Skylight and Penetration Flashing in Plano, TX

Skylights, vent pipes, gas lines and conduit all pass through the roof, and each opening is a place where water can get in. When a Plano facility manager calls about a leak near a skylight or a pipe, the flashing is the usual suspect, but not always the only one. A cracked skylight frame, a failed curb or a pipe that has shifted can let water in no matter how good the roof membrane looks. We check the whole opening and tell you what actually needs fixing.

Plano roofs see a lot of movement around penetrations. Hot summers expand and soften sealants and flashing, and cold snaps like the February 2021 winter storm contract them again. Over a few seasons, that cycle opens small gaps at pipe boots and skylight corners. Catching those early is a simple repair; waiting usually means wet insulation and a bigger patch.

Locate the opening and its components

We start by mapping each opening involved: where it is, what it is and what kind of flashing it has. On a skylight, the glazing unit, the curb it sits on and the roof flashing around the curb are three separate parts, and any one of them can leak. On a pipe, we look at the pipe itself, the boot or pitch pan around it and the seal at the top. Interior stains help us narrow the search, but water often travels along the deck before it drips, so the stain is rarely directly under the leak.

A leak investigation traces water from the ceiling back to the roof. Where the cause is not obvious, we may water-test a single opening or take moisture readings around it. You get photos showing what we found at each opening before you approve a repair. Smearing sealant around every skylight on the roof might hide the symptom for a while, but it will not tell you which one was leaking or why.

Identify component work first

Flashing cannot fix a part that is broken underneath it. If a skylight curb is rotted, the glazing seal has failed or a pipe support has let the pipe sag, that has to be corrected before new flashing goes on. Sometimes that is roofing work; sometimes it belongs to a glazing, plumbing or mechanical contractor. Either way, it needs to be on the schedule so the roofing crew is not waiting on someone else with the roof open.

For larger openings, our curb and equipment support repair work covers rebuilding or raising curbs before they are flashed. The estimate lists what we are replacing, what is staying and anything another trade needs to handle first. That keeps you from paying two contractors who each assume the other one fixed the curb.

Select the flashing construction

The right flashing depends on the roof and the shape of the opening. Round pipes usually get a prefabricated boot or a field-wrapped flashing. Square curbs get wrapped with membrane and finished with corner pieces. Clusters of small pipes and odd shapes may call for a pitch pan or a liquid-applied detail. Before choosing, we cut away old patches and mastic that would keep new material from bonding, so the repair starts on clean, sound membrane.

On a PVC roof, most penetrations are flashed with heat-welded PVC boots and wraps that become part of the roof itself. Older PVC that has hardened or been contaminated by grease or oils may not weld well, and that can mean replacing a larger section around the opening. We explain why we chose a particular method for each penetration so you know what you are paying for.

Define liquid detail materials precisely

Some openings are too crowded or irregular for a boot or a wrap, and a liquid-applied flashing is the better fit. SOPREMA ALSAN FLASHING is one example: a polyurethane-bitumen resin used for flashing and detail work, reinforced with Polyfleece or ALSAN PRE-CUT FLEECE. The resin and the fleece work as a system. It still has to be applied to compatible, properly prepared surfaces, and not every roof or opening is a good match for it.

When we propose a SOPREMA liquid flashing, the estimate names the resin, the reinforcement and the surface preparation. If another contractor quotes a different method, compare the full description, not just the product name. A quote that lists resin alone may leave out the fleece, the primer or the cleaning that makes the detail last.

Schedule the work around the opening

Most penetration repairs take a few hours to a day, but they still need some planning. If a skylight has to be removed or a gas line shut off, that trade needs to be scheduled ahead of the roofing crew. We confirm roof access, where materials will be staged, and what happens if rain comes in while an opening is exposed. You know the order of work before anyone shows up.

For occupied buildings, an occupied-building roofing plan covers noise, odors from adhesives or liquid flashing near air intakes, and protecting the spaces under the work. We make sure any prerequisite repair is finished and inspected before the new flashing covers it. Once the detail is closed, nobody can see what is underneath, so it has to be right the first time.

Keep a record of the repair

After the repair, you get a short report for each opening we worked on: where it is, what we installed and photos taken during the work, including the prep and reinforcement layers that will not be visible later. Any related work done by another trade, or any issue we noted but did not fix, goes in the same report.

For buildings in downtown Plano and elsewhere in the city, those records are useful the next time water appears near a skylight or pipe. Whoever responds can see what was done and when, and can check that opening first without assuming it is the source. It also protects your investment by showing the full repair, not just the finished surface on top.

Commercial Roofing Questions

Why treat the skylight separately from its roof flashing?

A skylight can leak through the glazing, the frame, the curb or the flashing around it. Checking each part tells us whether you need a roofer, a glazing contractor or both.

Is the leak always right above the stain near a pipe?

Not usually. Water can run along the deck or insulation before it drips through, so we trace it back on the roof and test the nearby openings before deciding on a repair.

What should a liquid flashing quote include?

The resin, the reinforcing fleece, any primer and the surface preparation for that specific opening. A quote that names only the resin may be leaving out steps the system needs to hold up.

What if another trade has to fix something before you flash it?

We list that work on the estimate and schedule around it, so the skylight, pipe or curb repair is finished before our crew closes the roof over it.

What records do we get after a penetration repair?

Each opening's location, the materials installed and photos taken during the work, plus notes on any related issues outside the roofing scope.

Fix the leak at the opening

Have a leak near a skylight, vent or pipe on your Plano building? Schedule an inspection and we will find the opening that is letting water in and give you a clear estimate for the right flashing repair.

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