Solar tubes
Solar tubes fit where a full skylight shaft will not without cutting rafters.
Exterior Services
Skylight Installation Cranford, NJ
A roofing contractor in Cranford can add fixed or venting skylights to most pitched roofs, with a proper flashing kit so the opening stays dry, with the roof opening framed to carry the load around it. Dial (908) 562-6887 to talk with a local roofer about adding a skylight.
Done right, a skylight is one of the most effective ways to brighten a dark room, and done right mostly means flashing. Installation means opening the roof, framing the hole so the rafters still carry the load, setting the skylight and lapping its flashing into the roofing. Below the roof, a light shaft runs through the attic to the ceiling, and that shaft is framed, insulated and drywalled.
Before installation, it helps to know the main options. 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.
A few details help plan the project. Note which room you want brightened, which way that part of the roof faces and whether the room gets hot in summer. It also helps to know how old the roof is, because a skylight and a new roof are best installed together.
If the problem goes deeper than it first looked, a Cranford roofer may also recommend skylight repair or roof installation.
Looking for Cranford skylight installation? Call (908) 562-6887 and describe the problem to a roofer who works in Cranford.
Call nowThe process
What happens during a skylight installation
Here is how a roofer typically installs a skylight.
Plan the location
The roofer checks the rafter spacing, the attic space, wiring and ductwork, then picks a size and spot that lines up with the room below. Some jurisdictions require a permit when rafters are cut, so that is checked too.
Frame the roof
If a rafter has to be cut, it is tied into doubled headers and doubled rafters on each side. The opening is framed square so the unit seats evenly.
Set the skylight
The unit goes in according to its type, either straight onto the deck or onto a framed curb. Ice and water membrane around the frame is the backup layer.
Flash the skylight
The flashing kit is installed from the bottom up so each piece laps over the one below it. The order of the flashing is what keeps the skylight from leaking.
Finish the ceiling
The ceiling is cut, the shaft framed straight or flared, then insulated and drywalled. Insulating the shaft keeps the glass warmer and cuts condensation.
What is included
Common skylight installations
Fixed skylights
Non-opening skylights bring daylight into any room with full flashing kits.
Roof framing
Rafters are headed off and doubled around the new opening to keep the roof deck stable.
Opening skylights
Skylights that open let heat and moisture escape to clear humid air.
Light shaft
The shaft is framed, insulated and drywalled to the ceiling ready for paint.
Related service
Skylight Replacement Cranford, NJ
Replacing a skylight means removing the old unit and its flashing and setting a new skylight with fresh flashing in the existing opening. Many replacements fit the same opening, though older curb-mounted domes are often replaced with a modern glass unit sized to the existing curb. The shingles around the unit are removed and replaced, and new membrane goes down before the new flashing.
Many Cranford homeowners replace skylights along with the roof, since the flashing has to come apart anyway. An old skylight left in place under a new roof often becomes the first leak. Ask about upgrades such as venting operation and laminated glass when choosing the new unit.
Related service
Solar Tube Installation Cranford, NJ
Solar tube installation brings daylight into small rooms through a narrow, mirrored tube instead of a full skylight shaft. The small roof cutout means no rafters are cut and the install is usually far simpler than a full skylight. The tube can bend around obstacles in the attic to reach the right spot on the ceiling.
For Cranford homes with dark interior spaces, a solar tube is often the easiest way to add daylight. On the roof, the tube dome sits on a flashing base that is woven into the shingles. A sleeve of insulation in the attic keeps the tube from sweating in cold weather.
Local help
Skylight Installation Near Me
In Cranford, homeowners often add skylights to kitchens, bathrooms and upstairs rooms that get little daylight. Across Cranford and nearby communities including Garwood, Westfield, Kenilworth and Roselle Park, the best results come from skylights placed with the roof slope and the room layout in mind, and planning around the next reroof saves flashing the opening twice.
For skylight installation in Cranford, NJ or nearby towns like Garwood, Westfield, Kenilworth and Roselle Park, call (908) 562-6887 to reach a roofer who covers your street.
What the local climate does to a roof
Cold winters bring snow, ice and a long stretch of freezing nights. 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. Coastal storms and heavy spring rain drive water sideways into flashing, valleys and old chimneys. That is why roof repair in Cranford is busiest after a hard winter and before the next one.
Why call
Why fix it now
Smaller repairs
Small roof problems caught early usually stay small repairs.
Local knowledge
Roofers in Cranford know the roof types and weather wear common in local homes.
Know what happens next
Ask the roofer about the cause, the options and the estimate before work starts.
Common questions about skylight installation
Does a skylight need a permit?
Permit rules vary by location. Cutting a rafter for a larger skylight usually triggers a permit, while smaller openings sometimes do not. A roofer in Cranford can check with the building department.
Does skylight placement matter?
Placement affects light, heat and glare. North-facing skylights give steady, even light with little heat, while south and west-facing units bring more light and more summer heat. The roofer can help balance light, heat and the layout of the room below.
Do skylights always leak?
Leaks are mostly a sign of poor flashing, not a flaw in skylights. 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.
Is a reroof a good time to add a skylight?
A reroof is the best time to add or replace skylights. The skylight and roof then age together and can be serviced together. If a reroof is near, it usually pays to wait and do both at once.
Should I get a skylight or a solar tube?
A skylight is a full window in the roof with a framed shaft, while a solar tube uses a small dome and a reflective tube to carry light down. Choose a skylight when you want a big pool of light or ventilation. For small or interior spaces, a tube is usually simpler.
More questions? Call (908) 562-6887
Related services
Skylight Repair
Skylight repair from the flashing on the roof to the glass and the frame, so the opening stays dry through every storm.
Learn moreRoof Installation
Putting on a new roof the way the material maker intends, so it sheds water at every edge and seam.
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 Cranford roofer about skylight installation
Call (908) 562-6887 for a local roofer in Cranford and nearby towns.