Who Would You Pick?

[WinniWoman]

Noticed a some small water stains - corner of skylight wood frame and sheet rock box- and then an 8 inch water stain somewhat nearby the skylight.

First guy we call does not need to come out. Looks at our home on Google. Asks a lot of questions and was on the phone quite a while with me. Says he has received a lot of calls the past two weeks of the same and believes it could be condensation from the warm and cold temps we have had. Said to keep an eye on it and it the stain gets bigger then there could be an different issue.

Second guy comes- gets on the roof- also looks at it from the inside. Says he finds nothing and it could just be a one time event. Said to just keep an eye on it- but he sees nothing that needs repair.

Third guy comes- DOES NOT go on the roof. Looks at the inside water stains. Says it has to be the flashing. Has seen this numerous times. Been doing this for 42 years. He could replace the flashing on the upside and downside of the skylight. We have the shingles we could supply so he would not have to buy those.. Would cost between $300 and $500 dollars depending.

Not sure what we should do, though I am leaning towards wait and see with the spring rains.

 

[vacationhopeful]

It could be a small water/ice dam around the skylight. The UP & DOWN swing of the temperatures ... freezing, thawing and refreezing at night WOULD push water vapor/small pockets of water up & under the flashing... causing the small leak and discolored sheetrock.

Guy #1 or #2 .. both are correct. WAIT & SEE would be my recourse. And when the weather is warmer and everything is DRY, maybe a "look see" from the roof and some roof flashing cement would be called for.

Guy #3 is WRONG. He wants to repair a wet area (?) in the cold weather without it being DRIED OUT . trapping water & wet material under NEW & non-breathable gunk. The TOTAL area under the shingles MUST be DRIED out completely... that is why you see tarps on roofs until good weather has been around for WEEKS.

 

[Panina]

I would wait. You will know soon enough if there is a recurring problem. When there is a very heavy rain and if there is a problem the stain will get bigger.

 

[DaveNV]

Agree to wait. If it's recurring, you'll know whether and how to proceed.

Dave

 

[rboesl]

Based upon my experience guys #1 & #2 are suggesting you wait expecting the damage will get worse and the job will be bigger and justify sent out a crew to repair. Guy #3, the one with 42 years of experience, understands a small repair now is a better investment than a large repair later.

 

[WinniWoman]

I have a fourth guy coming tomorrow. LOL!

 

[Talent312]

Ask the 4th guy if there's a way to test to see if it's leaking.

We have a roofer coming this AM to start a complete re-roof.
We're leaving ASAP to spend a few days at Disney World.
.

 

[geekette]

Based upon my experience guys #1 & #2 are suggesting you wait expecting the damage will get worse and the job will be bigger and justify sent out a crew to repair. Guy #3, the one with 42 years of experience, understands a small repair now is a better investment than a large repair later.

Yes. I had a leaking skylight and all it needed was a new seal kit. Not a big pricey job, which is possibly why the others don't want to bother, not worth their time to drive out there again for such a small bill.

 

[WalnutBaron]

Obviously, it's hard to know what kind of problem you have, Mary Ann, without being there to inspect the issue. But this primer on skylight leaks and causes should give you a good understanding of the possibilities. One thing I do know from experience: a skylight may look like it's sealed, but not be sealed. Just like anything else, the sealant can get brittle and begin to crumble through the ravages of freezing winters and blazing summers, and the useful life of this material is really dependent on the extremes of climate and the quality of the original work when the seal was made.

One more thought: have you tried Angie's List for ratings on a good roof guy? I like Angie's List because members have to pay for the site, thereby reducing the number of fake reviews and giving you a more accurate idea of how good the repairman's work is.

 

[WinniWoman]

Ask the 4th guy if there's a way to test to see if it's leaking.

We have a roofer coming this AM to start a complete re-roof.
We're leaving ASAP to spend a few days at Disney World.
.

Roofer #4 was a no show! I reallzed though we agreed on a time he did not have my address. When I pm'd it via Facebook to him, he said he was still working and would be delayed. Then we never heard from him again. I send him another message saying I guess this didn't work out!

