What Is Skylights and Roof Penetrations?
Skylights are engineered roof penetrations, and their leak risk lives almost entirely in the flashing integration, not the unit. Fixed skylights (no moving parts) are the most leak-resistant and cheapest - commonly $1,000-$3,000 installed during a replacement; vented and solar-powered units with rain sensors run higher; tubular skylights ('solar tubes') light hallways and closets for $500-$1,500 without a full shaft. The timing economics are decisive: installing during a roof replacement means the flashing kit integrates with new underlayment and shingles at marginal labor cost, while retrofitting the same unit into an existing roof a few years later costs substantially more and requires cutting into weathered shingles - so the practical rule is that if skylights are wanted within the next several years, do them with the roof. Existing skylights older than 15-20 years should be replaced, not reused, during any replacement; re-flashing an aging unit into a new roof is false economy. Glass units outlast acrylic domes, which yellow under Texas UV.
Important Distinction
Note: A skylight is a roof penetration first and a window second: most "leaking skylights" are flashing or condensation problems, not failed glass. Curb-mounted and deck-mounted units flash differently, so replacements are not interchangeable across mounting types even at the same size.
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Also Known As
These are the search terms and phrases that commonly refer to this topic, so you can find it however you describe it.
How Skylights and Roof Penetrations Relates to Other Topics
Skylights leak at their flashing kit, rarely through the glass - and reusing an old skylight's flashing on a new roof pairs a 30-year surface with the one part already proven to be at end of life.
Replacement day is the cheapest day a skylight will ever have: the flashing is off anyway, so swapping an aging skylight during the reroof costs a fraction of opening the roof again for it in five years.
Related To Skylights and Roof Penetrations
Anyone pricing solar-venting skylights should know the current tax-credit status before it is used as a discount in a quote.
The VELUX model-code roster makes the skylight-types discussion concrete: fixed vs venting and deck-mount vs curb-mount map directly onto FS/VS/VSE/VSS and FCM/VCM/VCE/VCS.
Skylights concentrate hail risk: golf-ball-size hail that a shingle field might tolerate can crack a skylight dome, so an inspection after large hail includes the skylights and their flashing.
Questions about Skylights and Roof Penetrations?
Zilker Roofing inspects before recommending. Honest assessment, no pressure.