Curb-mounted skylights
Mounted on a raised frame above the roof surface, flashed on all four sides. Common on low-slope and flat roofs, where a curb lifts the opening above standing water.
Urgent? Call to reach a local roofer
Skylight Leak Repair and Installation in Schaumburg: Curbs, Flashing and Seals
Tracing and fixing leaks around skylights in 1970s to 1990s roofs, and what to know before adding a new one.
- Roof repair and full replacement
- Ice dams, hail and storm damage
- Connected to an independent local roofer
Get a fast quote
Fastest: call (833) 751-2102. Or send this and we call you back.
Skylights
Skylight Installation and Leak Repair: what it covers
Quick answer
A leaking skylight usually leaks at the curb or flashing around it, or through failed seals in the unit, not through the glass itself. Schaumburg Roofing connects you with an independent local roofer who traces the water, repairs or reflashes the opening, and tells you honestly whether the unit should be replaced.
A skylight is a hole in the roof with a window in it, and it asks the roof to do something unnatural: keep water out of an opening that sits in the path of every drop of rain and every pound of snow that slides down the slope. Good ones do this for decades. Many of those installed in the 1970s to 1990s, when skylights were a popular addition to ranches and split-levels, are now at an age when seals shrink, flashing corrodes and the framing around the curb has seen too many freeze-thaw cycles.
Leaks around skylights are easy to misread. Condensation on the inside of the glass in a cold winter is not a leak, though it looks like one. A stain on the ceiling around the light shaft can be water from the roof flashing, or water coming through the glazing seal, or moisture from the room itself. The roofer's job is to tell these apart, because the repairs differ.
Schaumburg Roofing is a call line that puts you through to an independent local roofer. The roofer inspects the skylight, the flashing and the shaft, and quotes repair or replacement. Call (833) 751-2102, describe when the leak appears and whether it is a drip, a stain or fogging between panes, and ask whether the roofer works on the make of skylight you have.
- Service area
- Schaumburg & Cook County
- Availability
- Call to reach a local roofer, emergencies first
- Phone
- (833) 751-2102
Warning signs
Signs you need skylight installation and leak repair
Do not walk on the roof to look at a skylight, and never stand on the glass or the frame. Skylights can break underfoot, and a fall through one is a serious injury. Inspect from the room, photograph and call.
- A ring-shaped stain around the skylight on the ceiling or the walls of the light shaft
- Drips from the frame during rain or when snow melts on the glass
- Fogging or moisture trapped between double panes
- Rust, staining or peeling paint on the frame or shaft
- Cracked or hardened sealant around the frame on the roof
- Snow or ice accumulating at the uphill side of the skylight
- Mold or mildew spots on the shaft walls
Our process
How our skylight installation and leak repair visit works
Separate condensation from leaking
Water on the glass in cold, humid weather can be condensation. The roofer asks when it happens, whether it follows rain or snowmelt, and whether the stain is at the frame or the room side.
Inspect from above and below
The roofer checks the flashing and curb on the roof and the shaft and framing from the attic or the room, looking for wet wood and failed seals.
Decide repair or replacement
Flashing can often be renewed. A unit with failed glazing or a rotted curb is usually replaced, since repairs on it are short-lived.
Reflash or replace
The flashing is rebuilt in layers with the shingles. If the unit is replaced, the roofer matches size and type or modifies the opening, and checks the shaft insulation.
Test and finish
A water test around the opening confirms the fix, and any interior repair is left to the appropriate trade.
Cost
How much does skylight installation and leak repair cost in Schaumburg?
Skylight work ranges from re-sealing a flashing to replacing the unit and finishing the shaft. No figures are printed here.
| Job | Typical range | What it includes |
|---|---|---|
| Repair or replacement of the unit | Decided at inspection | A repair is smaller; replacement includes the unit, new flashing and often interior finishing |
| Size and type | Measured on site | Larger units, operable units and curb-mounted units cost more to install |
| Condition of curb and framing | Found when opened | Wet or rotted wood around the opening is repaired before a new unit goes in |
| Roof height and pitch | Seen on site | Steep, high roofs take more equipment and time |
| Interior finishing | Separate trade | Drywall and paint in the light shaft are usually quoted apart |
Your exact price is set by the roofer after inspection and confirmed in writing before any work starts.
How do I tell condensation from a leak?
Condensation forms on the cold glass in cold weather and runs down the pane, usually without any link to rain. A leak follows rain or snowmelt and leaves a stain at the frame or ceiling. If water appears only on cold, dry days, it is likely moisture from the room rather than the roof.
Humidity from cooking, showers and drying clothes condenses on cold surfaces. A bath fan that vents into the attic can make it worse.
Note the date and weather when you see water, and take a photograph. That information helps the roofer decide quickly.
Is it worth repairing an old skylight?
Often yes for flashing, seldom for glazing. If the unit's frame and glass are sound and only the flashing has failed, a repair is good value. If seals have failed between the panes or the frame is rotted, a replacement lasts longer than a repair, and the cost difference may be modest.
Ask the roofer to quote both options so you can compare them, and to explain what is likely to fail next if you choose the repair.
