Replacing your roof? Now’s the best time for a skylight

(NC) A new roof is a big investment in time and money. That’s why it’s important to do it correctly the first time around. And this is your chance to make improvements to the comfort of your home.

If you have a skylight and it’s not causing any problems, you might think you can ignore replacing it. But this will end up costing you more money down the road. A good rule of thumb experts recommend is to upgrade your skylights when replacing your roofing if your skylight is more than 15 years old.

A key benefit to replacing your skylight along with your new roof is that the flashing is integrated with your roofing material, allowing you to have coinciding warranties. So, if you have any issues with your roof, you are dealing with the same company for both roof and skylight, saving you money on multiple service calls. If you decide to leave your existing skylight and reuse the flashing, then you run the risk of having double the holes in the flashing and membrane, which can cause leaks.

Another benefit of doing the two together is the added energy efficiency that comes from using laminated or triple-pane glass. These types of glass are much quieter and more energy efficient than acrylic bubbled skylights, or older flat-glass skylights. If you do have a bubbled skylight, you don’t need to replace it with another bubble. Instead replace it with a more energy efficient Velux flat-glass skylight, which has been tested to perform on flat or low sloped roofs.

You can also enhance your roof replacement project by considering the added comfort inside your home that comes from adding a brand-new skylight or sun tunnel skylight. Some of the advantages here are bringing daylight into areas that were previously dark and added natural ventilation. This will turn a must-do exterior renovation into a bright, transformative and fresh new interior so that you can rediscover your living space.