Skylight Code Question
I have a leak that’s coming from the dunnage installed to hold my rooftop AC compressors. Finally got around to water-testing this past weekend and confirmed, so I’m going to retain someone to fix the issue. At he same time Mrs. D has been complaining about the hatch that leads up to the roof, it’s…
I have a leak that’s coming from the dunnage installed to hold my rooftop AC compressors. Finally got around to water-testing this past weekend and confirmed, so I’m going to retain someone to fix the issue.
At he same time Mrs. D has been complaining about the hatch that leads up to the roof, it’s one of those heavy wood tin-covered ones that you have to unhook and push out of the way. So we want to get a more modern spring-loaded one that she can open all by herself.
Last but not least, I’d like to replace the old copper-and-wire-glass skylight with a Velux or similar. The current skylight is vented. I assume the vent is part of the fire code in that it allows smoke and gas to be vented in case of fire.
I’d just as soon replace with a non-vented one so I don’t have to close off the vent in the winter with bubble wrap (thanks to the stoner that recommended that!).
Must I install a vented skylight?
I have a Velux skylight in my bathroom – it’s a very expensive piece of crap. It’s supposed to be venting (without opening) but it doesn’t vent a thing – and I’m talking about standing under it with a lit cigarette, the smoke doesn’t begin to drift up. This past winter it started leaking big time. Less than 10 years old. And it wasn’t the installation that was leaking, it was where the glass meets metal.
I talked to a number of roofers to try to determine where the leak was coming from. Everyone suspected flashing even though it appeared to be fine. Premier thought it was the skylight itself and he proved it.
venting may have to do with C of O. Certainly don’t need it on a single or 2 family and I know several people with 3 family buildings that don’t have them. Roofmaster replaced my tin/wood hatch last fall with a plexi-domed bilco and it’s great.
If it is anything like we experienced, then a lot has to do with wind directing the water down the beam, along the AC wiring, and also splashing/collecting on the parapet wall interior.
If water is getting in, then also check the outside of your parapet wall fo rdamage as well.
Metal and masonry expand/contract at very different rates. It is never a great idea to set an i-beam into masonry. The cotractor should not be surprised at cracking and then water leaks.
Outside of excavating the I-beam and doing that area over in a different way, flashing was the solution everyone offered. The contractor could also possibly weld a face-plate around the I-Beam to stop the water that runs from making contact with where the beam goes into the masonry, but most likely you are also having water that is coming vertically down the parapet wall as well, so yes flashing is the answer.
We had our management company send out their guy to take a look and he also agreed that this is becoming a common practice. It can cause a mess when it goes wrong, but can be easily fixed with flashing…
BSC, yes.
I went to my construction guy yesterday, and explained the situation, and suggested that flashing was the fix. He surprised me by stating that normally they are not flashed. He’s coming over tom’w to have a look.
I’d already put flashing cement around the beams, no improvement.
Strangely enough both beams leak at one side of the house, but neither leak on the other side.
Just curious –
Does the dunnage consist of I-Beams embedded into your parapet wall? I am very curious to know what you encountered. We had a similar issue of a leak getting into the building and it was because of a similar issue.
The repair was done by flashing the area, but I would like to know if someone else comes up with other solutions. We had three different people look at the area and they all recommended just flashing it. They had seen similar situations and said that although it is not a great practice, that it seemed to be a pretty popular practice as of late. But the I-beam and/or anchors that may be put into the parapet walls def. can pose a risk of making an entry point for water.
Wvery skylight must have a certain ventilated opening by law. Yes.
Dave,
My windowless top floor bathroom has an original vented skylight. It might have been sufficient for the original use, with a tub but no shower, but we installed a shower in the tub and had problems with water vapor causing plaster damage. Installing a fan that vents through the roof did the trick.
denton, in my quest for a roofer, I came across Premier whi offers skylights. Nonne of the other guys were all that keen on doing skylight work. I did not get a quote from premier. they are on Atlantc Ave and do come recommended bu a number of people who have posted here.
I do not know the answer to the code question however. I would be surprised if they were required to be vented. That said, I think they suffice for venting in a bathroom where there’s no window and no electrically operated vent.
I’ve read on the forum that mold in the cockloft is a common problem if the skylight isn’t vented. However, I replaced ours with an unvented one and I don’t think there’s a problem.