One of the other guys said it rains hard- or when our window/skylight cleaners come(which is quite a while from now, though- summer) they could run a hose on it.Then we could check inside to see if anything happens.

I like your plans- just leave! We have done this when we get our 700 foot driveway done- resealed or whatever- when we are on vacation.

 

[WinniWoman]

Obviously, it's hard to know what kind of problem you have, Mary Ann, without being there to inspect the issue. But this primer on skylight leaks and causes should give you a good understanding of the possibilities. One thing I do know from experience: a skylight may look like it's sealed, but not be sealed. Just like anything else, the sealant can get brittle and begin to crumble through the ravages of freezing winters and blazing summers, and the useful life of this material is really dependent on the extremes of climate and the quality of the original work when the seal was made.

One more thought: have you tried Angie's List for ratings on a good roof guy? I like Angie's List because members have to pay for the site, thereby reducing the number of fake reviews and giving you a more accurate idea of how good the repairman's work is.

Thanks! This info. will be very helpful.Yes- right. The 3rd guy said it is probably the flashing which is aluminum and eventually cracks.

I didn't use Angies List but I did use Home Advisor and my local town Facebook group for names, plus one or two we had called years ago when we redid our roof: One was the guy who called and spoke to me on the phone and said he was sure it was condensation. The other one never called me back.

The third guy said it couldn't be condensation because the inside of the skylight would be wet. But I believe the 1st guy was saying that the condensation would have been in the attic area near the skylight.

 

[WinniWoman]

So- we had major rain this week (and more to come tomorrow). So far, the water stains have not changed or grown bigger. In other words, no leaks. Could be the way the rain falls.

So now the guy who did not originally come to our home and said over the phone that it sounded like condensation, came to our home after me calling him to say there is another small water stain where the wall meets the ceiling.

He is second generation in a well known family business in our county. We didn't use him 10 years ago when we re-did our roof because he said he wanted to replace the skylights (as did a couple of other roofers) and we felt we did not need to do so. We thought they probably make a lot of money doing skylights and tried to sell that to us. Turns out our skylights have been fine all these past 10 years after we re did the roof. But they are 30 years old.

He went on the roof and took pics and showed them to us and said the one skylight has to be replaced and the flashing was not done correctly (the shingles should be under the flashing and you do not see the flashing the way it was done) when the new roof was put on. The frame of the skylight is separating as well which he believes is the real culprit. We saw this in the pictures.

Inside, he said the other skylight- where there are no leaks around- does have some slight water stains in the corner of the frame and he claims THAT is condensation but not the one where the leaks are. (which he originally suspected in our initial phone call before he came out to look).

These are exceptionally large skylights they do not make anymore (they are Andersons). He has to see what he can get and price it all out. Also- to consider replacing the other one as well.

Also- I had bought custom shades just a few years ago and now he said he has to see what he can do so the shades can be put back on- though it would be a different installation. OR- we can get the skylights with the shades already built onto them.

We still have a few bundle of shingles left over from when the roof was replaced so that is a little savings there.

This is all going to be mucho dinero. And at a time when we are getting close to just a few years away from putting our home on the market so we can retire and move. And both my husband's and mine's jobs on the line at work due to changes there. We just paid to have the room painted a few years ago and have put so much money into this house over the past 5 years that we will never get back because of bad real estate market conditions.

So now- we have this guy who says to replace the skylight. We have the guy who wants to re-flash. And we have the guy that said he sees no issues and the leak was a fluke.

Not one consensus. So- we are shooting to get yet another opinion.

 

[VacationForever]

I have no experience with skylights but...

We bought a new home 10 years ago, and when it was about 6 years old, one day after a heavy rain storm, my garage was really wet, huge puddle spanning 10 ft by 10 ft or so. Looked up at the ceiling of the garage, it was wet. Called my contractor who came out after it dried out and after hearing my description he said it was the flashing. He simply traced back where it was wet, went outside and looked and said yep, it was the flashing. He scheduled his guys and him to come out a couple of days later and went up the roof and fixed it. It never got wet again when the next storm arrived, so it worked.

 

[easyrider]

He went on the roof and took pics and showed them to us and said the one skylight has to be replaced and the flashing was not done correctly (the shingles should be under the flashing and you do not see the flashing the way it was done) when the new roof was put on. The frame of the skylight is separating as well which he believes is the real culprit. We saw this in the pictures.

