Bloomington Roof & Leak
Colfax, Illinois

Skylight leaks in Colfax

Skylights leak at the flashing kit or the perimeter seal far more often than through the glass itself. The unit sits proud of the roof plane and interrupts the water path, so everything depends on how the flashing was stepped into the surrounding courses. Water showing at the corners of the opening inside is the classic sign. Condensation on the inside of the pane is a different problem entirely — that is ventilation, not a leak, and sealing the outside will not touch it.

Call (706) 696-1888 McLean County

What the job involves

  • Inspection of the flashing kit, head, sill and side step flashing
  • Assessment of the perimeter seal and any sealant previously applied
  • Check of the glazing unit seal where condensation is suspected
  • Ventilation check if the moisture is condensation rather than ingress

Signs you need it

  • Drips at the corners of the skylight opening
  • Staining on the plasterboard reveal around the window
  • Moisture between the panes of the glazing unit

Why roofs fail in Colfax and McLean County

Colfax gets the full range — freeze-thaw cycling through winter, severe convective storms with hail and straight-line wind in spring and summer, and enough temperature swing between them to work every joint on the roof loose. Freeze-thaw is the quiet one: water finds a hairline gap in flashing, freezes overnight, expands, and opens it slightly wider, repeating through a McLean County winter until a joint that was watertight in October is leaking by March. Spring brings the loud damage, and derechos have put straight-line wind through this region at speeds that take ridge caps and whole shingle courses. Housing stock here is older than average, which means a lot of roofs where the flashing has already been through several decades of that cycle.

Colfax has a population of about 996, and the housing stock here sets the pattern for what fails first on a roof.

Questions about skylight leaks in Colfax

Is condensation on my skylight a leak?

No. Moisture on the room-side face of the glass is warm damp air meeting a cold surface, and it is a ventilation problem. Moisture trapped between the panes means the sealed unit has failed and the glazing needs replacing. Neither is fixed by working on the roof.

Can an old skylight be reflashed, or does it need replacing?

If the unit itself is sound it can be reflashed, which is far cheaper. Replacement makes sense when the frame has rotted, the seal between panes has gone, or the unit is old enough that matching flashing is no longer available.

Other roofing work in Colfax

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Describe what you are seeing

You will get a straight answer on whether Colfax needs someone out today or whether it can wait — before anyone quotes you for anything.

Call (706) 696-1888
Call (706) 696-1888