Is Your Leaking Skylight Really Leaking?
HERNDON, VA – May 08, 2013 – While Herndon gardeners are happy about all the rain we’ve had this spring, other residents are hoping May will bring the flowers without the showers. It’s all a matter of perspective, and when you’re a homeowner with a leaking skylight, dry weather is more attractive.
According to Ken Briesemeister, a local roofing contractor, skylight repair is high on his list of services frequently requested. Statistically, homes with skylights are 57% more likely to need roof repairs than homes without. The additional light they add to a room is desirable, but it can be the cause of increased home maintenance costs.
One of the issues homeowners encounter is have their skylights repaired, only to discover the leak has returned. Briesemeister says the problem is not always with the skylight, but with the faulty repairs from an inexperienced roofer.
“What you may not realize when you think your skylight is leaking, is that it might not be your skylight at all”, he said. “Sure, you will see water stains in your ceiling around the skylight, but you have to remember that water travels. You have to test all the areas above the skylight where the there could be leaks, as well as the skylight itself.”
Three weeks ago, Briesemeister was called out to a home on Tori Glen Court. The homeowner had previously used a different company to fix the skylights in his living room. He called them back after the repair failed. After going to the trouble of painting the ceiling, the wet areas around the frame were back. He was worried about more rain in the forecast and was counting on the new contractor to get the job done right.
“We inspected the skylights and the roof above them,” reported Briesemeister. “Even though the leak was showing up around the skylights, it was not the source. The water was actually coming from fireplace chimney, located about three feet higher.”
What he discovered were several hairline cracks in the sealant around the base of the chimney. Over time the wind and driving rain was being forced under the flashing that is supposed to protect it. The rainwater travelled down the roof trusses and found a convenient place to escape around the skylights.
“You have no idea how often this happens – a leak coming from some other part of the roof. That homeowner could have fixed the skylight a hundred times and the leak would not have gone away,” he explained. “You really have to know what you’re doing in situations like this – otherwise you’ll waste a lot of time and the customer’s money.”
Ken Briesemeister is the owner of Improve Today Inc, a Herndon, VA skylight repair company. You can visit his website at http://roof.net/repair-va/herndon/ or read his roof maintenance tips for homeowners on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/ pages/Roof-Repair/ 268357463218519.