Not one consensus. So- we are shooting to get yet another opinion.

A picture is worth a thousand words. We used the Polaroid Instamatic then digital cameras then smart phones to show home owners the problems with their homes. A few home owners had no idea of what they were looking at when viewing the pictures and often sought other bids. By the time they had spoke with several contractors, in their mind anyway, they became the expert using you tube, google and sites like tug, lol, as references. It wouldn't mater that a person has been doing this successfully for 42 years.

This is one reason many contractors do not bid on small jobs. Most would rather wait for your insurance adjuster to call.

Bill

 

[elaine]

I lived in fla and everyone had skylights in the 70s. I hate them. A money pit imho. My vote is at least a flashing issue. I would definitely redo the flashings as start.
But you also live in the NE and 30 yr old skylights have to be at their end of life. Can you take them out and reroof that part. That was what I was going to do in a bathroom of a house we almost bought. Roofer said fairly easy to do.

 

[WinniWoman]

I lived in fla and everyone had skylights in the 70s. I hate them. A money pit imho. My vote is at least a flashing issue. I would definitely redo the flashings as start.
But you also live in the NE and 30 yr old skylights have to be at their end of life. Can you take them out and reroof that part. That was what I was going to do in a bathroom of a house we almost bought. Roofer said fairly easy to do.

From what his pictures showed for the one skylight, the exterior frame of the skylight is separating at the mitered corners and he suspects water coming in through there for one thing. Over tome, the frame has been deteriorating and it has been calked a number of times. He also said the flashing was not right. This was the guy who is second generation in the family business and is well known in the county.

The other man with the 42 years experience didn't even go up on the roof and said it was the flashing-at it just probably needs to be redone- over time with temperature expansion it probably has cracked.

That is an idea about taking the skylights out altogether and re-roofing. Not sure if it can be done- but worth considering if it can be and if it will be a lot less expensive than putting in new ones. Will have to ask.

It is a dormer and it has a lot of windows, though it will be a bit dark without the skylights as it is on the north side of the house. Not that we should care since we intend to sell in a few years. IF we can get a buyer- which is a whole 'nother story...

 

[WinniWoman]

My husband this morning said he was thinking on this more and feels that if we are going to put the house up for sale in 2 years or so that it would not be wise to replace the skylights. He feels it will be lost money and also there is the possibility that once the work starts, there could be other issues that arise, such as maybe rotted wood underneath from water, for example, and therefore- more monetary outlay. To spend thousands of dollars at this point in our lives does not seem like the right thing to do since we plan on leaving. If we were younger and staying put we would consider it for sure.

He is going to see what the other guy says, but is leaning towards just going up on the roof himself and doing major caulking on the frame and around the skylight.

Then the inside can be painted/touched up a bit. Don't want to spend money on painting the whole ceiling again- it was just painted 3 years ago. We are not good painters and we usually hire someone.

 

[Jan M.]

My husband this morning said he was thinking on this more and feels that if we are going to put the house up for sale in 2 years or so that it would not be wise to replace the skylights. He feels it will be lost money and also there is the possibility that once the work starts, there could be other issues that arise, such as maybe rotted wood underneath from water, for example, and therefore- more monetary outlay. To spend thousands of dollars at this point in our lives does not seem like the right thing to do since we plan on leaving. If we were younger and staying put we would consider it for sure.

He is going to see what the other guy says, but is leaning towards just going up on the roof himself and doing major caulking on the frame and around the skylight.

Then the inside can be painted/touched up a bit. Don't want to spend money on painting the whole ceiling again- it was just painted 3 years ago. We are not good painters and we usually hire someone.

