I started removing the wet sheetrock around my skylight to try and
find out exactly where the leak is coming from. I found the leak
coming from the bottom 2 corners of the skylight. It might be hard to
see in the pics, but there is an opening in the corner with what
appears to be some yellow caulking inside.

https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/phot...eat=directlink

I confirmed this by spraying a garden hose on the roof on the bottom
corners of the glass, and my son inside confirmed the leak was coming
from those 2 gaps in the corners.

So my question is, what are these 2 openings for? I would like to fix
the leak before I go ahead and finish the sheetrock. I thought about
maybe caulking those 2 openings on the inside, but it is obvious the
leak is coming from the outside on the glass. Can the seals be
replaced? It is at least 20 years old.

Sorry,here is the complete album

https://picasaweb.google.com/mikeroc...eat=directlink

On 8/15/2011 9:18 PM, Mikepier wrote:
I started removing the wet sheetrock around my skylight to try and
find out exactly where the leak is coming from. I found the leak
coming from the bottom 2 corners of the skylight. It might be hard to
see in the pics, but there is an opening in the corner with what
appears to be some yellow caulking inside.

https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/phot...eat=directlink

I confirmed this by spraying a garden hose on the roof on the bottom
corners of the glass, and my son inside confirmed the leak was coming
from those 2 gaps in the corners.

So my question is, what are these 2 openings for? I would like to fix
the leak before I go ahead and finish the sheetrock. I thought about
maybe caulking those 2 openings on the inside, but it is obvious the
leak is coming from the outside on the glass. Can the seals be
replaced? It is at least 20 years old.

That skylight looks awful flush to roof surface, where driven rain or
ice dams in winter would get up under it. I wish you had included an
establishing shot of the entire skylight from outside, with something in
picture to show the scale.

At 20 years, I'd bite the bullet and replace the whole damn thing,
including any mushy wood. I'd also reconstruct it so the skylight bubble
and gaskets were 6-8 inches above roof surface, so water could never
pond against them. I'm no expert, but I understand they now have prefabs
that go on as easy as a roof vent, and all you have to do is figure out
how to make the tunnel up to them. BTW, regular drywall is a poor choice
for the tunnel, in case of any condensation or similar issues. The
fancy bathroom drywall, or even heavily sealed plywood (like on a boat)
will hold up a lot better.

--
aem sends....

On 8/15/2011 9:25 PM, Mikepier wrote:
Sorry,here is the complete album

https://picasaweb.google.com/mikeroc...eat=directlink

In the second pic, are those shingles under the frame of the
skylight?!!!??? What a mess. Only skylight I've seen installed was on
top of a boxy frame with flashing around the frame. Previous one had
rotted out and blew away when H'cane Charlie blew through )

On Aug 15, 9:18*pm, Mikepier wrote:
I started removing the wet sheetrock around my skylight to try and
find out exactly where the leak is coming from. I found the leak
coming from the bottom 2 corners of the skylight. It might be hard to
see in the pics, but there is an opening in the corner with what
appears to be some yellow caulking inside.

https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/phot...UGXjA?feat=dir....

I confirmed this by spraying a garden hose on the roof on the bottom
corners of the glass, and my son inside confirmed the leak was coming
from those 2 gaps in the corners.

So my question is, what are these 2 openings for? I would like to fix
the leak before I go ahead and finish the sheetrock. I thought about
maybe caulking those 2 openings on the inside, but it is obvious the
leak is coming from the outside on the glass. Can the seals be
replaced? It is at least 20 years old.

Those two openings are most likely scuppers. Kind of odd in a
skylight, but that's the only thing they could be if they're part of
the skylight's original design and manufacture. Depending on the
slope of the roof, and how high the metal cap flashing sits proud of
the glass, water would puddle there. Scuppers let the water out so
there's no standing water on the skylight. Like I said, never saw
that in a skylight before and it's very odd.

Norminn picked up a good one...well, bad for you, but a good
observation. Putting the skylight on top of the roof shingles is a
hack job any way you cut it. Considering the state of affairs you'd
be throwing effort and money at a losing situation, so bite the
bullet, yank the skylight and drywall, fix what's wrong, and install a
Velux skylight the way it's supposed to be installed and you won't
have any more problems.

