Light shaft
A straight or flared light well is built and finished to spread light into the room.
Exterior Services
Skylight Installation North Arlington, NJ
A roofer in North Arlington can install a new skylight or solar tube, frame the roof opening, flash it into the shingles and finish the light shaft below, with the roof opening framed to carry the load around it. One call to (551) 348-7205 reaches a nearby roofer who handles skylight installation.
Skylights earn a reputation for leaking because of poor installation, not because of the units themselves. 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. The shaft between the roof and the ceiling is part of the job too, with insulation on the attic side to limit heat loss and condensation.
There are a few kinds of skylights, and each suits a different room. Fixed skylights do not open and suit hallways, living rooms and stairwells, while venting skylights open by hand crank or motor and help clear heat and moisture from kitchens and bathrooms. Where the attic is cramped or the room is small, a tubular skylight delivers daylight through a narrow reflective tube.
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 North Arlington roofer may also recommend skylight repair or roof installation.
Looking for North Arlington skylight installation? Call (551) 348-7205 to talk to a local roofer.
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. Sizing to the rafter bay keeps the framing simple.
Open the deck
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 skylight is set level, fastened and checked for square, whether it mounts to the deck or to a curb. Ice and water membrane around the frame is the backup layer.
Flash the skylight
The sill flashing goes on first, then step flashing is woven in with each course of shingles up the sides, and the head flashing goes on last. The order of the flashing is what keeps the skylight from leaking.
Frame the shaft
Inside, the shaft between the roof and the ceiling is framed, insulated on the attic side and finished with drywall. Flaring the shaft spreads light across more of the room.
What is included
Common skylight installations
Fixed units
Fixed skylights are installed for light in living areas, halls and stairwells with low-E glass to limit heat gain.
Solar tubes
Tubular daylight devices are installed in closets, halls and small baths with minimal framing.
Opening skylights
Venting units with rain sensors close on their own when it rains wired where needed.
Roof framing
The roof opening is framed to carry loads properly to keep the roof deck stable.
Related service
Skylight Replacement North Arlington, 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. Reusing old flashing defeats the point, so a new kit is installed every time.
Many North Arlington homeowners replace skylights along with the roof, since the flashing has to come apart anyway. Keeping an aging unit means tearing into new shingles later to replace it. Replacement is also a chance to upgrade to low-E glass, a venting model or a rain sensor.
Related service
Solar Tube Installation North Arlington, NJ
A solar tube, or tubular skylight, uses a small dome on the roof and a highly reflective tube to carry light down to a ceiling diffuser. 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 North Arlington 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. Insulating the tube in the attic keeps condensation from forming inside it.
Local help
Skylight Installation Near Me
In North Arlington, homeowners often add skylights to kitchens, bathrooms and upstairs rooms that get little daylight. Across North Arlington and nearby communities including Kearny, Rutherford, East Rutherford and Secaucus, the best results come from skylights placed with the roof slope and the room layout in mind, so a look at the attic before deciding on size and placement is the best first step.
Searching for skylight installation near me from North Arlington or Kearny, Rutherford, East Rutherford and Secaucus? Call (551) 348-7205 to talk to a roofer who works in your part of town.
What the local climate does to a roof
Cold winters bring snow, ice and a long stretch of freezing nights. When warm attic air melts the snow, the meltwater runs down and freezes again at the 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 North Arlington is busiest after a hard winter and before the next one.
Why call
Why act early
Smaller repairs
Small roof problems caught early usually stay small repairs.
Local knowledge
Local roofers see the same roofs and storm damage across North Arlington and nearby towns.
Straight answers
Ask your questions before you agree to anything.
Skylight Installation FAQ
Does a skylight need a permit?
Whether a permit is required depends on the local building department. Cutting a rafter for a larger skylight usually triggers a permit, while smaller openings sometimes do not. A roofer in North Arlington can check with the building department.
What is the difference between a skylight and a solar tube?
Skylights give a view of the sky and more light, while solar tubes are smaller and fit where a shaft will not. Skylights suit living rooms, kitchens and vaulted ceilings, and can open for ventilation. Solar tubes suit closets, halls and small bathrooms.
Is a reroof a good time to add a skylight?
Adding a skylight during a reroof is the most efficient timing. The skylight and roof then age together and can be serviced together. Installing on an aging roof means flashing the skylight twice.
Will a new skylight leak?
Leaks are mostly a sign of poor flashing, not a flaw in skylights. Step flashing woven with the shingles and a membrane collar around the frame keep water out. The flashing method is the best question to ask before installation.
Which way should a skylight face?
The direction the slope faces changes how the skylight performs. A north slope gives softer light, and south or west slopes bring stronger sun and more heat gain. The roofer can help balance light, heat and the layout of the room below.
More questions? Call (551) 348-7205
Other services that may help
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
Installing a new roof layer by layer, from drip edge and underlayment to flashing, vents and the finished roofing, whether it is asphalt shingles, metal or another material.
Learn moreFlashing Repair
Repairing step, counter, kickout, valley and drip edge flashing where roofs meet walls and edges, so water runs onto the shingles instead of into the wall.
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 North Arlington roofer about skylight installation
Call (551) 348-7205 for a local roofer in North Arlington and nearby towns.