How To Prepare For A Skylight Installation

Glazing Vision glass skylights are expertly designed to be installed onto a pre-built curb on your rooftop – Care should be taken to ensure that the installation environment on the rooftop is safe and secure to avoid causing unnecessary harm to those present on site.

Glazing Vision skylights are designed for easy installation, but safety and proper planning are essential to ensure your skylight functions properly for years to come – Correct installation of your skylight allows for minimized undue stresses in the frame or glass which means that you can benefit from the increased light, air and space from your skylight for many years to come.

Glazing Vision skylights need to be installed by a Glazing Vision Approved Installer (Professionals that have attended a Glazing Vision Installation training course for this product and carry ‘Approved Installer’ status).to activate a warranty period of 10 years, if the skylights are installed by a non-approved installer the warranty period will be reduced to 2 years. If you proceed with the second option, the skylights should always be installed by an experienced professional to ensure a seamless installation.

After your new glass skylight is manufactured, you will be advised of a delivery date and you will need to prepare for the installation so everything is ready when the skylight arrives on site.

Assess The Roof’s Suitability

Before even ordering your new skylight, you must ensure that your roof can carry the additional weight of your desired skylight. Your roof may require structural modifications to support the additional weight, these structural changes need to be completed prior to installation. You may wish to consult a structural engineer for assistance.

Before commencing your skylight installation, you need to ensure that your roof is safe, and no risks are present on the roofline as this could cause harm to people on site.

Care should be taken to clear the installation area of debris as this not only reduces the risk of trips and falls but it ensures that nothing is in the way of the skylight becoming watertight once installed. It is important to eliminate or minimize all on-site risks through a risk assessment.

Conduct a Risk Assessment 

One of the most important steps in preparing for a skylight installation is conducting a risk assessment as this will allow you to identify all hazards present on site and how you can reduce their risk to all sit attendees.

Common hazards outlined in a skylight installation risk assessment typically include heavy lifting (manual handling), slips and trips and falls from height.

It is important to understand that many risks are not able to be completely removed, but you can take steps to mitigate these risks to prevent harm.

For example, the risk of strains and injuries obtained through heavy lifting can be minimized by using lifting equipment instead of manually moving the heavy skylight.

Installing a skylight entails working at heights, therefore you must ensure to equip yourself with the correct Personal Protective Equipment (Hard hats, protective footwear, harnesses, etc) as these will not eradicate the risk of harm, but they will reduce it significantly. 

Construct Your Curb

As previously mentioned, all Glazing Vision skylights are designed and manufactured for installation onto pre-built curbs. Your curb needs to be constructed before your skylight arrives on site to allow for an efficient installation.

A skylight curb is a frame or ledge that the unit is installed on top of, curbs are extremely important as they, in essence, elevate the skylight above the roof which helps protect the unit from rain and snow.

Various skylight manufacturers may advise different requirements, however Glazing Vision requires a minimum curb height of 6 inches as this will allow your skylight unit to be fully weatherproof. The minimum curb thickness will depend on your desired skylight type, for example our Flushglaze Fixed Skylights require 3 inches minimum whereas our VisionVent Skylights require a minimum of 4 inches – If you are unsure, always contact your manufacturer.
Constructing your curb to the correct measurements is critical as if constructed incorrectly, you can get trapped air and heat between the glass and the curb, and this will increase your risk of thermal heat stress and condensation.

Prepare The Necessary Tools

Once your skylight arrives on site and you have inspected it for any potential damage obtained in transit, you will need to prepare the tools that you require for installation.

Glazing Vision provides all of the critical materials needed for installing your skylight which will always include woodscrews, plastic horseshoe packers and silicone. Skylight variants such as the MultiPart Flushglaze will also come accompanied by joining plates and polyethylene backing rod.

As previously mentioned, strain and injury from manual handling is a risk present when installing glass skylights therefore, wherever possible, you should enlist the assistance of mechanical lifting equipment to move your skylight into place and reduce the need for manual handling where it is not absolutely necessary. 

By following these steps, you will be well-prepared for a smooth and efficient skylight installation – You should always adhere to your skylight manufacturer’s installation guidelines to ensure correct installation and validate your warranty (Two years if installed by a non Glazing Vision approved professional) and if you are ever unsure on an element of the installation process, always reach out to their team.

If you wish to understand the full installation process for a Glazing Vision skylight, please read our blog on ‘How to Install a Skylight’