Skylights will eventually leak. It is just a matter of when. When a skylight start leaking, it is very likely the gasket seal has cracked between the glass and the metal frame. Most people will use some caulking to try and repair the skylight leak.
Here are 4 things you should never use to fix a skylight:
- Caulking – whether it is latex, silicone, or urethane caulking, it will always fail
- Tar – any tar out of a can will fail – it dries and cracks
- Tapes – It is very tempting to get a roll of tape and seal over the frame and glass; this will fail prematurely
- Spray Sealant out of a can – that is by far the worst so-called sealant
Watch this video to see how to repair a skylight.
5 Steps on repairing a skylight leak
- Wipe clean the glass or plexiglass and frame with a water-soaked rag
- Remove any old caulking and tapes. Soak a rag with Lacquer Thinners to remove Silicone or Tar residue
- Use masking tape to tape the glass area approx. 11/2″ from the frame
- Use 80 – 100 grid sandpaper to rough up the glass and frame
- Wipe clean all the dust with a dry rag
- Apply 1 thick coat of Super Silicone Seal covering the glass from the tape to over the frame
- Fill the gap between the metal frame and glass with sealant
- Cut the Polyester Fleece in half, so you end up with a 2″ strip
- Embed the fleece in the Super Silicone Seal
- Ad a final coat over the fleece, making sure the fleece is completely covered
- Remove the masking tape immediately after the silicone seal is painted on
- Take a dry rag and wipe of any excess sealant that got spilled on the glass area
