The Care and Cleaning of Your Skylights

Skylights add not only extra natural light to your home, but can beautify it as well…they are a wonderful way to bring the outside in, to open up a dark living space, to add an extra way of bringing in a cool breeze and fresh air, or to gaze at the stars from the comfort of your own home. They can be such a great addition if you don’t already have them.

Once they are installed in your home, they require very little maintenance, but those things they do need are important to keep them beautful and functioning as they were intended, and to give you many years of enjoyment.

Maintaining your skylights…

Because of changing termperatures from season to season – from hot to cold and then back again – your windows will contract and expand, and they will do this everytime there are extreme  temperature changes, it’s wise to schedule a regular maintenance inspection, whether you do it yourself or hire someone to do it for you, to ensure they remain in good condition, and don’t require any repair work. These inspections, are not difficult, but it’s important that it gets done:

• Check the glass for leaks: Inspect carefully from both the inside and outside, checking the flashings and seal for cracks or leaks. People who don’t maintain this part of the skylight often find themselves with not only sunshine coming in but rain also. Because flashing problems can be hard to see, 90% of all skylight light leaks are caused by them.  If you find dried or cracked seals, repair them immediately to avoid further or future damage and a big repair bill.
• Check wood frames: If your skylight has wood frames, they will need to be looked at for peeling, cracking or fading. Be sure to replace any damaged wood right away.
• Check any mechanical parts: If you have a skylight that opens manually or mechanically, check the hinges and all of the components, make sure they are lubricated so they move easily, and if it opens mechanically, check the gears to determine that the gears are moving smoothly.
• Last, but definitely not least, have the glass cleaned regularly, inside and out, believe it or not, glass that isn’t cleaned regularly can cause problems. Cleaning the window isn’t difficult, the difficult part is that skylights are generally high and out of reach, and to inspect and clean them. So in order to reach them you need a ladder inside and you also have to climb up on the roof outside, so, because it’s inconvenient, many homeowners put off cleaning them.

Whether your skylights are made from glass or plastic, they both require a minimal amount of attention on a regular basis.

Keeping your windows and skylights clean is more than cosmetic, it’s prevention, and should be done on a regular basis. If cleaning windows isn’t “your thing“, Contact me for a FREE Quote.

I have been cleaning windows in the Seattle area for nearly 30 years, and quite frankly, I enjoy it!  I will be happy to answer all of your questions, and I know the mistakes to avoid. I clean private homes or apartment complexes.