Skylights That Don't Leak. Installed by People Who Know Roofs.

The Reason Most Skylights Leak

Skylights have a reputation for leaking. That reputation isn't really about the skylight — it's about who installs them. A general contractor or window company approaches a skylight as a window that happens to be in a roof. A roofer approaches it as a roof penetration that happens to let in light. Those are meaningfully different mindsets, and they produce meaningfully different installs.

The difference comes down to flashing. Proper skylight installation uses step flashing — individual metal pieces woven into the shingle courses on each side of the skylight frame — combined with counter-flashing that caps the top of the step flashing and ties into the head flashing above the unit. When it's done right, water is physically redirected away from the frame regardless of how much accumulates. When it's done wrong — or when sealant is used as a substitute for real flashing — you get a joint that works until the sealant shrinks, cracks, or separates. In North Idaho, that usually happens within a few freeze-thaw seasons.

We work with Velux and comparable quality brands. Fixed skylights are simpler, less expensive, and have fewer long-term maintenance points. Vented skylights add ventilation options for kitchens, bathrooms, and bedrooms where that matters. We'll help you make the right call based on placement, budget, and whether the opening is structural or not. Snow load and freeze-thaw cycles factor into glazing selection for this climate — we'll walk you through the relevant options.