Newark Roof Repair Pros installs skylights and handles the roof penetrations that come with them for homeowners in Clifton, NJ. A skylight is only as good as the flashing and sealant around it, so this page is about how those details are done and how they fail. We work on the roof itself, not just the glass unit inside the frame.
How Skylight Penetrations Actually Fail
Water almost never gets in through the glass. It gets in at the edges, where the skylight frame meets the roof surface and where the flashing meets the shingles. On a suburban Clifton roof, that means freeze and thaw cycles working on sealant, plus summer heat cooking the same sealant until it pulls away.
- Cracked or shrunken sealant along the curb and frame edges
- Step flashing that was nailed wrong or never woven into the courses
- Ice damming at the uphill side pushing water under the flashing
- Condensation inside the unit mistaken for an actual roof leak
Flashing And Sealing We Install
A skylight needs a curb, layers of flashing that shed water in the right direction, and sealant used as a backup rather than the primary defense. We set the flashing into the shingle courses so water runs over and past the penetration instead of sitting against it. Sealant gets applied where it belongs, not smeared over everything as a shortcut.
- Curb flashing integrated with the shingle courses, not laid on top
- Counter flashing and step flashing on the sides and uphill edge
- Compatible sealant rated for the temperature swings we get here
- Gutter and downspout checked so runoff clears the skylight area
Repairing An Existing Skylight Leak
If a skylight is already leaking, the fix depends on whether the unit itself is sound or the flashing around it has failed. Sometimes the flashing can be rebuilt and resealed without touching the skylight. Other times the unit is past saving and the opening needs a proper roof repair or replacement around it.
- We inspect the roof deck and framing around the opening
- Flashing is rebuilt when the skylight unit is still in good shape
- Roof repair or replacement is quoted when the surrounding roof is failing
- Storm damage and insurance claim assistance are available if a storm caused it
Call us to set up a roof inspection and get a straight answer on whether your skylight needs flashing work or a full replacement. We will look at the penetration, the shingles around it and the deck underneath before we quote anything.