Decking replacement
The sheathing under the shingles
Harlingen, Texas
Skylight leaks in Harlingen
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.
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
- Reflashing rather than resealing where the kit has failed
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 Harlingen and Cameron County
Harlingen is close enough to the Gulf to take the full force of tropical systems, and that is the storm profile that sets everything else. Hurricane wind is sustained for hours rather than gusting, which does something different to a roof — it works shingle tabs loose over an extended period and drives rain horizontally under courses that would shed any normal downpour. Then the heat and humidity do the slow damage. Roofs across Cameron County run hot for most of the year, which ages the shingle and hardens every rubber and sealant component on it, and the humidity means that anything which gets wet inside the roof structure stays wet. A small leak here does considerably more damage over the same period than the same leak would further north, and mould becomes a problem much sooner.
Harlingen has a population of about 72,467, and the housing stock here sets the pattern for what fails first on a roof.
Questions about skylight leaks in Harlingen
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 Harlingen
Underlayment replacement
The secondary barrier under the covering
Shingle repair and replacement
Missing, cracked or lifted shingles
Tile roof repair
Concrete and clay tile
Chimney repair and repointing
Crown, cap and masonry
Siding repair
Vinyl, fiber cement and wood
Describe what you are seeing
You will get a straight answer on whether Harlingen needs someone out today or whether it can wait — before anyone quotes you for anything.
Call (706) 696-1888