Skylight installation in Long Beach, CA

A skylight can change how a room feels. Interior hallways, bathrooms and kitchens in older Long Beach homes are often dim even at noon, and a single well-placed skylight lights them for most of the day. In a sunny climate, that light comes in strong, so the size, glazing and placement matter as much as the install itself.

The roof side of the job is where skylights succeed or fail. A skylight is a big hole in your roof, and the flashing around it has to shed water under heavy, wind-driven rain. Our roofers frame the opening, set the unit, and flash it into the roof using parts made for your roof type, then finish the shaft or light well inside to the level you choose.

Choosing the skylight: fixed, venting or tubular

Fixed skylights do not open. They are the simplest choice for daylight in hallways, living rooms and stairwells. Venting skylights open by hand crank or motor and help release heat and moisture, which makes them popular in bathrooms and kitchens. Tubular skylights use a small roof dome and a reflective tube to carry light down into a closet, bathroom or hallway where a full skylight would not fit.

Glazing matters in Long Beach sun. Low-E coated glass reduces heat and fading while still letting light in. Laminated or tempered glass is the safer choice overhead. Acrylic domes are cheaper but yellow and cloud with UV over time, which is why many old domes on 1960s and 1970s homes now look milky.

• Fixed skylights for daylight with no moving parts
• Venting skylights for bathrooms and kitchens
• Tubular skylights for small or awkward spaces
• Low-E, laminated glass for sun and safety
• Optional shades to control afternoon heat

Framing and flashing on tile, shingle and flat roofs

We locate rafters from the attic, then frame the opening with headers so the roof structure stays strong around the cut. The skylight is set either on a raised curb or directly on the deck, depending on the unit and the roof. Then comes the flashing, which is the part that keeps water out.

On shingle, step flashing or a matched flashing kit weaves into the shingle courses. On tile, we use a flashing kit with a high profile apron, plus a pan and sometimes a cricket uphill so water from the tile above is guided around the skylight. On flat roofs, the curb is wrapped and sealed into the membrane so the skylight sits above any standing water.

Placement, heat and the light well

Where the skylight sits on the roof changes what you get inside. A north-facing slope gives steady, soft light with less heat. South and west slopes bring more light and more afternoon heat, which can be handled with low-E glass and shades. We look at roof slope direction, rafter spacing, attic obstructions and where the light lands in the room before we cut.

Between the roof and the ceiling is the light well, or shaft. A straight shaft is simplest. A flared shaft spreads light wider into the room. We frame and drywall the shaft, and finish painting or leave it ready for your painter, depending on what you want included.

When to call about skylight installation

Skylights in Long Beach homes, from Craftsman hallways to mid-century ranchos

Older homes in Bluff Park, Belmont Heights and California Heights often have deep interior hallways and small bathrooms that get little natural light. Skylights brighten them without changing the street view much, but in historic districts a skylight on a slope facing the street can need review, so we usually suggest rear or side slopes. Mid-century homes in Rancho Estates, the Plaza and Los Altos took to skylights early, and many still carry original domes that are cloudy, cracked or leaking.

Long Beach sun is strong much of the year, so we often recommend low-E glass and a shade on south and west slopes. Near the water in Naples and Belmont Shore, we choose corrosion-resistant flashing and fasteners. Cutting a new opening in a roof is structural work, and we pull permits where the city requires them.