Skylights by Velux®
Daylight, without the drips.
A skylight is a hole in your roof, which is exactly why a roofer should be the one installing it. Velux units and sun tunnels, flashed into the system the way the manufacturer drew it.
Why Velux
The skylight brand roofers actually trust.
Velux has spent decades engineering the part of a skylight that matters most: the flashing kit that marries it to the roof. We install the kit the roof calls for, deck-mounted or curb, shingle or metal, so the unit sheds water as part of the system instead of fighting it.
Fixed, manual, or solar-powered fresh-air units; sun tunnels for hallways and baths that will never have a window. All of it installed and warrantied by the same crews that do our roofs.
- Velux
Factory flashing kits matched to the roof type, never field-improvised.
- 5 yrs
The same Hardesty workmanship warranty as the roof itself.
The rest of the envelope
While we're up there.
Siding, Windows & Doors
The rest of the envelope, flashed and sealed by the same crews.
Learn moreRoof Replacement
The best time to add a skylight is when the roof comes off anyway.
Learn moreRoof Repair
Leaking around an existing skylight? That's a flashing repair, and it's our bread and butter.
Learn moreQuick answer
Hardesty Roofing installs and replaces VELUX skylights across Central Virginia. A skylight is a hole cut in a roof, so it lives or dies on the flashing around it rather than on the unit itself, which is why it belongs to a roofer rather than a general handyman. Class A licensed, GAF Master Elite Certified, roofing from Midlothian since 1990. Call 804-523-9955.
Your options
Fixed, venting, and the one for rooms with no roofline.
Fixed skylights do not open and are the simplest and most economical option. They exist to bring daylight in, and with nothing that opens there is one less thing to fail. Venting skylights open, either manually or on a motor, and earn their place in bathrooms and kitchens where getting moist air out matters as much as getting light in.
Tubular units are a different product for a different problem. Where a room has no direct roof access, such as an interior hallway, bathroom or closet, a tubular skylight brings daylight down through a reflective shaft from a small roof opening. They are considerably less invasive to install than a conventional skylight.
- Flashing kit
The manufacturer flashing kit matched to your roof covering is what keeps water out. Skylights leak at the flashing, not through the glass.
- Deck or curb mount
Deck mounted sits low and looks cleaner on a shingle roof. Curb mounted sits on a built up frame and suits low slope roofs.
- Timing
The right time to replace a skylight is when the roof is replaced. Doing it later means disturbing new roofing.
What it costs
What drives a skylight number.
Skylight pricing depends on the unit and on what the roof around it needs. We quote after looking, because the condition of the existing opening and the surrounding roof frequently matters more than the unit itself.
The most useful cost advice we can give is about timing rather than product: if your roof is within a few years of replacement, do the skylights at the same time. Installing a new skylight into an old roof, or cutting into a new roof to change a skylight later, both cost more than doing them together.
- Unit type
Fixed, manual venting, motorised venting or tubular. Fixed is the most economical, motorised the least.
- Glazing and options
Glass specification, blinds and controls all move the number.
- The opening
Replacing an existing skylight in the same opening is simpler than cutting a new one, which involves framing.
- Roof condition
If the surrounding roof is near the end of its life, replacing the skylight alone is usually the wrong sequence.
What to expect
How a skylight goes in.
Free inspection
We look at the existing opening or the proposed location, the roof covering and its condition, and the framing, then recommend the unit type and confirm whether it makes sense to do it now or with the next roof.
Written estimate
You get a written estimate with the options laid out and no vague line items. We explain the tradeoffs and give you our honest recommendation, including when the cheaper option is the right one.
Scheduled work
We schedule around you and show up when we said we would. Crews protect landscaping and vehicles, and magnet-sweep for nails at the end of every working day, not just the last one.
Final walk and paperwork
We walk the finished job with you, answer anything still open, and hand over the warranty documentation. Manufacturer coverage gets registered at closeout, because it is not real until it is registered.
Warranty
Two promises, and they are not the same promise.
A skylight carries a manufacturer warranty on the unit and the Hardesty five year workmanship warranty on the installation. On skylights that split matters more than usual, because the overwhelming majority of skylight problems are installation and flashing issues rather than unit failures.
This is also why we will not install a skylight without the manufacturer flashing kit matched to your roof covering. Improvised flashing is the single most common cause of a leaking skylight, and it is not something we are willing to warrant.
- 5 yrs
Hardesty's own workmanship warranty on labor. If our installation fails, we come back and fix it.
- Varies
Unit coverage is set by the manufacturer and varies by product and glazing. Terms come to you in writing with the estimate.
- In writing
You get the term for the exact material you choose, in writing, before you sign anything.
Common questions
Skylight questions.
Do skylights leak?
Badly installed ones do, reliably. Correctly installed ones with the right flashing kit do not. Skylights leak at the flashing where the unit meets the roof, essentially never through the unit itself, which is why this is roofing work rather than a general trade job.
My skylight leaks. Does it need replacing?
Not necessarily. It is often the flashing or the surrounding roof rather than the unit. We will tell you which, and replacing flashing is considerably cheaper than replacing a skylight.
Should I replace skylights when I replace the roof?
Yes, if they are anywhere near the end of their life. The flashing is integrated into the roof covering, so doing them together is far cheaper than cutting into a new roof in a few years. It is the most common piece of advice we give on skylights.
Can you put a skylight in a room with no roofline, like an interior bathroom?
That is exactly what a tubular skylight is for. It brings daylight down through a reflective shaft from a small opening in the roof, and it is much less invasive than a conventional skylight.
What is the difference between deck mounted and curb mounted?
Deck mounted sits low against the roof and looks cleaner, which suits shingle roofs. Curb mounted sits on a raised frame and is generally the right answer on low slope roofs. The roof largely decides.
Do venting skylights open by remote?
Motorised units do, and some are solar powered so they need no wiring run to them. Manual venting units open with a rod or crank and cost less.
Will a skylight make the room too hot?
Glazing specification matters here. Modern skylight glass is considerably better at controlling solar heat gain than older units, and blinds are available. Orientation matters too, and we will raise it if the proposed location faces the wrong way.
Can you replace a skylight without replacing the roof?
Yes, and it is routine. We integrate the new flashing into the existing roof covering. If the surrounding roof is close to finished, we will tell you that doing both together makes more sense.
Free Estimate
Put a Hardesty roof over it.
Thinking about daylight? The estimate is free, and we'll tell you honestly whether your roof and framing make it a clean install.
804-523-9955Prefer to talk? Call the shop directly. 14430 Sommerville Court, Suite B · Midlothian, VA 23113
Worried about the cost? We offer in-house financing. Ask and we will walk you through it.
Ask About Financing