Solar tubes
Solar tubes fit where a full skylight shaft will not with minimal framing.
Exterior Services
Skylight Installation Fairfield, NJ
A roofer in Fairfield can install a new skylight or solar tube, frame the roof opening, flash it into the shingles and finish the light shaft below, with the roof opening framed to carry the load around it. Call (973) 858-9960 to reach a local roofer.
A well installed skylight brings in daylight for decades without a single leak, and the difference is almost entirely in the framing and flashing. A new skylight goes into a framed opening, gets wrapped with self-adhered membrane and then flashed with step, head and sill pieces tied into the shingles. The shaft between the roof and the ceiling is part of the job too, with insulation on the attic side to limit heat loss and condensation.
There are a few kinds of skylights, and each suits a different room. Venting skylights help in bathrooms and kitchens, and fixed units work anywhere you just want light. Solar tubes, also called tubular skylights, use a small dome on the roof and a reflective tube to bring light into closets, hallways and small baths where a full shaft is not practical.
Some quick notes make the first conversation more useful. Note which room you want brightened, which way that part of the roof faces and whether the room gets hot in summer. Mention the age of the roof too, since installing a skylight just before a reroof means flashing it twice.
If the problem goes deeper than it first looked, a Fairfield roofer may also recommend skylight repair or roof installation.
Looking for Fairfield skylight installation? Call (973) 858-9960 to talk to a local roofer.
Call nowThe process
What happens during a skylight installation
Here is how a roofer typically installs a skylight.
Plan the location
Layout starts by matching the skylight size to the rafter spacing and the ceiling below. Sizing to the rafter bay keeps the framing simple.
Cut the opening
Shingles are removed around the area, the roof deck is cut and headers are installed between the rafters to carry the load around the opening. A square opening makes the flashing go on cleanly.
Set the skylight
A deck-mounted unit is fastened directly to the roof deck, while a curb-mounted unit sits on a raised wood curb built around the opening. Self-adhered membrane is wrapped up the sides of the frame before flashing.
Install the flashing kit
The flashing kit is installed from the bottom up so each piece laps over the one below it. Done this way, the skylight sheds water like the rest of the roof.
Frame the shaft
A light well is built from the skylight to the ceiling, insulated well to limit heat loss and condensation. An angled shaft throws light wider than a straight one.
What is included
Skylight work a roofer can handle
Opening framing
Structural framing is added where the roof is cut to keep the roof deck stable.
Light shaft
A straight or flared light well is built and finished with insulation on the attic side.
Fixed units
Non-opening skylights bring daylight into any room with low-E glass to limit heat gain.
Opening skylights
Skylights that open let heat and moisture escape wired where needed.
Related service
Skylight Replacement Fairfield, NJ
Skylight replacement swaps an old or leaking unit for a new one in the same opening, along with a new flashing kit. If the old size is no longer made, the opening can be adjusted slightly to fit a current model. Fresh membrane and flashing go in with the new skylight, never the old flashing.
Many Fairfield homeowners replace skylights along with the roof, since the flashing has to come apart anyway. A skylight that is as old as the roof is likely to need attention again before the new roof is worn out. A new unit can bring better glass, an opening sash or a light-blocking shade.
Related service
Solar Tube Installation Fairfield, NJ
Solar tube installation brings daylight into small rooms through a narrow, mirrored tube instead of a full skylight shaft. The roof opening is small, usually between rafters, so no structural framing needs to be cut. Elbows in the tube let it reach a ceiling spot that is not directly under the dome.
Solar tubes suit many Fairfield homes with long hallways and interior rooms. The roof side needs the same care as a skylight, with the flashing lapped into the shingles above it. A sleeve of insulation in the attic keeps the tube from sweating in cold weather.
Local help
Skylight Installation Near Me
In Fairfield, homeowners often add skylights to kitchens, bathrooms and upstairs rooms that get little daylight. From Fairfield out to neighboring towns such as Pine Brook, Lincoln Park, Caldwell and Towaco, older homes often suit solar tubes in tight hallways while newer homes with vaulted ceilings suit deck-mounted skylights, which is why the attic check comes before any cutting.
For skylight installation in Fairfield, NJ or nearby towns like Pine Brook, Lincoln Park, Caldwell and Towaco, call (973) 858-9960 to reach a roofer who covers your street.
What the local climate does to a roof
Winters here are long and cold, with snow on the roof for weeks at a time and plenty of nights below freezing. Heat escaping from the attic melts snow on the upper roof, and the water refreezes at the colder eaves, which is how ice dams form and back water up under the shingles. Strong coastal storms push rain into every weak spot at the flashing and valleys. Most homeowners in Fairfield, NJ have the roof checked in the fall and again after the snow melts.
Why call
Why act early
Less damage
Small roof problems caught early usually stay small repairs.
Roofers who know Fairfield
Roofers in Fairfield know the roof types and weather wear common in local homes.
Straight answers
Ask your questions before you agree to anything.
Common questions about skylight installation
Do skylights always leak?
A properly flashed skylight should stay dry for as long as the roof around it. The key is a flashing kit lapped into the shingles from the bottom up, with membrane underneath, instead of a bead of caulk. The flashing method is the best question to ask before installation.
Which way should a skylight face?
The direction of the roof slope changes how much light and heat a skylight brings in. A north slope gives softer light, and south or west slopes bring stronger sun and more heat gain. Choosing the slope with the room in mind gives the best result.
Should I get a skylight or a solar tube?
The main difference is size: skylights need a framed shaft, solar tubes need only a narrow tube. Skylights suit living rooms, kitchens and vaulted ceilings, and can open for ventilation. Solar tubes suit closets, halls and small bathrooms.
Does a skylight need a permit?
Whether a permit is required depends on the local building department. Many places require one when rafters are cut or the roof structure is changed, while a small solar tube between rafters may not need one. Ask the roofer to confirm local requirements before work begins.
Should I install a skylight when I replace my roof?
Timing a skylight with a new roof lets everything be flashed together. With the old roofing off, the opening and flashing can be done cleanly. If a reroof is near, it usually pays to wait and do both at once.
More questions? Call (973) 858-9960
Other services that may help
Skylight Repair
Skylight repair from the flashing on the roof to the glass and the frame, without replacing a unit that can still be saved.
Learn moreRoof Installation
New roof installation done in the right order with the right details, whether it is asphalt shingles, metal or another material.
Learn moreFlashing Repair
Fixing the metal flashing at walls, dormers, valleys and roof edges, with new metal instead of another layer of caulk.
Learn moreRoof Replacement
Replacing an aging roof with new underlayment, flashing, vents and roofing, built to current code from the decking out.
Learn more
Looking for something else?
See all roofing servicesTalk to a Fairfield roofer about skylight installation
Call now for Fairfield skylight installation and help in the towns around it.