Skylights and Metal Roofing
October 18, 2018 | By Bryan Rusch | Filed under: Blog, Solar Energy
Let’s focus in on skylights and their relationship to lifetime residential metal roofing. The longevity and life of skylights have improved over the years. However, the number of domestic manufacturers of off-the-shelf skylights has dwindled to basically one. That company is Velux. We do on occasion have the need to order custom skylight replacements due to an unorthodox size and shape from time to time. Those custom skylight companies are out there also when we do.
Skylights, whether they are fixed or operable, meaning they open, have come a long way. They offer solar powered operable, and motorized blinds in a variety of style and colors. What has not changed much is the method in which they are installed, whether they’re deck mounted or curb mounted.
When to Replace Skylights with a Metal Roof
We typically suggest that skylights which are 12 years or older be replaced at the time of a metal roof install. When this is the case we handle the installation of the new skylights much like an existing one. The one difference is we forgo the optional temporary asphalt roof flashing kit that comes as an extra with the skylight, (it’s pricey) and use our own permanent metal roofing flashing techniques with installation warranties.
Best Base Metals for Skylight Installation
We prefer to use only base metals such as copper, aluminum, and zinc; all which can withstand the elements, even without protective coatings, on our permanent lifetime metal roofs. Therefore, we never need to worry about rust that can typically occur around crucial flashing locations like skylights. When you offer a lifetime installation warranty against leaking, quality of materials and workmanship is paramount to not having to return to fix a leak in the future. We do not install galvanized, or galvalume roofs for this very reason. They will rust eventually. This process of deterioration we call rust is much quicker at areas of the roof that are cut, such as in a valley, or edge hem, or pan location above a skylight where water can pool. The protective coating placed on lesser base metals is removed in the cutting process, where metal is terminated or bent to fit in and around a roof penetration, whether it be chimney, copula or skylight.
Classic Metal Roofs LLC flashes over a hundred skylights every year. We are confident our factory trained metal mechanics will do the proper flashing job the right way the first time, so it is the last time.
When you want a high-quality metal roof, with an exceptional warranty on the installation of your skylights, Classic Metal Roofs, LLC are the professionals to hire. We serve residents in MA, CT. RI and NH. Please call us at (866) 660-6668 or use our Free Consultation form for “The Best Roofs Under The Sun.”
