Last year, an executive with a large construction company reached out to us during a renovation of their home about a new skylight that was continually leaking. He was convinced it was an issue with the skylight, but when we inspected the installation we found the curb had been improperly built and was causing the issue.
Skylights themselves have two main components – a frame, and the glass or acrylic that fills it and lets in all that great light. The frame is integrated into the roof with a curb – a raised structure that seamlessly brings the skylight into the roof membrane and is filled with insulation. Properly installed, a curb prevents leaks and condensation caused by temperature differences between the skylight and ceiling, while ensuring good insulating qualities. In this case, the curb had not been properly integrated into the roof membrane, so water was trickling in between the skylight and the roof.
We replaced the skylight and rebuilt the curb, and haven’t heard from the customer since!
