Skylights are a great thing to have and are an incredible addition to any room, especially if that room is lacking natural light. They improve ventilation, increase privacy and even reduce your electricity bills. However, before installing a skylight, you should understand how it might affect your roof. Here are a few things that you need to know.
The Bad News
While a skylight does not necessarily weaken your roof (if installed properly), it does increase the chances of leaks developing. This is because you will be adding more edges to your roof to make room for it. This creates a weak spot and increases the risk of water infiltration. The good news is that when installed correctly by a professional and maintained properly, you will not need to worry about this problem.
Consider the Size
If you’ve been thinking about installing skylights for some time now, then you probably already have a pretty good idea of how large you want them to be. One thing to take note of is that bigger skylights will likely require trusses to be cut into to make room for them. You may also need to set up some additional supports. Needless to say, this can get quite expensive. Fortunately, most residential roofing systems typically have enough room for a two-by-two-foot wide window section.
Maintenance
Another thing you have to consider is cleaning. Your skylights will be exposed to the elements and will get dirty for sure. Be prepared to hire a professional roofer for help with cleaning. Avoid cleaning it yourself, especially if your roof is sloped, to prevent damaging the shingles around your skylight.
Balken Roofing is proud to provide high-quality roofing services at a reasonable price to residents of Asheville, NC, as well as its surrounding areas. If you need any kind of work done on your roof, be sure to give us a call at (828) 662-3027, or fill out our contact form to schedule a free consultation today.
