Yes. The unit and its flashing come out, the opening is framed and decked, and ice and water shield, underlayment and shingles go over it. Inside, the shaft is insulated and the ceiling is closed with drywall.
Get My Free Estimate →- Remove, replace or keep a skylight: how to decide
- Signs a skylight is better removed
- Why a roof replacement is the best time to remove a skylight
- What skylight removal involves on the roof
- What happens inside the house
- Skylight removal cost and resale
- Questions to ask at your roof inspection
- Get your skylights checked before your new roof
- FAQs
Remove a skylight when the room no longer needs its daylight, the unit has leaked more than once, or a remodel will change the ceiling below it. Keep or replace it when the room depends on that light.
A roof replacement is the best time to decide. With the old shingles off, the opening can be framed, decked and shingled with the rest of the new roof, so no patch shows.
Buckshot removes, replaces and re-flashes skylights as part of our roof replacement work. This guide explains how to choose and what removal involves.
Remove, replace or keep a skylight: how to decide
Every skylight on the roof needs a decision before the new shingles go on. Each choice suits a different unit and a different room.
| Choice | Choose it when | What happens with the new roof |
|---|---|---|
| Keep | The unit is sound, the glass is clear and the shaft is dry | Re-flashed into the new shingles |
| Replace | The unit is over 15 years old, the seal is fogged, the dome is acrylic or the shaft is stained | New unit and flashing kit set with the new roof |
| Swap for a sun tunnel | A hallway, closet or small bath needs some daylight, not a full skylight | Old opening closed, and a smaller tube installed |
| Remove | The room no longer needs the light, or the unit keeps leaking | Opening framed, decked and roofed over, and the ceiling closed |
The replacement rule of thumb comes from our guide to skylight installation in Madison. Our skylight crews re-flash any skylight that stays whenever a new roof goes on, because the flashing is where skylight leaks start.
Signs a skylight is better removed
These signs point toward removal rather than another repair or a new unit.
- The skylight has leaked more than once, even after flashing or seal repairs
- Water drips from it on cold, dry nights, and lowering indoor humidity has not stopped it
- A blind or shade over it stays closed most of the year
- The space under the shaft feels cold in winter or overheats in summer
- A remodel will move a wall, a light fixture or the ceiling below it
Drips on dry winter nights are usually condensation, as our guide to skylight condensation explains. Drips during rain or snowmelt point to a leak, which our guide to skylight leaks helps you trace.
Why a roof replacement is the best time to remove a skylight
During a tear-off the roof deck is already exposed and the crew is already on the roof. Closing the opening becomes part of the same job.
The old opening is covered with the same new shingles as the rest of the roof, so from the street it looks like it was never there. Removing a skylight from a finished roof means cutting into new shingles and blending fresh ones into weathered ones.
Removal also leaves one less penetration in the roof. Skylights and chimneys are the two spots our crews open up most often on leak calls.
What skylight removal involves on the roof
Skylight removal follows these five steps. During a roof replacement the old shingles are already off, so the work starts at the flashing.
- Strip the shingles and flashing. The shingles around the unit come off, then the counter flashing, step flashing and membrane around the curb, and the unit lifts out.
- Frame the opening. Blocking or sistered framing closes the gap between the rafters, so the new decking has solid support.
- Deck the opening. New decking is cut to fit and fastened to the framing, at the same thickness as the deck around it so the shingles lie flat.
- Seal it. Ice and water shield goes over the patched area, then underlayment, as our guide to ice and water shield explains.
- Shingle it in. The shingles run across the old opening with the rest of the roof.
Rot around an old skylight opening often shows only once the shingles are off. Our roof decking service replaces soft boards, and our guide to roof decking explains when it needs replacing.
Deciding what to do with a skylight before your new roof? Our roof inspection is free, and we will tell you whether to keep, replace or remove each skylight.
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What happens inside the house
Inside, the light shaft is insulated and the ceiling is closed with drywall, then finished flat and painted. The work depends on whether the skylight sits in a vaulted ceiling or over an attic with a light shaft.
The roof side and the ceiling side do not have to happen on the same day. The opening can be roofed over with the new roof and the ceiling finished later, though the shaft stays cold until it is insulated and closed.
Our estimates itemize any framing and drywall work, so you can see the roof side and the ceiling side separately.
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We'll inspect it, document everything, and tell you honestly what you're looking at, even if the answer is patch it for now. No pressure.
Skylight removal cost and resale
Removal pricing depends on the roof side, the framing and the interior finish. Our guide to skylight replacement cost compares removing a skylight with replacing one and explains how each affects resale.
A room that relies on a skylight for most of its daylight can feel darker after removal. In that case, a new unit or a sun tunnel usually suits the room better.
Questions to ask at your roof inspection
Bring these questions to the inspection, one skylight at a time.
- Is this skylight sound enough to re-flash into the new roof?
- How old is the unit, and is the seal fogged?
- Does this room need the daylight, or would a sun tunnel be enough?
- Is the decking around the opening sound?
- Who finishes the ceiling, and when?
Get your skylights checked before your new roof
Buckshot Exteriors is family-owned, has served homeowners since 1979, and has offices in Madison, Wisconsin and Centerville, Iowa. We install, replace and remove skylights with your new roof, and our roof inspection is free.
Call (608) 909-9109 to schedule your free inspection, or send us a message and we will set a time. If you would rather look first, note which rooms you would miss each skylight in.
Get a straight answer on your Madison roof
Wisconsin storm season and insurance non-renewal letters do not wait. Get a free, no-obligation inspection and an honest assessment of exactly what your roof needs, even if the answer is to wait.