The Case of the Leaky Skylights

In the middle of the rainy season, a community college building began to experience persistent water intrusion through its translucent skylights. The building's management team, aware of the potential damage this could cause, was quick to call in the architect who had originally worked on the site. However, after a thorough inspection, the architect realized that the problem required more specialized expertise.

The architect needed a team that could not only diagnose the issue but also provide a definitive solution. With our experience in investigating and solving skylight and window failures, we were the ideal choice to address this fast-acting problem.

It became clear that the skylights were not performing as they should. Our extensive background in this particular type of assembly, combined with our knowledge of their lifespans and failure indicators, gave us a distinct advantage in our initial evaluation of the problem. We know what to look for when these systems start to fail and can quickly assess whether a simple fix or a more substantial intervention is needed.

To confirm our suspicions, we conducted a Level 1 assessment, focusing on the skylight assemblies, their connections to one another and to the building. We also employed AAMA 501.2 nozzle water tests to simulate the conditions causing the leaks to support our findings.

After this thorough evaluation of the skylight assemblies and installation, our team determined that the translucent skylight panels were no longer able to perform their intended function due to age and wear.

All options for repair were explored from a temporary maintenance solution to full replacement. Following a discussion with the owner and project team to understand their goals of maintaining the building long-term without sacrificing access to natural light, we collaboratively identified that the most cost-effective and longstanding solution was to replace the skylights entirely. The skylights were replaced with new, high-performance units, restoring the integrity of the building’s envelope and preventing further water intrusion.

Due to our detailed assessment and specialized knowledge, the building owners were able to make an informed decision. Our involvement not only solved the immediate problem but also accounted for the long-term protection and overall energy efficiency improvement of the building.

Shows the typical signs of deterioration and discoloration of the panels of one of the skylights.