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Skylights- Best Practices- A Chelan and Wenatchee Home Inspector

By
Home Inspector with NCW Home Inspections, LLC

Skylights- Best Practices- A Chelan and Wenatchee Home Inspector



As home inspectors roof inspections are paramount. One of the areas I evaluate most thoroughly is any penetrations through the roof covering. This includes Vents, Masts, Chimneys and most importantly Skylights.

Skylights are notorious for leaking and creating condensate problems that can lead to rot and deterioration of the roofing substructure and interior finishes.

                                          Leaking Skylight

Skylights are great at allowing natural sunlight to enter the home creating a much warmer atmosphere in the home, but at what cost?

Now to best practices. Velux is a manufacturer of skylight and solar tube products and considered by many to be one of the best of these products on the market.

I would tend to agree. Velux comes with its own integrated flashing system that does seem to work very well when properly installed.

Here we have an example of Velux skylights with their flashing system.                                                                                     Velux Flashing System                   Velux Flashing Kit

                                   Velux Skylight   



If you want skylights I caution that that you evaluate where these are installed because visual inspection will need to be performed periodically to ensure the systems is still in good shape and functioning as intended.

I also would advise that you buy the best system and installation available because you will pay for a poorly installed and designed system in the long run, with possible dire complications.

 

 

"The only thing more expensive than education is ignorance."

Benjamin Franklin

 

 

 

“Inspecting the World-One Home at a time”

NCW Home Inspections, LLC  is a Licensed Washington State Home Inspection service located in Wenatchee Washington serving Chelan County, Douglas County, Kittitas County, Okanogan County and Grant County Washington and the cities of Wenatchee, Leavenworth, Cashmere, Orville, Cle Elum, East Wenatchee, Quincy and many more…                             

Jay Markanich
Jay Markanich Real Estate Inspections, LLC - Bristow, VA
Home Inspector - servicing all Northern Virginia

I recommend Velux all the time.  Once during an inspection the people were saying that it did not look like the skylight in the living room had ever leaked, and it was true, there was NO evidence it ever had.  And then a rain storm happened.  It leaked!

Nov 04, 2011 12:28 AM
Donald Hester
NCW Home Inspections, LLC - Wenatchee, WA
NCW Home Inspections, LLC

Jay, Skylights can be an issue. Like in the top pic all the skylights on that home leaked. I think Velux has the best system going. They even have there "No Leak" line of products (I wonder what the other lines are called... maybe will leak ; ). I installed some on my home and they have performed very well.

Nov 04, 2011 02:15 AM
Ronald DiLalla
Century 21 Discovery DRE 01813824 - Anaheim, CA
No. Orange Cty Real Estate

Sometimes they are a major problem here in Southern California...Proper installation an absolute must.

Nov 06, 2011 10:17 PM
Donald Hester
NCW Home Inspections, LLC - Wenatchee, WA
NCW Home Inspections, LLC

Ronald, Skylights are always one of the tougher installation and many times problematic. I understand the why people like them but anytime you put another hole in your roocherapuf it has a chance to have leakage issues.

Nov 07, 2011 02:30 AM