Roof Leak Skylight Flashing

The rubber gasket that surrounds the vent pipe could be rotted.

Roof leak skylight flashing.

Plug pinholes with roofing cement and patch holes up to about 3 4 inch in diameter with a patch from the same material as the flashing. Vent pipe leaks during heavy rain can occur if you have cracks in your vent pipe boot or flashing. Look for cracks in the base of flexible rubber flashing or broken seams in metal varieties of vent pipe flashing. Seal flashing around a leaking skylight start by clearing any water or debris that has collected between the roofing and flashing.

As shown at right a skylight s flashing works in concert with the roofing material to usher away rain and snow. How is flashing installed. Use roofing cement can or tube to seal any gaps or holes in the flashing. As the first layer of protection in the velux no leak system the purpose of skylight flashing is to keep as much moisture on the surface of the roofing material as possible.

Use a putty knife to add a layer of roofing cement in the gap between the edge of the flashing and the roofing. Pooling water can eventually penetrate through the roof s rubber membrane and metal flashing of a skylight resulting in a leak. Don vandervort hometips integral flashing is built onto the perimeter of some skylights. Most residential skylights sit on a raised curb made watertight with metal flashing.

How to repair roof flashing small holes or corroded spots in flashing can be easily repaired. A skylight is like a window in the roof but its frame is designed and flashed to withstand the rigors of rainfall that a roof receives. First roughen the area around the hole with a wire brush or sandpaper and then clean it. When your roof was installed each vent pipe received a flexible boot to seal water around the round surface of the vent pipe.

If you have to replace shingles around a skylight examine the old flashing. Apply 100 silicone caulking tube to seal leaks around the skylight lens. Then lift the roof shingles away from the edges of the skylight so you can access the flashing. Velux skylight flashing kits are designed to shed water without relying on sealants that can break down over time and cause damage to your roof.

If it s carefully removed when the old roof is torn off it should be reusable. On a shingle roof the flashing will get clogged with debris and in turn the water will get diverted under the shingles where it could start leaking. These boots vary in quality flexibility and longevity. The best solution in this case is to slope or build the roof up so water will not pool.

The other issue is if the installer nailed the shingles through the flashing then those nails could start rusting and cause a skylight to leak.