Skylight and penetration flashing in Berkeley, CA: we reflash leaking skylights, pipes, vents, pitch pans and curbs with materials that match your roof.
Commercial Roofing Services | Berkeley, CA
On a lab building, a skylight curb with its flashing peeling back at one corner can let in a surprising amount of water. So can a cracked pipe boot, a pitch pan that has dried out, or a conduit that was run through the roof with nothing but a blob of sealant around it. Skylight and penetration flashing in Berkeley, CA, is about sealing every place where something passes through or sits on the roof, using details that match the roof system and hold up as the roof moves.
Every roof has dozens of these spots: plumbing vents, exhaust fans, gas lines, electrical conduit, skylights, hatches, antenna mounts and sign supports. For manufacturing and industrial buildings, there are often process pipes and exhaust stacks that run hot or carry chemicals, which affects the flashing materials. We check each penetration, find the ones that are leaking or about to, and repair them properly, from the roof surface up. Problems with the skylight glazing or the equipment itself are noted for the right trade. We also look for penetrations that no longer serve anything, since an abandoned vent is still a hole in the roof.
Skylights can leak in two places: through the roof flashing around the curb or through the skylight unit itself, at cracked glazing, failed gaskets or a corroded frame. The same is true for vents and fans, which can leak through their housings. Fixing the roof flashing will not stop a leak through a cracked skylight dome.
A roof leak investigation at a penetration looks at both. We check the flashing for splits, open laps and loose terminations, and we check the skylight or equipment for cracks, gaps and failed seals. If needed, we water-test the flashing and the unit separately to see which one leaks. When the skylight unit is the problem, we tell you and recommend a glazing or skylight contractor, or replacement of the unit if it is near the end of its life. When the flashing is the problem, we rebuild it. Either way, you know which repair you are paying for and why.
Flashing has to be made of materials compatible with the roof. A PVC roof needs PVC flashing. A TPO roof needs TPO. EPDM needs rubber flashing and compatible primers and tapes. Using the wrong material, or a generic sealant, is one of the most common reasons penetration repairs fail within a year or two.
On a PVC roof, pipes are flashed with prefabricated PVC boots or field-wrapped membrane, heat-welded to the roof and clamped at the top. On an EPDM roof, pipe boots and curb flashings are rubber, bonded with primer and seam tape. Pitch pans filled with sealant are a last resort for odd-shaped penetrations and need regular topping up. Hot exhaust stacks may need a metal collar and high-temperature materials. We match the flashing method to each penetration and the roof around it, rather than using one approach everywhere. Where a sealant-filled pitch pan is the only practical choice, we note it in the maintenance list so it gets checked and topped up.
A penetration that has leaked for a while usually leaves damage below it. Insulation around the pipe or curb soaks up water and spreads it outward. Wood blocking at skylight and hatch curbs can rot. The deck around a pipe may rust. Flashing over that damage will not last, because the material underneath keeps moving and holding water.
When we open the roof around a leaking penetration, we check the insulation and wood. Wet insulation is cut out and replaced. Our insulation and cover board work makes sure the replacement is the right thickness and solid underfoot so the new flashing sits on a firm base. Rotted curb wood is replaced. If the deck has rusted through around a pipe, it needs repair before the roof goes back on. We photograph what we find and include the extra work in the estimate, with unit prices for anything beyond what we expected once the roof is opened. Small areas are usually finished the same day.
Some flashing repairs cannot be finished until something else happens first. A rooftop unit may have to be lifted so its curb can be rebuilt. A pipe may need to be moved so it is not too close to a wall or another penetration for proper flashing. A skylight may need to be replaced before the new curb flashing goes on. An abandoned penetration may need to be cut off and capped by a plumber or electrician.
When equipment has to move, our rooftop curb and support work is coordinated with the mechanical contractor. We plan the flashing repair to follow right behind so the roof is not left open. If one penetration is waiting on another trade, we seal it temporarily and finish the others. The schedule shows which repairs are waiting on someone else. That way the roof is not reported as finished while a corner is still waiting for a unit to be moved. Temporary seals are checked after heavy rain until the final repair is made.
For West Berkeley and Emeryville properties, we check the curb, the attachment and the surrounding roof before deciding on a permanent skylight or penetration repair. Older buildings here often have abandoned vents, cut-off pipes and skylights that were roofed over in earlier remodels. Flashing work in West Berkeley follows the same steps: find which detail leaks, fix what is under it, then reflash with matching materials.
The completed record shows each penetration repaired on a roof plan, with before and after photos. It lists the flashing materials used, any wood or insulation replaced and any penetrations removed and capped. Problems with skylight glazing or equipment housings are listed separately for the right trade. Penetrations we checked and found sound are noted too, so you know they were not skipped. When new equipment or pipes go through the roof in the future, share this record with that contractor so the new flashing matches the old.
Tell us which skylights, pipes or vents are leaking. We will inspect them and explain plainly what needs fixing, with photos.
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