In our experience having had skylights, issues like this just keep getting worse and the damage becomes more extensive and expensive to repair and replace. From what you've said about what the pictures showed your 30 year old skylights need replaced. Repair work would just be a stop gap measure and you will likely find your self paying for the repair now and then before you can sell your house paying to have them replaced. You've expressed concerns about being able to sell your house in a few years when both of you retire. Roof and window issues can be a deal breaker for buyers as they are structural issues not cosmetic. Either now or later you will end up paying unless you can find a buyer able to pay cash and willing to take the house as is. Lenders insist on a home inspection and most buyers who pay cash want one. You will likely have to replace the skylights to get a buyers lender to approve their mortgage. Either that or lower your asking price to offset the expense for the buyer to have it done but some lenders won't approve that. If a buyer sees the skylights they will likely want them replaced not covered over. The least expensive option would be getting rid of the skylights altogether at this time.

 

[nkldavy]

Alternatives: 1. Cut out the drywall in the area of the stains. Then if the insulation is wet or has turned black, it's a leak and not condensation. If the skylight didn't have condensation, why would one suspect that an insulated area had condensation ? Or does the skylight get condensation ? Assuming it is a leak, then I would run a hose on the roof on a nice day and see where the water is getting through. 2. Since you have shingles ... remove the skylights ? 3. Wait until the house inspections are done upon sale of the house ... maybe by then, there will be other roof/stain issues that suggest a re-roofing is indicated ... then the buyer may want to have no skylights or new skylights ?
Uncle Davey

 

[jehb2]

Saw a couple on tv. One guy said it would cost $6000 to fix the skylights. Second guy provided by the tv show said both seals were fine and it was just condensation and needed to be cleaned. Who's to say if the guy with the 42 years experience isn't trying to rip you off.

 

[WinniWoman]

4th guy was a doozy! What an awful personality. Says there are some nails popping through the shingles and the roof was done wrong. If he had his caulking stuff in the truck he would do it right then for $200. I ask him what about the skylights? He says well if the skylights are a problem then it would involve more work. Well- duh! Isn't that why we called him in the first place-to evaluate and give us his opinion on the ENTIRE situation?

SMH.......

 

[elaine]

Bad Flashing, leaks around barrel dormer windows were found on our home inspection and were a deal breaker for us as owner said “roof is fine” and wouldn’t replace. Cost was $8k due to special shape of dormers. We asked for $5k. That repair pushed us over our limit and called into question the general maintenance of the house, as one could see the leak spot on the ceiling.
I agree with pop. You’ll likely have to spend the $ when you sell and maybe more.

 

[vacationhopeful]

MaryAnn ... if husband just caulks the crap frames,etc and your buyers ... use a HOME INSPECTOR ... that inspector WILL note the HEAVY CAULK job and YOU will be paying a fortune to REPLACE the skylights at the last minute to SAVE the sale.

OR worse case, the Home Inspector will cause YOUR SALE to be cancelled. Now, your realtor and pals will KNOW about the bad skylights .. which you NOW have to replace and start from the beginning to SELL house to new customer.

Either FIXED now or TAKE OUT. If in doubt, spend several nights and weekends to get Realtors in to 'evalue house' for possible Summer Sale (never tell them you are looking to sell in 2 or 3 years). Est selling price WITH or WITHOUT skylights.

PS Good lighting (LED lighting) might make the skylight a "non factor" ... floor can lamps, etc.

 

[VacationForever]

The one thing that caught me by surprise, which I don't remember seeing in a prior home sale, was that I had to fill out a form during my last home sale declaring any and all problems that had happened to the house that required repair or needed repair.

I was 100% honest in completing the disclosure and it wasn't an issue as every problem which I had listed was repaired. While it was a new house that I bought in 2008, I spent another 30K to fix various problems.

So I am thinking when Mary Ann sells her home, she will likely have to declare something like that.

 

[WinniWoman]

The one thing that caught me by surprise, which I don't remember seeing in a prior home sale, was that I had to fill out a form during my last home sale declaring any and all problems that had happened to the house that required repair or needed repair.

I was 100% honest in completing the disclosure and it wasn't an issue as every problem which I had listed were repaired. While it was a new house that I bought in 2008, I spent another 30K to fix various problems.

So I am thinking when Mary Ann sells her home, she will likely have to declare something like that.

So who says caulking is not a repair? If it prevents leaks what is wrong with that? We only had this one leak- one time- nothing since- even with all the strong rain.

I remember we had a stain on the upstairs hallway ceiling years ago- only happened once and never saw any issues again. Have no clue how it happened but it has been dry for years.