The skylights in my garage are disintegrating. They are corrugated, I think fiberglass – or at least I can see strands which suggest fiberglass.
What type of material should I replace these with up there? Anything better than the fiberglass? We have very hot summers, so these skylights get beat up pretty bad.
Thanks
Replies
What kind of roof is it?
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Gable.
What's the roof surface--asphalt shingles, corrugated metal, slate, etc.?
Asphalt shingle.
The best thing to do is spring for Velux roof windows. A non-venting unit isn't terribly expensive, is very easy to install, and will last about forever.
You could also build your own curb and mount a fixed piece of glass, but the detailing is tricky.
Do you have shares in Velux ? Yeah they are great but if he's talking sheet corrigate material think about the extra framing etc which is required to a roof that probably hasn't got as good a frame as the Velux would reqire they are heavy aren't they ? The ones I have done wern't light and why change and create more work making good
Do you have shares in Velux ?
No.
Yeah they are great but if he's talking sheet corrigate material think about the extra framing etc which is required to a roof that probably hasn't got as good a frame as the Velux would reqire
Don't know. Maybe. Maybe not. He asked for better than he has, Velux is better than he has. If he doesn't know what his options are, he probably doesn't know how to detail a home-made skylight. Veluxes are pretty foolproof.
they are heavy aren't they ? The ones I have done wern't light and why change and create more work making good
Not light, but I wouldn't say heavy either. About what you would expect a well-engineered insulated glass panel, with integral wood frame and aluminum flashing, to weigh.
Whay woodguy says. Get some Veluxes.http://grantlogan.net/
There is no way to properly marry the kind of corrugated piece you have now with an asphalt shingle roof without a curb and flashing. do you have those in place and are you sure whether the flashing is leaking or the clear material? if somebody just slopped a slab of corrugated FG sheet into the shingles with some puckie, you have a major project on your hands to get it right
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I'm sorry that I left out much of these details, which has led to questions about detail here.
The garage roof has 4 of these somewhat crude skylights. However, yes they are installed on a flashed curb. And the curb does also have the corrugated wood moulding for support of the panel itself.
Even though crude, the skylights do their job fairly well. Not perfect, but OK for a country garage.
The flashing is new and most likely it is not leaking. But all other parts of this assembly is suspect. The fiberglass is definitely old and falling apart. It seems to be in one piece without holes or cracks. But it definitely is also on its final legs.
My plan is to remove the fiberglass sheet, repair or replace the moulding - and whatever else is needed, and install a new sheet using material based on recommendations here.
Thanks, Martin
Not perfect, but OK for a country garage.
Hmm, Austin is also Zone 8b, and you are in the country and away from the coast, that will decrease the complexity sometimes added to projects in CA.
Have you considered a simple dormer and/or clerestory to get light into the garage? This solves part of the "will the skylight last" question. The less-direct light ought to help keep things cooler when it's hot, and warmer (vertical window much better for low, winter, sun) when it's cool.
Just an idea. Occupational hazard of my occupation not being around (sorry Bubba)
I am sorry {but not really} but I thought because corragate profile had been used and that was what was disintergrateing it was an easy solution to replace with polycarbonate ehy?
but I thought because corragate profile had been used and that was what was disintergrateing it was an easy solution to replace with polycarbonate ehy?
Ah, well, that's a bit different. We are getting into the rather fuzzy area of "if" a thing ought be used, versus what was actually used. Very few satisfactory answers, oft times, in that state.
The corrugated transulcent sheet goods are of such random standards, that I can't picture that many good uses for them. That an installation with some leaks is of no surprise to me. I have to admit, too, that all of my first thoughts involving corrugated material leaking have to do with the use of the corrugated material (not what material the corugations are made of).
So, from my first "read" of your question, I get a mental picture of some sort of ad hoc lip/curb punched up through the "real" garage roof, to which has been applied the "skylight material." Which then conjures up mental images of slops of roofing tar and roofing cement (typically in diametrically opposed applications) with random bits of coil stock, left-over shingles, and the like making a fascinating amalgam with but a single lifespan.
That very well is an unfair categorization of what you have in place. But, it's my first thought of what it looks like up on the roof as result of my experience with such things. So, my first thought after that is, well, after this is removed back to where it can be properly be rebuilt, how much is left? Typically, that hole is big enough that we can look at other ideas, perhaps potentially better ideas, ideas that might outlast the materials used.
Ok, then, should you use PC panels instead of th translucent FG or acrylic ones?
I don't know, I've not been to your roof. As a guess, though, your best bet may be to use a matching material (by dimension) to make your repair easier. If the panels are more clear, do note that you will let more damaging, fading, bleaching, UV into the garage (if the roof light gets direct sunlight). That can cause other problems down the road. Or it might not.
Given your zone & latitude, a vertical glass in a small dormer offers much greater "control" of admitted light with far fewer potential lifecycle problems like leaks, flashing failures, etc.
Occupational hazard of my occupation not being around (sorry Bubba)
Edited 4/23/2007 10:14 am by CapnMac
"What kind of roof is it?"The kind they put on garages, silly!
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polycarbonate [think thats how you spell it ] there is a product called Laserlite down here, should be up that way . It comes in corrugate ,tinted or clear, I've used it for years and it 's got a far superior uv rating and lasts excellently. Just oversize your fastening holes to allow for expansion and contraction.
Dubb is right HD sells a corrugated Lexan like material (polycarbonate ?) that is almost indestructable. I have had some over a deck for more than ten years with no changes. Its pretty expensive but well worth the price.
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There are a variety of options to replace the present skylights, and they will require that you ask this same question every few years, or you can put in a Velux roof window and be finished with the problem forever.