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Skylight Problems In The Winter: How To Winterize Your Skylights

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In the winter, two major problems that can affect your home's skylight are leaks and heat loss. Various reasons can cause these notorious skylight issues. Poorly placed flashing causes moisture to seep to your house. This is especially true after a rainstorm or snow.

Do the following to winterise your skylights today:

Skylight installation

By properly installing your skylight, you can prevent leaks in the winter. Instead of flushing with your roof, you should mount the skylights slightly above. To ensure the roof is protected, place window panels on top of the kerb and reinforce with an underlayment.

Positioning

Your skylight's location on the roof affects the amount of light and heat it collects during certain seasons and times of day. In the winter, it's prudent to position them facing southwards. That way, they'll face the sun for the better part of the day.

Slope

The sun's position in the sky combined with slope's angle highly affects the heat amount that passes via the skylight. The golden rule is to make sure that the skylight's slope is equal to the geographical latitude plus 5-15 degrees.

Ventilation

High humidity levels in your home's upper areas can cause condensation. Condensation normally gets caught in your skylight's frame. Bathrooms or laundry rooms on the top floor are what raise humidity levels in in your home. You can prevent condensation by making sure there's adequate attic ventilation. You can also install a ventilation system on the roof. The third alternative is by running a dehumidifier in order to dry air.

Maintenance

Maintenance is a great way of ensuring your skylight doesn't experience winter related issues. If you have already installed them, clear any debris including leaves, stray twigs, snow and ice. All these might hamper the drainage system of your home. Ice dams that build up on a roof can cause leaking to the house. That might happen not only via the skylight but also through loose shingles and siding.

If you're worried about any potential skylight issue in the winter, you need to contact a professional immediately. To address many issues that affect your skylight in the winter, you must hire an expert to conduct regular upkeep and inspection throughout the year. Local contractors provide professional inspections that prevent damage to the ceiling, roof, and skylight. In addition to handling inspection, a professional can also repair and replace your faulty skylight.

Do everything discussed above to ensure your skylight doesn't suffer from any problems in the winter.


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