Sky lights
- Thread starter JOEY K
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tdkkart
Well-known member
I would suggest not putting them in. Every skylight I have ever seen has leaked at some time or another. Plain and simple, I don't like any more holes in roofs than absolutely needed.
If you don't intend to insulate, most pole building manufaturers offer translucent fiberglass panels on the upper portion of the walls to let light in.
If you intend to insulate, some transom style windows at the tops of the walls will let in nearley as much light as a skylight while still offering security.
When we were looking at houses last summer we found one with a really cool upstairs family room. Huge room, with a vaulted ceiling and 3 or 4 skylights. Each skylight had obvious water damaged sheetrock around it. Just down the ceilng from each skylight were some globe style lights, glass globes about the size of a basketball hung on cords.
Each globe had a satnding puddle of water in the bottom!!
If you don't intend to insulate, most pole building manufaturers offer translucent fiberglass panels on the upper portion of the walls to let light in.
If you intend to insulate, some transom style windows at the tops of the walls will let in nearley as much light as a skylight while still offering security.
When we were looking at houses last summer we found one with a really cool upstairs family room. Huge room, with a vaulted ceiling and 3 or 4 skylights. Each skylight had obvious water damaged sheetrock around it. Just down the ceilng from each skylight were some globe style lights, glass globes about the size of a basketball hung on cords.
Each globe had a satnding puddle of water in the bottom!!
I have had the opposite experience, assuming you do it right.
The right plastic will expand and contract at the same rate as the metal so the seams aren’t any more likely to leak as a metal to metal one.
The windows around the top of the wall is a good idea but 32 feet is a pretty good distance for the light to go.
Tdkkart:
I would be willing to bet that the water damage you saw in the house was not from leaks but from condensation.
My boy bought a house with the same symptom. We replaced the drywall and installed an always on little computer fan in each window hole. Problem solved.
The right plastic will expand and contract at the same rate as the metal so the seams aren’t any more likely to leak as a metal to metal one.
The windows around the top of the wall is a good idea but 32 feet is a pretty good distance for the light to go.
Tdkkart:
I would be willing to bet that the water damage you saw in the house was not from leaks but from condensation.
My boy bought a house with the same symptom. We replaced the drywall and installed an always on little computer fan in each window hole. Problem solved.
Joe, 2 words Do It!!!
I've got 12 of 'em in my 3000 sq ft shop, never turn the lights on during daylight hrs.
Except when get covered up in snow, even then the light does transfer thru.
had the shop up for 8 winters now and never a leak. Yeah it snows in Arizona.
Don't have a pic of the shop,but this pic was the day before we got dumped another 22 inches last january. Took 2 weeks for it to melt off and never had a leak. BTW the house has 10 skylights in it and they didn't leak either.
If they are installed right I don't see any problem.
I've got 12 of 'em in my 3000 sq ft shop, never turn the lights on during daylight hrs.
Except when get covered up in snow, even then the light does transfer thru.
had the shop up for 8 winters now and never a leak. Yeah it snows in Arizona.
Don't have a pic of the shop,but this pic was the day before we got dumped another 22 inches last january. Took 2 weeks for it to melt off and never had a leak. BTW the house has 10 skylights in it and they didn't leak either.
If they are installed right I don't see any problem.
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DHS
Well-known member
I still wish I had put in some of the translucent fiberglass panels in my shed. My dad has them in his and does not need lights on inside during the day, and I have to have them to see. No windows just doors.
mustangmccance
Well-known member
- Joined
- Sep 8, 2009
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first of all I have skylights in my garage and I really like them for the light they provide. the only downside is that the humidity here is so high even in the winter that when I turn on the heater it starts to rain (water condensing on the cold skylights.) it is not enough water to bother but it is really the only downside.
ddawg16
Well-known member
I installed one opening skylight on my garage.....Velux....love it....besides the natural light and additional ventelation....I can remove the panel and climb up on the roof.....a lot easier than using a ladder.
bookman51
Well-known member
I decided against skylights. Eventually all skylights have problems....at least any building I have been associated with. However, I did have translucent panels put in for the full length at the top of the south wall (72 feet) of my 72 x 40 foot pole building. Plenty of light during the day. In fact, I have not yet put in lights, which I need to do before winter sets in and days get shorter.
Bookman
Bookman
Charles (in GA)
Well-known member
As you say it will be a pole building, I assume it will be sheeted outside with metal. Usually you can get matching translucent panels to put in the roof in place of metal panels. They won't leak any worse than a metal panel would, but are more prone to weathering and if fiberglass, they eventually get rough and "fuzzy" and then collect dirt and look horrible from inside. I opted to use a couple of sidewall skylights in the south wall. Have ended up putting two sections of pallet rack in front of them so the light from them is minimal.
Charles
Charles
Gary S
Well-known member
I don't know about Ohio, but up here, skylights=hail holes. I haven't seen any skylights strong enough to stand up to one of our summer hail storms. Each time one hits us, people with skylights have piles of ice inside their buildings and cars that were left outside because car windows won't stop them either.
nonhog
Well-known member
posaune
Well-known member
da34guy If that's your house, why did you need to GIS for a picture of it and then steal the photo from goldkey.com
And that doesn't look like an AZ plate on the car... or a North American car for that matter.
ddawg16
Well-known member
The long retangular license plate looks European to me....
Oh....skylights....that was the original subject......
Where you live would be an issuse.....but I'm a fan of free light....and those Velux skylights have tempered glass....and about the only way they are going to leak is if you install it wrong....I bought the flashing kit with mine......
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Stuntmonkey
Well-known member
Thats a dutch or swedish plate by the looks of it on that car.
Skylights would be nice in a shop, only if you could guarantee they didn't leak or that not would use them to break in.
Coach James
Well-known member
Our gym is 100x120 and has 10 skylights in the ceiling. Each is 4x10, don't leak and give decent light. They've been in ~15 years.
Coach
Coach