How to replace skylight?

[Jeanii1]

I bought a villa a year ago which has the pictured skylight cover in the bathroom. It lifts with wind and when the bathroom door is closed which is noisy. It also collects debris and the odd dead cockroach which is ugly and annoying. I have yet to get up in the roof and have a proper look in there. I am wondering how to enclose it and/or what to replace it with. The bathroom has no window although it does have one of those heater/light/exhaust things. I want to keep as much light and ventilation as possible coming into the room. Are solar tubes an option? LED lights? Ceiling the existing one, replacing the covering, and fixing the ceiling afterwards?

The roof is a typical tiled, slanted one. 

Ideally the skylight would look better, not lift and make noise, not collect debris, and let as much light (and ventilation?) as possible in. 

Thanks. 

[MitchellMc]

Hi @Jeanii1,

It sounds like a frustrating issue, but definitely one that can be improved without necessarily replacing the whole skylight right away.

The first step would be to get up into the roof cavity and take a look at the external part of the skylight. If it’s lifting with the wind and allowing debris or moisture in, it’s likely that the flashing around the skylight needs attention. Damaged or poorly fitted flashing can cause drafts, rattling, and leaks. Replacing or resealing the flashing could eliminate most of the noise, wind, and debris problems without the need for a full replacement.

As for the internal cover you're seeing, these can often be removed quite easily—many just tilt or lift out for cleaning. That should make it easier to clear out any debris or pests that do find their way in.

You could certainly look into replacing the skylight, but it’s worth troubleshooting the existing one first. If the light it provides is otherwise working well, simply fixing the flashing and possibly upgrading the internal diffuser or cover could solve most of your issues and improve the look at the same time.

If you do end up wanting a more modern option, solar tubes are definitely worth considering—they're compact, sealed units that bring in a lot of light without the maintenance issues of older skylights. Some even come with built-in ventilation and LED lighting to give you the best of all worlds.

Please let me know if you have any questions.

Mitchell

[Jeanii1]

Hi, 

Thank you so much for your response. Who exactly would I get to come and look at it and potentially fix the issues you've mentioned? I'd like to look into that as you've suggested prior to replacing the whole thing. 

[MitchellMc]

You would be looking for a handiperson or a roof drainage flashing specialist @Jeanii1.

Mitchell