I have a northern VT house with 5 Velux TPS-2 openable skylights installed in 1987. Recently they began to leak water during extremely heavy rainfall. Discussion with Velux customer support resulted in my purchase of replacement glazing profile and sealant kits. Upon disassembling the first window it became clear that the flashing fixed to the swing arms (screwed in through the top!?) had been leaking long enough to rot through several inches of wood frame and eventually penetrate the lower corners of the windows. There are 8 of these aluminum screws in each window – about one each foot and some seem to have become loose due to temperature swings but even the snug ones have extensive rot wherever they penetrate the flashing. These windows are installed in a standing seam metal roof and the flashing around the window frames is working properly. Replacing the windows is a problem due to outer frames being locked into the metal roof above and some nice hardwood paneling in the window wells below. Velux no longer makes replacement parts for these windows. I have been reduced to rebuilding the rotted swing arms and inner frames with epoxy and rather expensive gasket kits which Velux is happy to sell me. Velux customer support says that they have no knowledge or record of anyone else ever having a problem with this screwed from the top flashing – but that of course they don’t do that anymore. They also said that I the homeowner was remiss in not tightening these screw periodically.
The windows are marvelously made with close to a hundred parts and as many screws and fasteners but I can’t believe they shot those 8 deadly screws in from above and entirely exposed to the weather. Neither can I believe that Velux has no record of any issue with that finishing detail and no advice on how to fix the problem.
Maybe I have been breathing too much epoxy fumes but I don’t particularly want to reattach the inverted U-shaped flashing pieces back over my painfully repaired swing arms with those xxxxx aluminum screws. Given that Velux has no advice on this issue I thought that someone here surely has run into this or a similar problem and might have some advice.
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a picture would help
Here is an old photo I found before the new standing seam roof was installed. If only I had known about the problems inside the window before the new roof...
The worst of the failed flashing is the two pieces on each side of the window frame with the top mounted screws visible. In fact I can now see a "popped" screw at the top left.
The heat wire is a pretty good indication that good insulation and ventilation are missing on that roof and ice dams have been a problem. Probably why metal roofing was chosen. There has been more than just the screws leaking. At least the new metal roof will help with snow and ice.Beat it to fit / Paint it to match
The roof insulation is adequate but ventilation is nonexistant. The skylights end at the wall and uninsulated roofing extends onto open rafter tails. The skylights melt snow that lands on them and the water then runs onto the roof overhang where it would freeze and create ice dams if not for the heater wires. The upper roof actually carried quite a bit of snow during the winter and the melting was confined to the skylights themselves. The skylights were a (perhaps ill fated) attempt to make a small upstairs space larger and I bought the best available hoping that they would last a lifetime. Currently I think of them as screen doors in a submarine hull. However the view of the surrounding forrest and sky is worth most of the trouble and during summer they open to cool the house at no cost.
BTW: the windows should stay on the roof despite the 4 small L brackets since they are now cleated up into the window wells by the interior framing and paneling. Thanks for the warning.
I'd had that thought but his exp[lanation is reasonable, and I doubt that this would cause the problem as described, IMO
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Edited 10/11/2006 7:33 pm ET by Piffin
I noticed that loose screw from way back then. Since you have had a new roof in the meantime, it seems to me that your roofer should have detailed this unit as part of his standing seam installation. He almost had to mess with the flashings in order to do his work. Seems like he would have nioticed and should have dealt with the begining signs back then.I was a little puzzled at first by your desription of eight of those face screws. Most velux units I have installed only had two or maybe four, and if I recall, most with two were on the sides of the top flashing.As for velux's responsiblity, I always used a dab of silicone first when screwing those in. I doubted the wisdom of that detail as they laid it out. I think I may have even used some of the neoprene washered screws for other metal roofing. Now that I know about galvanic reactions, I may have erred on that call too.Thanks for the report. Up 'till now, in thirty five years of the trades, more in roofing than others I had never heard of any complaint about Verlux skylights. I know that doesn't help your feelings right now, but look at it this way, You got twenty good years out of her. I don't know many manufactured products you can say that about
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>>>>>>I had never heard of any complaint about Verlux skylights.That may explain the lack of action on their part - kind of like the Maytag repairman. They might not get a lot of calls for customer service.
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I've installed a bunch of those back in the day. I wonder how many are having the same problem. There is a nice little dimple where the fastening screws go. I guess it could be a place for water to work its way in. Do you think water could be getting in some other place and running down? Some of those skylights sit covered in snow for extended periods. Of course, roof pitch can play a part. There is actually a break in that top cover to allow the window to open. I wouldn't be surprised if driven rain can penetrate and get underneath. You could caulk the screws but I think the water could be getting in somewhere else. There is a lot of heat up there in the ceiling and no insulation on the skylight. Condensation could also be a contributing factor. The jambs on those are only plywood and held in place with four metal L brackets. Little #6 x 3/4" screws in shear. I wouldn't put any weight on them or you may find they collapse.
Beat it to fit / Paint it to match
After removing and disassembling the pivot arm and window frame it is clear that the rot originated at each screw hole and gradually worked it's way into the frame. The worst one (so far) has more than a 1" diamater x 10" long plug of missing wood in the core of the 2x3 or so frame. It's amazing that that one didn't just fall apart as I was removing it from the roof.
Me to
Well now there are now two of us, I know this post is a few years old, thought I would give some additional knowledge. I have 6 Velux units 2 are tps-2 2x4 units. Both rotting on right corner I removed glass in one unit today wood on lower right corner spongy with water. I used a decking screw 3 inches long yep it went all he way through frame but it was only way to get screw to grab and hold frame down. Yes Velux made a very poor design choice here as the outer flashing screws do get loose even with a dab of caulk they will work ther way out. I was hoping just to replace the upper unit of this model but it appears they no longer make it. How nice because my only alternative I believe at this point is to replace entire units. Unless anyone reading this has a source for parts? My other 4 skylights are also Velux Gps 4x4 units they also leaked but I had E glass installed on those units, we found no rope caulk on any of the units lowest point only on three sides, dealer said this is why they would drip in, no leaks after 4 year install. But I do not know how much life is left in them. My usual maint. Is Togo up the roof once a year and fe tighten screws down, yep it is a shame because these were state of the art when installed in 1987 my home, we bought it as a repo and everything was in bad shape except skylights or so we thought?
ted