Skylights, North Shore
Skylight leaking, or a room that needs more light?
Water round the shaft every time it rains, or a hallway that needs the lights on at midday. Either way a skylight is a hole in your roof, so it is a roof plumbing job first. We fix and replace leaking skylights, and put new ones in flashed to stay dry.
- No charge for the site visit
- Flashed to stay watertight
- Upfront pricing, agreed before we start
- Licenced roof plumbers, licence 227192C
Sound familiar?
- "It drips round the skylight every time it rains." Usually the flashing round it, not the glass. Old flashing or a sealant repair has given up.
- "There's a brown stain spreading round the shaft." Water is getting in at the top and running down inside the shaft.
- "It's been siliconed twice and it still leaks." Sealant is a patch. A skylight needs to be flashed into the roof so the water runs past it.
- "The hallway is dark all day." A skylight lights a room with no outside wall: a hallway, an ensuite, a walk-in robe.
What happens if you leave it
Water round a skylight soaks the plasterboard in the shaft and the ceiling around it, rots the framing round the opening and grows mould where you cannot reach it.
Plaster that stays wet sags, and then it comes down.
How it goes
Looked at, priced, fitted, sealed
- Book a site visit. No charge for the visit. We look at the roof and the ceiling cavity. If water is coming in now, ring us.
- Fix it, replace it, or put one in. A leaking skylight sometimes only needs new flashing. If the unit has had it, we replace it. For a new one, we work out the position and type that gives the light you want.
- You get the price. In writing, before anything is ordered.
- Fitted from the roof side. The opening framed, the skylight flashed into the tile or metal, the shaft lined, and the room left the way we found it. Most standard installs are done in a day.
One of our jobs
A leaking skylight, replaced
Fix it or replace it? A straight answer
A skylight that can be fixed should be. We will tell you when it cannot.
When a fix is right
- The skylight itself is sound
- The water is getting in through the flashing or seals round it
- We reflash it properly, rather than add more silicone
When to replace it
- The dome or glass is cracked or crazed
- The frame round it has rusted or rotted
- It is an old single-skin acrylic dome that cooks the room
- It was the wrong unit for the roof pitch in the first place
New skylights
Put in by roof plumbers
Most skylight problems we are called to are not the skylight. They are the flashing, a gutter nobody thought about, or a unit put into a roof pitch it was not made for. We install from the roof side, so the water has somewhere to go before the light goes in.
- Working out the best position for the light you want
- Supply of the skylight: fixed, vented, tubular or motorised
- Framing the opening in the roof and the ceiling
- Flashing and sealing into tile or metal
- The shaft, lining and ceiling finish inside
Before you book
What people ask us
What will it cost?
It depends on the skylight, the roof and how far the light has to travel to the ceiling. The site visit costs nothing, and you get the price in writing before anything is ordered. Upfront pricing, agreed before we start.
Can you fix one someone else put in?
Yes. Most of the leaking skylights we see were fitted by someone else. We find where the water is getting in and tell you whether it needs reflashing or replacing.
Can I get rid of one I do not want?
Yes. We take the skylight out, sheet or tile over the hole so it matches the roof, and close the ceiling up inside.
Will it make a mess inside?
Very little. The work is done from the roof side. Inside, the ceiling is cut, the shaft lined, and the room cleaned up and left the way we found it.
Skylights on the North Shore since 2007
Our job records run from 2016. Since then we have done more than 120 skylight jobs: leaks fixed, old skylights replaced or taken out, and new ones put in. Licenced roof plumbers, contractor licence 227192C.
From our Google reviews
Ewan did what 3 other roof plumbers failed to achieve and sealed a leak in our roof!
Glenn Crouch, Google reviewHe always has the solutions to plumbing issues and leaks.
Bridget Knox, Google reviewAppreciated the plumber calling whilst on site to provide a full assessment of what needed to be done. Job was done quickly after my initial contact.
Lisa M., Google reviewSkylight leaking, or a dark room? Book a site visit.
No charge for the visit. We look at the roof and the ceiling, and give you the price before we start.
Common questions about skylights
Will it leak?
Not if we put it in. The reason skylights get a bad name is that they are often fitted by someone who is not a roof plumber. We flash and waterproof them properly and the workmanship is warranted.
What does a skylight cost?
A tubular skylight starts from around $900 and a fixed roof window from around $1,800. Those are starting figures for a straightforward job. What moves them is the type of skylight, the roof structure, how far it is from the ceiling to the roof, and whether any framing has to be altered. You get the real number after we have looked at the roof and the ceiling cavity.
How long does it take?
Most standard installations are done in a day. If the roof has to be altered, or you are having several put in, allow two to three days. You get the timeline before we start.
Can you fit one in any roof?
Tile or metal, pitched or flat. Some roofs need extra framing or a support added, which we work out on the site visit rather than discover on the day.
What types are there and which do I want?
A tubular skylight is the cheapest and suits a dark hallway or a bathroom with no outside wall. A fixed roof window gives you far more light and a view of the sky. A ventilated one opens, which is worth it in a bathroom or a kitchen. We will tell you which suits the room.
Do you supply it or do I buy it?
Either. We work with the main brands and can supply, or fit one you have already bought. If you are choosing yourself, ask us first, because the wrong model for your roof pitch causes most of the trouble.
Will it make the room hot?
A modern skylight with the right glazing will not, and a ventilated one helps in summer. The old ones people remember baking under were single-glazed acrylic, which is not what goes in now.
Are you licenced for this?
Yes. STS holds plumbing, roofing and waterproofing licences under NSW licence 227192C, and we use licenced trades for any electrical or structural work a job needs.
Word gets around
Neighbours telling neighbours. Give us a call and spread the word.
Leaking skylight, or want more light?
Tell us which room and the suburb you are in. We will look at the roof and the ceiling and give you the options with prices. If it is leaking now, ring us.
Office hours: Monday to Friday, 7am to 5pm.
A photo of the skylight from inside, and of any stain round it, helps us see it before we arrive.