Leaking Skylight Repair

Patricia Whitworth has a few leaking skylights in her Hernando, FL home.

Here's what she sent to me.

I assume since she's so brief she's running around looking for a mop and bucket:

"Skylights leak. How can we permanently remove them?  How to cover up hole in inside ceiling?"

Here's my suggestion:

Patricia, are you sure you want to take this radical approach?

What if I told you I've installed hundreds of skylights over the years and NONE of them have leaked, even in fierce wind-driven rainstorms?

I've used opens in a new windowVelux Skylights for decades and had them on several houses I've lived in including the one I'm in now.

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These skylights have a pre-engineered flashing system that's easy to install. The flashings are foolproof. If you flash the skylight with Grace Ice and Water Shield BEFORE you install the Velux flashing kit, you'll never ever ever have an issue.

If you are bound and determined to remove them, then just take them out and patch the hole. You install roof sheathing to match the existing and lace in shingles or other roofing to match.

Inside you insulate the hole and install and finish drywall or whatever the existing ceiling finish is.

Nothing to it.

Velux Flashings were mentioned in the AsktheBuilder Column opens in a new windowRoofing 101. Still the best.