R

On Aug 15, 9:44*pm, aemeijers wrote:
On 8/15/2011 9:18 PM, Mikepier wrote:





I started removing the wet sheetrock around my skylight to try and
find out exactly where the leak is coming from. I found the leak
coming from the bottom 2 corners of the skylight. It might be hard to
see in the pics, but there is an opening in the corner with what
appears to be some yellow caulking inside.

https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/phot...UGXjA?feat=dir....

I confirmed this by spraying a garden hose on the roof on the bottom
corners of the glass, and my son inside confirmed the leak was coming
from those 2 gaps in the corners.

So my question is, what are these 2 openings for? I would like to fix
the leak before I go ahead and finish the sheetrock. I thought about
maybe caulking those 2 openings on the inside, but it is obvious the
leak is coming from the outside on the glass. Can the seals be
replaced? It is at least 20 years old.

That skylight looks awful flush to roof surface, where driven rain or
ice dams in winter would get up under it. I wish you had included an
establishing shot of the entire skylight from outside, with something in
picture to show the scale.

At 20 years, I'd bite the bullet and replace the whole damn thing,
including any mushy wood. I'd also reconstruct it so the skylight bubble
and gaskets were 6-8 inches above roof surface, so water could never
pond against them. I'm no expert, but I understand they now have prefabs
that go on as easy as a roof vent, and all you have to do is figure out
how to make the tunnel up to them. BTW, regular drywall is a poor choice
for the tunnel, in case of any condensation or similar issues. *The
fancy bathroom drywall, or even heavily sealed plywood (like on a boat)
will hold up a lot better.

--
aem sends....- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

Here are some pics from the outside taken about a year ago.

https://picasaweb.google.com/mikeroc...eat=directlink

And yes, those are the old roof shingles its resting on.When the
previous owner wanted a new roof, he also added thses skylights, so
he, or the contractor, cut a hole in the roof and just rested the
skylight on the old shingles, and put the new ones around it.

In my opinion, the only way to do this job right is to tear out the
both layers of roof and start from scratch.I don't know if I got a new
skylight if it can be installed below the old shingles without
damaging the new shingles up there now.
My roof is still in good shape with no issues. I would hate to start
opening up a can of worms by replacing the skylight, plus money is an
issue for me right now.

Is it possible to tear out the old caulk/gasket surrounding the glass
window and recaulk or re-seal? Is there a special caulk for skylights
or is it statndard caulk?

I know the leak is coming from the seals. If I could somehow just re-
seal it, that would solve the leak. And also what if I tried to seal
those holes from the inside, would I make matters worse.

Thanks again for all your inputs.

Mikepier wrote:
On Aug 15, 9:44 pm, aemeijers wrote:
On 8/15/2011 9:18 PM, Mikepier wrote:





I started removing the wet sheetrock around my skylight to try and
find out exactly where the leak is coming from. I found the leak
coming from the bottom 2 corners of the skylight. It might be hard
to see in the pics, but there is an opening in the corner with what
appears to be some yellow caulking inside.

https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/phot...UGXjA?feat=dir...

I confirmed this by spraying a garden hose on the roof on the bottom
corners of the glass, and my son inside confirmed the leak was
coming from those 2 gaps in the corners.

So my question is, what are these 2 openings for? I would like to
fix the leak before I go ahead and finish the sheetrock. I thought
about maybe caulking those 2 openings on the inside, but it is
obvious the leak is coming from the outside on the glass. Can the
seals be replaced? It is at least 20 years old.

That skylight looks awful flush to roof surface, where driven rain or
ice dams in winter would get up under it. I wish you had included an
establishing shot of the entire skylight from outside, with
something in picture to show the scale.

At 20 years, I'd bite the bullet and replace the whole damn thing,
including any mushy wood. I'd also reconstruct it so the skylight
bubble and gaskets were 6-8 inches above roof surface, so water
could never pond against them. I'm no expert, but I understand they
now have prefabs that go on as easy as a roof vent, and all you have
to do is figure out how to make the tunnel up to them. BTW, regular
drywall is a poor choice for the tunnel, in case of any condensation
or similar issues. The fancy bathroom drywall, or even heavily
sealed plywood (like on a boat) will hold up a lot better.

--
aem sends....- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

Here are some pics from the outside taken about a year ago.

https://picasaweb.google.com/mikeroc...eat=directlink

And yes, those are the old roof shingles its resting on.When the
previous owner wanted a new roof, he also added thses skylights, so
he, or the contractor, cut a hole in the roof and just rested the
skylight on the old shingles, and put the new ones around it.

