Skylight Repair

Skylight Repair in Austin, TX

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  Skylights add daylighting value to commercial buildings, but they are also the highest-failure-risk penetration on most commercial flat roofs. We repair skylight leaks from the curb up — finding the actual source, not treating the symptom.

  Commercial skylights fail at higher rates than almost any other roof penetration. The combination of UV exposure on plastic glazing, thermal cycling at the glazing-to-frame joint, and the inherent difficulty of flashing a vertical curb against a flat membrane creates conditions that produce leaks on a predictable schedule. In Austin's climate — sustained UV above 300 days per year, summer peak surface temperatures above 160°F, and rapid temperature swings from winter cold fronts — acrylic and polycarbonate skylight domes degrade visibly within 10 to 15 years of installation.

  The interior stain from a skylight leak rarely appears directly below the skylight. Water enters at the glazing joint or the curb flashing, runs down the inside of the curb, and exits where it finds a path — often at the edge of the curb-to-deck connection or along a ceiling grid member. On a South Lamar retail building where the skylight curb is in the middle of a 10,000 sq ft floor plate, the ceiling stain might be 8 to 12 feet from the skylight itself.

  We have repaired commercial skylights on office buildings in the Mueller development, retail buildings on South Congress, warehouse conversions in East Austin, and mixed-use properties in the Rainey Street corridor. The failure modes repeat across building types, but the repair scope varies based on skylight age, curb height, glazing type, and how the original installer handled the membrane-to-curb transition.

  Commercial Skylight Failure Modes We Repair

  Glazing joint failure: The joint between the glazing (glass, acrylic dome, or polycarbonate panel) and the aluminum frame is sealed at installation with a glazing tape or sealant. Thermal cycling causes the aluminum frame and the glazing material to expand and contract at different rates — aluminum has a higher coefficient of thermal expansion than glass, and a lower rate than acrylic. Over time, the glazing joint opens at corners and mid-span, allowing water direct entry into the curb cavity. We re-glaze failed joints with compatible sealant for the specific glazing and frame combination.

  Curb flashing failure: The skylight curb — the raised frame at roof level that supports the skylight and provides the attachment point for the roof membrane — is flashed with a piece of base flashing membrane that runs up the curb face and terminates under the aluminum frame. When the base flashing separates from the curb face, or when the termination at the top of the curb is not properly sealed under the frame, water runs down the curb face and under the field membrane. Curb flashing re-installation requires removing the skylight frame or access to the underside of the frame cap to properly terminate the new flashing.

  Acrylic and polycarbonate dome degradation: UV exposure causes acrylic and polycarbonate skylight domes to yellow, craze, and eventually crack. In Austin's high-UV environment, this process is accelerated relative to northern markets. A cracked dome is a direct water entry point that cannot be repaired with sealant — it requires dome replacement. We assess dome condition during every skylight repair walk and flag degraded domes that are approaching replacement threshold.

  Pre-repair assessment: Before any work starts, we photograph the skylight exterior and interior condition, probe the curb flashing for separation, inspect the glazing joint for sealant failure, and assess the dome or glazing condition. The assessment identifies whether the repair is a sealant/re-flashing scope (most cases) or a dome replacement scope (degraded acrylic or cracked polycarbonate). We provide the scope and cost before starting work — skylight leaks are sometimes used to justify full replacement when a targeted repair will hold.

  Curb flashing materials: We match flashing membrane material to the existing roof system. TPO curb flashing on a TPO field membrane; EPDM flashing on an EPDM field. Using incompatible materials at the curb-to-field junction is a common subcontractor shortcut that produces callbacks within two to three years when the incompatible materials separate at the junction point.

  Skylight dome replacement: When dome replacement is the scope, we coordinate with skylight manufacturers or replacement dome suppliers to match the original unit dimensions. Many commercial skylights in Austin's 1990s and 2000s construction are from manufacturers that are still active and have replacement domes available. For discontinued skylight units — which is common on South Congress and Rainey Street buildings with original-equipment skylights from the 1980s — we source dimensional match replacement domes and re-flash the curb during installation.

  Skylights in Austin's High-UV Environment

  Austin's UV exposure is among the highest in Texas — the combination of latitude, elevation on the Edwards Plateau rim, and the clear-sky frequency that comes with the Bermuda High pressure system pushing moisture out of Central Texas during summer means acrylic and polycarbonate skylight materials degrade faster here than in coastal or northern markets. A skylight dome installed in Austin in 2005 is likely approaching functional end-of-life by 2025 — yellowing, crazing, and structural brittleness are the visible indicators.

  Tempered glass skylights outlast acrylic and polycarbonate in Austin's UV environment by 20 to 30 years. For buildings undergoing major renovation or roof replacement where skylights are also being renewed, we recommend glass glazing over plastic for any skylight expected to remain in service past 2040. The higher first cost is recovered in reduced maintenance and replacement cycles over the building's life.

  Can you repair a skylight leak without replacing the skylight unit?

  In most cases, yes. The majority of commercial skylight leaks in Austin that we assess trace to failed curb flashing or failed glazing joint sealant — both of which are repairable without skylight replacement. Dome replacement is a separate scope that applies when the glazing material itself has degraded beyond functional use. We assess both conditions and provide a scope that addresses the actual failure rather than defaulting to full replacement.

  My skylight leaks only during wind-driven rain. Is that a different repair?

  Wind-driven rain leaks from skylights typically indicate a glazing joint failure rather than a curb flashing failure. Under normal rainfall, the glazing joint may be partially sealed enough to prevent entry; under wind pressure, the joint is forced open. The repair is still a re-glazing scope, but the diagnosis starts at the glazing joint rather than the curb. We test under simulated wind-driven conditions using a controlled water source after repair to verify the fix before closeout.

  How long do commercial skylight repairs last in Austin?

  Curb flashing repairs using compatible TPO or EPDM membrane should last 15 to 20 years as part of the broader roof system. Sealant-only glazing joint repairs have shorter service life — five to seven years for high-quality sealants in Austin's UV and thermal environment. We specify a sealant product rated for the specific movement range and UV exposure at the glazing joint. At the five-to-seven-year mark, sealant renewal is the expected maintenance item.

  Schedule a skylight leak diagnosis for your Austin commercial building.

  We assess the glazing joint, curb flashing, and dome condition, and deliver a written repair scope before any work starts.

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