though it is allowed by the building code it is NOT recommended by any shingle manufacturer.
Risks Of Installing A Skylight After Or Before Replacing The Roof
There are various things that can go wrong with installing a skylight before or after a roof replacement as to why it is recommended to replace the skylight at the same time as the roof such as leaking, warping of materials, and rotting. Since an opening for the skylight must be made and needs to be large enough for the work to install the skylight to be done this increases the spacing around the skylight creating a larger area in which faults can occur. These possible issues with installing a skylight into an existing roof are also the reason that its not recommended to install a skylight after installing a new roof as this can void the warranty on the roof since it is preforming work that introduces addition failure points to an already validated roof.
It is important to think about the timing of when to install a skylight and the risks involved in the process to minimize the risks, costs and headaches that can come from this. It is always recommended to replace a skylight when getting a new roof and it is optimal to install skylights when installing a roof all of this is to prevent possible damage to the roof and the skylight which can cause either of these to need to be replace earlier then normally need. If your thinking of getting a skylight installed and having any questions or concerns, give us a call ator send us a message on our contact page.
Also Check: How Much Is A Tesla Roof Cost
Can You Replace A Skylight Yourself
You shouldnt replace a skylight yourself unless you have significant roofing experience. It can be easy to get wrong, leading to leaks and potential damage to your home.
These are instructions on how to install a Dakea skylight. If youre installing a different skylight, the instructions might also be applicable, but we recommend consulting the manufacturers guide. If youre replacing a roof window, our guide on installing a roof window might be more helpful!
Installing A Skylight When Replacing A Roof
Skylights have many benefits such as providing natural lighting and solar heating while reducing energy usage. Roofing or re-roofing your home is a perfect time to install or replace a skylight, as when removing the roof building, the decking and supports of the roof will be exposed making the task of installing the skylight easier.
Don’t Miss: What Is A Modified Roof
In The Long Run It’s More Cost
In my remodeling travels, Im often asked whether you should replace skylights when you re-roof.
Skylights have a service life, and replacing them when re-roofing is the best approach. In the long run, its more cost-efficient, and allows you to synchronize your roof and skylight warranties. You also have the opportunity to update with new features, technologies, and coatings.
The cost
If you reuse your old ones, the cost of reflashing them is between $200 and $600 per skylight. If you replace them, the expense is $800 to $1,500, depending on the type of skylight you choose. The price difference may be the decider for you, but you should know that roofers sometimes include a disclaimer stating that they will not be held responsible for future glass-seal failures or other leaks with older skylights.
Theres a reason for this disclaimer. An asphalt roof, for example, has a life span of 20 to 30 years, depending on the type of roofing material and weather exposure. A skylights life span is about the same. It costs a roofer less to replace a skylight when the roof has no shingles.
The technology
Today, skylight technology is far more advanced. I like a solar-powered one with a built-in rain sensor. When it detects rain, this sensor automatically closes the unit, and because its solar powered, theres no need to hire an electrician. Solar-powered skylights also come with a touch-screen, programmable remote control, allowing you to customize venting options:
The tax credit
Should I Replace My Skylight With My Roof
Skylights are nice home accents that brighten up your home. When replacing your roof, we always recommend replacing your skylight flashing kit at a minimum. Usually, it is more cost effective to replace your skylight and less of a headache for you as a homeowner to get the skylight replaced during the roof.
Skylights typically last around 20 years. Your roof may be 10, 15, 20, or 25 years old. Easy decision if you are at the 20-25 year mark, but not always obvious what to do if you are at the 10-15 year mark.
If your roof is closer to 15 then it is still a good choice to replace. Even if your skylight wasnât leaking with your old roof, it just might leak within a year or two after replacing your roof. Why? While tearing off the old shingles and having the roof deck jostled around, the seal on your skylight window might shift a bit causing earlier leaks than anticipated. Now you have a new roof but a leaking skylight 1-2 years later.
If your roof is closer to 10 years old or younger, it might be an ok decision to leave the existing skylight on the roof and just replace the flashing kit around it. It hopefully has several more years ahead of it before needing replaced. You save money during your roof replacement. However, it is not uncommon for homeowners to still replace the skylights with the roof at this stage to reset the life cycle of both at the same time.
Read Also: How Much Is A Steel Roof Cost
Do Your Skylights Have Cracks
Do not ignore cracks in your skylights. A tiny breach can allow a significant amount of moisture to pass through the skylight. Over time, cracks grow larger, letting in more water. In addition to skylight replacement, you will pay more for other structural and cosmetic repairs. No matter how small, a crack is a sign that a skylight needs to be assessed or replaced by a professional.
