Frequently Asked Questions What is the VELUX No Leak Skylight? VELUX recently developed an entirely new line of skylights that feature a No Leak Promise from VELUX (visit www.thenoleakskylight.com for more information).  These new from top to bottom skylights feature 3 layers of leak protection, an entirely new method of installation, pre-painted interior frames and insulated LoE3 glass that provides more daylight with superior heat control.  And now VELUX makes blinds and shades that will fit virtually every skylight application. Don’t Skylights always leak? Velux has been making skylights and roof windows for over 65 years and it’s unlikely that they would still be in business if they produced a product that leaked.  A properly installed skylight should be problem-free for many years.  The simple answer though is YES, skylights can leak, but it should be 20 or 30 years before that happens.  And the VELUX 10 Year No Leak Warranty assures you of that fact.  We tell our customers "Skylights don't leak -- but installations can".   You would not believe the recent installations by others we get called out to fix. What is the VELUX Warranty? Each skylight and Sun Tunnel made by VELUX which is properly installed is warranted for 10 years, and the skylight glass is warranted for 20 years.  Houseworks Daylighting Solutions provides a ten year comprehensive residential installation warranty and is VELUX Five Star Certified. What can you do about a leaking skylight? A significant portion of our business involves repairing or replacing old skylights.  As a general rule, any skylight over ten years old is probably best replaced rather than spending money to try and have it repaired.  Skylights for the most part are not terribly expensive, but the labor to have them properly repaired or replaced can be.  For that reason we often replace old skylights with new products that we can warrant to be leak-free for many years. What is the most common reason skylights need to be replaced? Age.  We regularly replace skylights that have been on a roof for over 25 years.  But we sometimes replace skylights that are less than 5 years old often because they were poorly installed by a part time handyman or inexperienced contractor.  If age is the most common reason to replace skylights, incompetent installation would be number two.   VELUX skylights rarely fail…and when they do it’s usually after a long life. “I really just wanted to repair my old skylights, but Houseworks explained how that is often throwing good money after bad.  What they said made sense and I’m glad I went with them.  They know about skylights."  Jan R. of Northbrook, Illinois What should I expect to budget to replace a failed skylight? Generally it costs between $800 and $1,200 to replace a failed skylight.  This price generally includes the new skylight as well as the flashing kit, underlayment, shingles and repairing or re-trimming the interior light shaft.  Sometimes a broken skylight or plastic (acrylic) bubble on a perfectly good curb can be replaced for under $500.  Remember that a leak around the skylight may not be the fault of the skylight.  That's because the skylight is often the most convenient place for water from a roof leak or chimney flashing to become visible inside the house. What other types of work do you do? Houseworks Daylighting Solutions, LLC specializes in skylights, Sun Tunnels®, and solar powered products.  All of our work starts and ends on a roof.  We are proud to be the largest and oldest VELUX Five Star installation company in Illinois.  In fact no other firm sells and installs more skylights and solar fans than Houseworks. My skylight has condensation issues? On older skylights the thermal glass was not nearly as efficient as the new VELUX LoE3 glazing.  That being said, condensation is often the result of way too much humidity inside the house.  In the winter when your living room is 70 degrees and the relative humidity may be properly set at 20%, the air up in the skylight shaft may be 85 degrees and the humidity next to the glass could be 50% or more.  There is little anyone can do to prevent condensation on an older skylight in those circumstances.  Each VELUX skylight is manufactured with small weep holes around the perimeter of the glass.  After some years those holes, which are designed to allow condensation to escape, become clogged.  A good vacuum cleaner can sometimes help clean out the weep holes and solve or reduce this issue.  If the problem persists, the next best solution is to upgrade to a new VELUX thermally insulated skylight.  Condensation is generally a winter-time problem however it often indicates that the thermal insulation properties in the skylight has failed allowing heat to leave the house. We are considering adding a new skylight.  What advice do you have? Placement and dimension are two very important considerations.  Skylights should be situated so that they bring light (and ventilation) into areas that can use them.  This sounds too simple but too often we see skylights directly over a dining room table or where the skylight makes the television hard to view.  Kitchens and bathrooms really need venting units if possible.  Also, what seems like an obvious location from inside the house may present a whole different set of issues from the roof…ridges, valleys and all sorts of obstacles may exist in the attic.  The dimension or size of a skylight is also an issue.  What seems large right in front of you is often way too small 12 feet overhead.  Be careful not to undersize the skylight…placing several units next to each other becomes very dramatic. What does a new skylight cost? VELUX skylights are not expensive in their basic form…but when you get into the venting units with shades or blinds the price jumps considerably.  That being said, the fixed skylights themselves might cost $300 to $400 depending on size.  The largest fixed (non-venting) skylight VELUX stocks costs under $425…but upgrade to a manually venting unit and the price goes to almost $700, and the electrically venting units jump to about $1,450 just for the skylight…installation, flashing kits, materials and taxes will easily double those amounts.  Still, there is very little you can do for your house that makes such a difference at this price. What is the difference between a deck mounted skylight and a curb mounted unit? From the roof almost none…but these two types of skylights are designed to fill different needs.  The deck mounted skylight sits right down on the roof deck and the interior shaft extends into the skylight itself.  This makes for a very finished look and is best for new installations on sloped roofs.  The curb mounted units are more like a skylight cap that sits over a 2 X 4 or 2 X 6 curb.  They are used in retrofit situations where matching the exact size of an old unit is difficult or on flat roofs where the new skylight needs to be raised above the level of the roof deck.  Both of these skylights can be flashed with either the VELUX EDL or ECL series flashing kits and both come in venting and non-venting models. Why would I want a venting skylight? When VELUX developed skylights and roof windows in Europe over 65 years ago, the concept was to open up unusable attic space by adding ventilation and light (VE + LUX = ventilation and light).  In Europe today you will seldom find the fixed (non-venting) skylights one finds in the US.  But why would you want venting?     ·         They provide ventilation especially well in high-humidity areas like kitchens and bathrooms     ·         They create a chimney effect to express the hot air up and out of your house like no other                      passive system can     ·         They bring in fresh air to areas that need ventilation     ·         Few improvements can have the positive impact on your home as a venting skylight         ·         They can be programmed to close at a specified time or in the event of bad weather

HOUSEWORKS DAYLIGHTING SOLUTIONS Now three locations to provide you service ILLINOIS (847) 729-0255 1809 Elmdale Avenue, Glenview, IL 60026 424 Fort Hill Road, Unit #120, Naperville, IL 60540 IOWA (515) 528-8175 9103 Swanson Blvd. Ste #3, Clive, IA 50325 Monday - Friday 9:00AM to 6:00PM Saturday and Sunday by Appointment FIVE-STAR DEALER! Houseworks is your approved Five Star vendor for Velux Skylights and Velux Solar Hot Water