Replace it. The roofing has to be flashed UP around the skylight curband
overlapped on itself properly; no way just resting the curb on the roofing
will prevent water entering.

--

dadiOH
____________________________

dadiOH's dandies v3.06...
....a help file of info about MP3s, recording from
LP/cassette and tips & tricks on this and that.
Get it at http://mysite.verizon.net/xico

On Aug 16, 6:28*am, Mikepier wrote:
In my opinion, the only way to do this job right is to tear out the
both layers of roof and start from scratch.I don't know if I got a new
skylight if it can be installed below the old shingles without
damaging the new shingles up there now.
My roof is still in good shape with no issues. I would hate to start
opening up a can of worms by replacing the skylight, plus money is an
issue for me right now.

Is it possible to tear out the old caulk/gasket surrounding the *glass
window and recaulk or re-seal? Is there a special caulk for skylights
or is it statndard caulk?

I know the leak is coming from the seals. If I could somehow just re-
seal it, that would solve the leak. And also what if I tried to seal
those holes from the inside, would I make matters worse.

Thanks again for all your inputs.

Captain, the skylight is dead. Let it go. There's no guarantee that
you have only the leaks you think you've identified. From the looks
of things I wouldn't be surprised if there is some rotted sheathing.
Opening things up will allow you to investigate.

Opening up the two layers of roof is more time-consuming but no more
complicated. Assuming you have some extra top layer shingles, or they
are available, just unpeel the roof in two layers. Building up the
lower layer of shingle is not as critical and you can use new shingles
or reusue the ones you pulled.

As far as your question about resealing the skylight - no, It is not
possible to reseal the glazing unless you are willing to disassemble
the skylight to do it. Goobering caulk (any type) on the skylight
will at best be a very short-lived temp fix, and could make things
worse in a couple of different ways.

At this point we're in therapy mode. People here are trying to help
you get over your relationship with your old, leaky skylight and move
on.

R

On Aug 16, 10:11*am, RicodJour wrote:
On Aug 16, 6:28*am, Mikepier wrote:





In my opinion, the only way to do this job right is to tear out the
both layers of roof and start from scratch.I don't know if I got a new
skylight if it can be installed below the old shingles without
damaging the new shingles up there now.
My roof is still in good shape with no issues. I would hate to start
opening up a can of worms by replacing the skylight, plus money is an
issue for me right now.

Is it possible to tear out the old caulk/gasket surrounding the *glass
window and recaulk or re-seal? Is there a special caulk for skylights
or is it statndard caulk?

I know the leak is coming from the seals. If I could somehow just re-
seal it, that would solve the leak. And also what if I tried to seal
those holes from the inside, would I make matters worse.

Thanks again for all your inputs.

Captain, the skylight is dead. *Let it go. *There's no guarantee that
you have only the leaks you think you've identified. *From the looks
of things I wouldn't be surprised if there is some rotted sheathing.
Opening things up will allow you to investigate.

Opening up the two layers of roof is more time-consuming but no more
complicated. *Assuming you have some extra top layer shingles, or they
are available, just unpeel the roof in two layers. *Building up the
lower layer of shingle is not as critical and you can use new shingles
or reusue the ones you pulled.

As far as your question about resealing the skylight - no, It is not
possible to reseal the glazing unless you are willing to disassemble
the skylight to do it. *Goobering caulk (any type) on the skylight
will at best be a very short-lived temp fix, and could make things
worse in a couple of different ways.

At this point we're in therapy mode. *People here are trying to help
you get over your relationship with your old, leaky skylight and move
on.

R- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

Agree with the above. And when replacing, consider ones that open
with electric motors. I have that type from Velux, which is the brand
I would recommed. They've been working perfectly for 17 years now.
I open them enough that it was worth the extra money. They also
have a rain sensor that closes them with the first couple drops of
rain if they happen to be left open when it rains.

I wouldn't go with ones that open manually, as unless they open
with a button I think I wouldn't use them much at all. Either motors
or else just fixed ones.
ones.

Mikepier wrote in :

In my opinion, the only way to do this job right is to tear out the
both layers of roof and start from scratch.I don't know if I got a new
skylight if it can be installed below the old shingles without
damaging the new shingles up there now.
My roof is still in good shape with no issues. I would hate to start
opening up a can of worms by replacing the skylight, plus money is an
issue for me right now.

