Every year, the summer season brings you the hottest days of the year, followed by an abrupt weather change in the Fall. The intense summer heat can cause the wooden parts of your skylight to warp and get damaged. If you prepare your skylight in time for Fall, any summer-prompted damage could get worse with leaks, wood warping, and other more costly issues.
If you don’t have a skylight but you’re interested in installing one to your phone, check out our list of tips to know before installation: Skylight: 4 Things to Know Before Install.
Check for Leaks
The first way to prepare your skylight for fall is to check whether for water leakage. Did you notice a leak during a recent rain storm? If not, you can check for a leak by using a hose to spray water onto your skylight from the outside. If you determine there is a leak, check the wood around your skylight to see if the surrounding wood has been warped, cracked or moved from the summer heat. If there is a leak, contact a roofing professional to make the necessary repairs to your skylight.
Make Necessary Repairs to Your Skylight
Is the wood around your skylight warped or damaged? Contact a roofing professional to make necessary repairs to your skylight. Is the surrounding wood unfinished? You can paint, stain, or varnish your skylight’s unfinished wood surface to protect the wood from discoloration or deterioration. It’s important to avoid getting any wood chemicals on the skylight gaskets or glass.
Test Your Skylight Mechanisms
Is your skylight able to be opened and closed for ventilation? Check the mechanisms around your skylight to make sure they can be opened and closed completely. This will help prepare your skylight especially if the summer conditions in your area were especially intense and the seal of your skylight has been compromised and damaged. If any of your skylight’s mechanisms aren’t working, contact a professional for expert repair.
Clean Your Skylight
Once you’ve checked your skylight for damages and made necessary repairs, the next step to prepare your skylight is clean it. There are a number of glass or multipurpose cleaners, but you can easily clean your skylight with soap and warm water. If you have furniture under your skylight, be sure to move or cover it with a tarp so it doesn’t get wet. Much like when you clean the windows on your walls, you’ll want to remove any dust, spiderwebs, dirt or anything on your skylight. If you decide to clean the skylight yourself from the outside, the safest way to do this is to set up a ladder on the shorter part of the roof so you don’t have to climb as high.
Contact Us & Learn More
Our team at Exterior Remodel and Design is here to help you. With more than 45 years of experience, we are Omaha and Lincoln’s most trusted contractors in roofing, siding and window installation. Contact our team today via contact form, email or phone to schedule a free estimate!