This skylight had been repaired on a few occasions. The last roofer that tried to re seal it used a completely wrong material. The black material that he overlaid the skylight with is meant for flat roofing applications, so everything had to be removed. He even used it around the adjacent vent that had been wrongly used for a bathroom fan exhaust.

Once the roofing materials had been removed from around the skylight the new skylight can be installed. In this case the proper vent (Maximum CT-4) for the bathroom fan was also installed. It’s important to clean everything down to the wood so the new roofing materials and flashing can make a good connection to the new installed skylight.

Ice and water shield is an underlayment that gives a secondary barrier underneath the shingles and flashing. It is what protects the skylight and adjacent roofing from wind driven rain and winter ice damming conditions (water and ice creeping uphill during freeze / thaw cycles). It’s important to use top quality ice and water shield that has a smooth surface so that it can be wrapped around the skylight tightly and effectively.

High Quality ice and water shield is wrapped around the whole frame of the skylight, and extra is put up above the top flashing. This extra layer provides protection particularly in the winter when a lot of snow can build up above the skylight and possibly get in behind the shingles.

Once the flashing and new shingles have been installed the new skylight is sealed for life. It’s important to use new shingles and make a new connection to the flashing system rather than trying to use the old shingles. Sometimes the new shingles color may vary a little bit from the old (because the old ones have faded) but having all new material (Flashing, Shingles, Ice and Water Shield) is the only way to have seal that will stand the test of time.

• Start with a top quality skylight; saving a few dollars on a cheap skylight usually gives a shorter life span and ends up costing more in the long run
• replacing all the materials that make the skylight connection to the roof while replacing old skylight
• Use a high quality ice and water shield; Suprema Lastobond Shield to protect the skylight
• Use the manufacturer’s factory made flashing system; It matches perfectly and guarantees full warranty
• Check the contract details. Many contractors make it sound like they’re providing the same quality but actually offer much cheaper materials; doing due diligence is important when replacing skylight
• Connection of the new skylight to the existing light shaft; It’s important to make the necessary adjustments to the top of the existing light shaft (Trim and/ or Interior sealants) so that the connection of the new skylight is aesthetically pleasing , because that’s how you see your skylight.

43 Riviera Drive, Unit 10
Markham, ON, L3R 5J6

(416) 540-4232

case study
2018-02d