Is it possible to tear out the old caulk/gasket surrounding the glass
window and recaulk or re-seal? Is there a special caulk for skylights
or is it statndard caulk?

I know the leak is coming from the seals. If I could somehow just re-
seal it, that would solve the leak. And also what if I tried to seal
those holes from the inside, would I make matters worse.

Thanks again for all your inputs.

You have a lot of black rotted wood there. It needs fixin' which
includes wood replacement. I bet there's a lot of fasteners in rotted
wood there. The wood is not a lot of bucks. It's the work. This is an
ideal DIY to save money.

In my opinion, the only way to do this job right is to tear out the
both layers of roof and start from scratch.

From the pics, that's my 2¢ as well. I probably would not risk fixing
the surroundings damage and reuse the same window. But if you're hurtin'
for cash, the best on the cheap fix I can come up with is remove the
skylight, fix the wood and get a new gasket/flashing kit. At least you
have a shot at it.

This is an excellent book I own.

http://store.finehomebuilding.com/ro...in-070602.html

It has a section in it about how to properly layout WSU (Waterproof
Shingle Underlayment), flash and shingle around a skylight. When I redid
the roof here it also included two leaky fixed skylights. Followed his
methods to the letter. Never leaked in 4 years afterwards. Snow buildup
on the roof is measured in feet for months at a time.

And also what if I tried to seal
those holes from the inside, would I make matters worse.

If the water is already inside it will just go someplace else inside.

-------


Then, there's the blue tarp fix...

how old is the roof? if its in doubt AT ALL first replacing the roof
would be job one.

at some point patch jobs end up costing more than just do it right do
it onc and forget about it......

the skylight has failed, the sheathing is rotted......

timew to start over.

why risk a later roof leak? damaging all your nice new drywall

On Aug 16, 10:25*am, "
wrote:
On Aug 16, 10:11*am, RicodJour wrote:









On Aug 16, 6:28*am, Mikepier wrote:

In my opinion, the only way to do this job right is to tear out the
both layers of roof and start from scratch.I don't know if I got a new
skylight if it can be installed below the old shingles without
damaging the new shingles up there now.
My roof is still in good shape with no issues. I would hate to start
opening up a can of worms by replacing the skylight, plus money is an
issue for me right now.

Is it possible to tear out the old caulk/gasket surrounding the *glass
window and recaulk or re-seal? Is there a special caulk for skylights
or is it statndard caulk?

I know the leak is coming from the seals. If I could somehow just re-
seal it, that would solve the leak. And also what if I tried to seal
those holes from the inside, would I make matters worse.

Thanks again for all your inputs.

Captain, the skylight is dead. *Let it go. *There's no guarantee that
you have only the leaks you think you've identified. *From the looks
of things I wouldn't be surprised if there is some rotted sheathing.
Opening things up will allow you to investigate.

Opening up the two layers of roof is more time-consuming but no more
complicated. *Assuming you have some extra top layer shingles, or they
are available, just unpeel the roof in two layers. *Building up the
lower layer of shingle is not as critical and you can use new shingles
or reusue the ones you pulled.

As far as your question about resealing the skylight - no, It is not
possible to reseal the glazing unless you are willing to disassemble
the skylight to do it. *Goobering caulk (any type) on the skylight
will at best be a very short-lived temp fix, and could make things
worse in a couple of different ways.

At this point we're in therapy mode. *People here are trying to help
you get over your relationship with your old, leaky skylight and move
on.


Agree with the above. *And when replacing, consider ones that open
with electric motors. *I have that type from Velux, which is the brand
I would recommend. *They've been working perfectly for 17 years now.
I open them enough that it was worth the extra money. *They also
have a rain sensor that closes them with the first couple drops of
rain if they happen to be left open when it rains.

*I wouldn't go with ones that open manually, as unless they open
*with a button I think I wouldn't use them much at all. *Either motors
or else just fixed ones.
ones.

Hey, you've already been spoiled by electrically operated self-closing
skylights - you no longer can be objective! The first time I
installed a Velux with the rain-sensor for a client I realized I
wouldn't be doing any more installations with other brands. Velux
makes a roof window - Cabrio or something like that - that has a small
fold out balcony railing. I'd love to have one of those installed in
a house with a steeper roof.

There may be equal or better brands of skylight compared to Velux, but
I don't know of any. They're not cheap, but they're quality and the
installation is logical and straightforward though not the simplest.
The simplest skylights are also called "sieves" or "future leak
locations".

R