Skylight Installation & Repair in Winnipeg
New skylights, replacements, and fixing the leaks that are usually the flashing rather than the unit.
Skylights have a bad reputation for leaking, and most of it is undeserved. When Winnipeg Roof Pros is called out to a leaking skylight, what has usually failed is the flashing around it, not the unit itself.
Flashing Is the Whole Job
A skylight is a hole in the roof with a frame in it, so everything depends on how water is directed around that opening.
Manufacturers supply flashing kits designed for their units, and those pieces install in a specific sequence interleaved with the shingle courses: head flashing above, sill below, step pieces up the sides. Installed in the right order, water runs around the unit and back onto the roof.
The common failure is a kit installed out of sequence, or skipped entirely in favour of sealant around the perimeter. That looks fine on day one and leaks within a few seasons.
Leak or Condensation
Before quoting a repair we establish which one it is. Water appearing on cold days with no precipitation, running from the inside face of the glass or the frame, is condensation — the fix is humidity and ventilation, not roofing.
Water appearing during or shortly after rain, staining the drywall at the edge of the shaft, is a flashing problem. Telling them apart first saves people from paying for the wrong repair.
A leaking skylight is almost always a flashing problem, and if the roof around it is due anyway, doing both together is covered under roof replacement.
What's Included
- Manufacturer flashing kits installed in sequence with the shingle courses
- Leak diagnosis that checks the flashing before blaming the unit
- Replacement of failed or fogged units
- Curb-mounted and deck-mounted installations
- Coordinated with a roof replacement so the perimeter is done once
Other Services We Offer in Winnipeg
Skylight Installation & Repair Questions
My skylight leaks. Does it need replacing?
Often not. The unit itself is usually fine and the flashing around it has failed, or was never installed correctly. We check the perimeter first, because replacing a working skylight does not fix bad flashing.
Is condensation the same as a leak?
No, and it gets misdiagnosed constantly. Warm humid indoor air condensing on cold glass runs down the frame and drips, which looks exactly like a leak. The tell is that it appears on cold days rather than during rain. That is a humidity and ventilation issue, not a roofing one.
Should I replace skylights when I replace the roof?
If they are old, yes. The flashing has to come off and be redone as part of the reroof anyway, so the labour overlaps almost entirely. Leaving a twenty-year-old unit in a brand new roof means disturbing that new roof when the unit eventually fails.
Can you add a skylight to an existing roof?
Yes, though it involves cutting and framing the roof structure, so it is a bigger job than swapping one out. We look at the rafter layout and the ceiling below before quoting it.
Get a Free Skylight Installation & Repair Quote
Book a free inspection and written quote. We tell you what we find, including when a repair will do the job.