Skylight repair

Factual Questions
1

I have a Velux skylight in my bedroom that I would really like to fix. It has some major issues. I would be willing to fix it myself if it isn’t too hard or require specialized parts. Here are my issues with it:

  1. The crank handle is missing. I would love to be able to open it on a summer night, but i can’t.
  2. The socket for the crank handle is stripped to death. Even if I do get another handle, I won’t be able to put it in until I fix the socket.
  3. It leaks. A lot. Specifically, the trim around it. Whenever there is a heavy downpour, a lot of water seeps through the trim and I have to keep a bucket underneath. Some of the water doesn’t make it to the floor and seeps into the plaster of the ceiling. This continued to be an issue after the roof was replaced, so I know it’s not a roof problem.
    How much would it cost to fix this myself? How much would a professional cost? Are the handles and sockets standard or will I need to get them from Velux?
2

Replace the entire thing, should be less than a grand, installed.

3

Oh, dear.

I think you are looking at a full replacement. The leak is probably from the flashing around the windows (could be that the window itself is also leaking, but in that case it’s likely the flashing is, too.) what kind of condition is the roof in?

Unless you are comfortable with roof work, this is unlikely to be something you can Diy. It also needs to be dealt with ASAP,because with every rain, you’re damaging the structure of the house.

I can’t comment on the cost of replacement without knowing your location. Handles and whatnot run around $15 or less (just ordered a bunch from andersen) but you have much bigger problems than that if it’s leaking into the plaster. Good luck.

4

The roof is in great shape. The skylight has leaked for a long time, but only recently lost the handle. A few years ago I had the roof replaced, which had absolutely no effect on the skylight. It leaked before and it leaked after.
My location is Portland, Maine.

5

I used to live in Lebanon, Maine. Love it up there.

Did you tell the roofers that the skylight was leaking? I’m not trying to be a downer, it’s just that leaking roofs can easily cause major structural damage that gets way more expensive than properly replacing a skylight. Assuming the framing around the skylight hasn’t been badly damaged yet, I think a grand to replace it is about right.

6

First - is the thing mounted directly to the roof?

That pretty much guarantees leakage - run a course of 2x4’s around the perimeter (edge up) and mount the skylight on the 2x4’s.

Ask “why is the drive stripped?”. My guess: somebody thought that cranking it down REAL hard would somehow fix the leak. won’t work if the leak is on/around the mounting flange.

7

My dad’s house had several leaky skylights. Short answer: Don’t replace it,** remove it**. IOW take it out and have the hole filled with regular roof! Anytime you have to penetrate your roof’s surface it’s a potential leak. Vent pipes/ducts etc.thru the roof are one thing, but a skylight has an order of magnitude more linear inches of sealed seam that will eventually leak…

8

Don’t do this.

fisha, roofer

9

Upon further reflection, I’d like to make a comment.

Don’t give advice about something you know nothing about. I see it here all the time, and it drives me crazy. (Remember the thread that advised that the best way to clean your gutters is scaffolding or a cherry picker?)

usedtobe, can you please explain to me how raising a skylight off the roof deck by adding 2x4"s is going to help? Please explain how you’re going to attach it to the roof, how you’re going to mount the skylight to the wood, how you’re going to flash the 2x4"s and the roof, and flash the 2x4 to the skylight. Instead of having one area of potential leaking, you’ve created two. How is that a better solution?. What are we going to cover the wood with, so it doesn’t rot out?

Also, op, why would you replace the roof, and not the leaking skylight that’s wrecking your ceiling? Now a roofer has to go back, rip up shingles and flashing, install the new skylight, cobble together new and old shingles (that will look different) and possibly damage your roof. Us roofers are not excited about doing this.

Even though roofers are not excited about installing just a skylight, don’t let anyone else do it. Not you, not your neighbor, not a handyman or a carpenter. A ROOFER. This will increase your odds significantly of not having future leaks.

On a negative note, never cut unnecessary holes in your roof, like skylights.

On a positive note, newer skylights have much better flashing systems.

fisha, roofer, who knows this will fall on deaf ears, and is thinking seriously about investing in a cherry picker rental business.

10

My ref was a skylight I had in a house built in 1918.

The roofer tool one look and built a box and put the new skylight on the box, explaining the the old steel and glass unit was rusted and about to fail, and that putting a skylight directly on the deck would greatly increase chance/guarantee that it would leak.
This was a flat top which may influence the optimal design.
I’ll leave it to those who nail boards together professionally to explain how to nail these boards together.

I have yet to advise use of a cherry-picker for gutter cleaning,

You mount a little scoop on your drone and use it to clear the gutter.

11

My home has 6 of those velux skylights. Very nice. Until, you have a problem with them.

My problem? The skylight right over my jacuzzi tub inside the master bath decided to explode and rain down pieces of glass all over the bathroom. Thank goodness the tub wasn’t beling used at the time, or it could have been a mess. The skylight was double-paned, and we got very lucky in that the second pane didn’t break or leak. The inside oane beoke, which was bad, but the house was still water-tight, as was the window.

I am handy around a house, and velux offered to send me the replacement window for free (which they did). Problem was, I had no easy way of getting to that spot on my roof. My roof is pitched at a very steep angle, and if you aren’t able or used to climbing up on modern roofs, I’d recommend hiring a professional.

Velux actually came out and looked at the glass, and took some back for testing (I assume). They didn’t know what happened, exactly, but they surmised the house settled, the window became tourqued a bit too much for what it could handle, and “pop”! Glass shower!

The new window is fine. If Velux won’t pay for the actual repairs, either pay for them yourself or see what your homeowner’s policy might cover. But don’t do this one if you are winging it.

12

I have a velux that leaked, mostly at the bottom sides. The glazing was fine, but there were seams where metal was joined and the leaks were happening there.

I used a tube of silicone caulk to seal any metal joints on the face of the skylight. I think there was one on each side. A strip of bitumen with a foil back would have worked, too.

Good luck!