Skylights bring natural light and can enhance a room, but they also create a penetration in your roof that must be properly installed and maintained to prevent leaks — so the key to skylights is weighing their benefits against the leak risk and ensuring proper installation and flashing. When properly installed and maintained, skylights can be a great feature; when poorly installed or aging, they can be a source of leaks. This article explains the pros and cons of skylights, the leak risk and how it's managed, and what to consider, so you can approach skylights with a clear understanding of both their benefits and their demands.

The benefits of skylights

Skylights offer real benefits that make them appealing. Natural light — the primary benefit; skylights bring natural daylight into a room, brightening spaces that might otherwise be dark and reducing the need for artificial light during the day. Ambiance — natural light from above creates a pleasant, open ambiance in a room. Views — some skylights offer a view of the sky. Sense of space — skylights can make a room feel larger and more open. And potential energy and mood benefits — natural light has potential benefits for mood and can reduce daytime lighting needs.

The main drawback: the leak risk

The main drawback of skylights is that they create a penetration in your roof, which introduces a leak risk. Any penetration in a roof is a potential point of water entry that must be properly sealed and flashed. If a skylight isn't properly installed and flashed, or if that flashing or the skylight ages or fails, water can enter around the skylight, causing leaks.

The critical role of proper installation and flashing

Proper installation and flashing are what prevent water from entering around the skylight. This is where skylight leaks are made or prevented — a properly installed and flashed skylight resists leaks, while a poorly installed or flashed one is prone to them.

Skylights and roof age

When a roof is replaced, it's often a good time to address skylights — ensuring they're properly integrated and flashed with the new roof and replacing aging skylights if needed.

Maintaining skylights

Like other roof elements, skylights benefit from maintenance and attention over time. Including skylights in roof inspections and maintenance — checking their condition and flashing — helps catch issues before they cause leaks.

Signs of a skylight problem

• Water stains around the skylight, on the ceiling or walls nearby.
• Moisture or dampness around the skylight.
• Visible damage or deterioration to the skylight or its flashing.
• Drafts or condensation around a skylight.

Skylights and energy considerations

Modern skylights come in energy-efficient options with glazing designed to manage heat transfer and solar gain. In Colorado, where the intense high-altitude sun can bring significant heat gain, the energy performance of the skylight is worth considering.

Colorado Context: Skylights

In Colorado, the intense high-altitude sun means abundant natural light, but also means the skylight and its seals face intense UV exposure, hail potential, and extreme temperature fluctuations, making proper installation and quality materials vital.