Skylights from the 1970s to 1990s may no longer have matching parts. A replacement may be easier than finding a flashing kit.
How does the light shaft contribute to skylight problems?
The shaft is the tunnel between the roof opening and the ceiling. If it is uninsulated or leaks air, warm moist room air meets the cold shaft walls and condenses, producing stains and mold that look like a roof leak. Insulating and sealing the shaft solves many cases without touching the roof.
A shaft in a cold attic is a thin wall of drywall between the room and a cold, damp space. In winter it can carry a visible line of dampness down from the opening, and it can drip when the weather warms.
Ask the roofer to check the shaft from the attic as well as the unit from the roof, and to say what they found in each place. A fix that addresses only the roof when the cause is the shaft will not last.
Does a skylight cause ice dams?
It can contribute. A skylight is a thermal weak point, and the shaft around it can leak warm air into the roof space, melting snow above. A well-insulated, air-sealed shaft reduces the effect. Ice forming at the uphill side of a skylight is worth mentioning to the roofer.
The ice dam page explains the mechanism.
What should I know before adding a new skylight?
Cutting into a roof creates a permanent leak risk, so choose the roofer carefully and ask who has installed that type before. Check whether a permit is needed with the building department, and ask about rafter framing, the shaft, insulation and the flashing kit. A new skylight is a structural change.
In Schaumburg a reroof needs a village permit, and adding a skylight may need one too. Ask the building department; this site does not state the rule for each village.
Consider the sun: a south-facing skylight brings heat in summer, while a north-facing one brings steady light.
Options
Types and options for skylight installation and leak repair
Deck-mounted skylights
Fitted flush to the roof with a manufacturer's flashing kit. These work well on sloped roofs when the kit is installed carefully and the shingles are properly woven in.
Tubular and fixed units
Small round tubes that bring light into hallways and baths, and fixed units that do not open. Their small flashing is easy to overlook; the flashing repair page covers the principles.
Cook County
Why skylight installation and leak repair is different in Northwest Chicago suburbs
Skylights show up often in the 1970s to 1990s houses of this area, in kitchens, baths and added family rooms, and many are now on their second or third roof. The flashing was often original, tied into shingles that have since been replaced, which makes the opening a classic leak point.
Ice on a skylight is common after heavy snow. Snow that slides toward a skylight can pile against its upper edge, and meltwater then tests every joint in the flashing.
Orientation changes behavior. A skylight on a north-facing slope stays cold and holds snow longer, so condensation and ice are more likely there, while a south-facing one thaws sooner and sees more cycles of melting and freezing around its flashing.
Still stuck? We pick up 24/7.
If it's an emergency, call now. For non-urgent skylight installation and leak repair, send the form and we'll call you back.
Where we work
Skylight Installation and Leak Repair across Cook County
- Skylights in Schaumburg
- Skylights in Hoffman Estates
- Skylights in Roselle
- Skylights in Hanover Park
- Skylights in Medinah
- Skylights in Rolling Meadows
- Skylights in Streamwood
- Skylights in Itasca
- Skylights in Elk Grove Village
- Skylights in Palatine
- Skylights in Arlington Heights
- Skylights in Bartlett
- Skylights in Mount Prospect
- Skylights in Glendale Heights
- Skylights in Addison
- Skylights in Wood Dale
- Skylights in Prospect Heights
- Skylights in Bensenville
- Skylights in Carol Stream
- Skylights in Bloomingdale
- Skylights in Des Plaines
- Skylights in Wheeling
- Skylights in Wayne
- Skylights in Buffalo Grove
- Skylights in Carpentersville
- Skylights in Glen Ellyn
- Skylights in South Elgin
Not sure if you're covered? Check your ZIP code.
Related
Related services
Roof Flashing Repair
Repairing valley, step, apron and wall flashing where the roof meets something else, on older Glen Ellyn, Palatine and Arlington Heights houses.
Roof Leak Repair
Leak tracing and repair at chimneys, valleys, vents and eaves on Schaumburg-area roofs, with temporary cover discussed first when water is active.
Roof Replacement
Full tear-offs and re-roofs for Schaumburg-area houses, with the village permit and the state license check built into the job.
FAQ
Skylight Installation and Leak Repair FAQs
Can I seal a skylight leak with caulk?
Caulk may hold briefly but rarely fixes the cause. Failed flashing needs to be rebuilt, and caulk can trap water. A roofer can advise.
Why is there moisture between the panes?
The seal has failed. The unit usually needs replacing, since repairing a sealed glass unit is rarely practical.
Can a skylight be replaced without redoing the roof?
Often yes, if the opening and framing are sound and the same size unit goes in. The roofer reflashes into the existing shingles.
Will a skylight raise my energy use?
It can, depending on glass, orientation and installation. This site makes no savings claim; ask the roofer about options.
Is a leaking skylight urgent?
If water is entering, say so on the call. The roofer may discuss temporary cover first.
Why does my skylight drip only in winter?
Likely condensation or meltwater at the frame. The roofer can tell by when and where the water appears. Note the date, the temperature and whether snow was on the glass.