Skylights under the trees: cleaning glass you can't reach in Upper Delbrook

The situation

A home in Upper Delbrook, high on the slope toward the mountains, has two skylights over the kitchen and one over the stairwell. Over a couple of years they'd gone from bright to dim: a layer of needles around the frames, a green tint across the glass and streaks where rain ran through the dirt.

The owner could see the problem every time they looked up, but there was no safe way to reach the glass from inside or from a ladder.

What we check before going up

• The roof pitch and surface, and whether it's dry enough to walk on safely.
• The type of skylight: flat glass, domed acrylic or a vented unit with a frame that collects debris.
• The flashing and seals around each skylight, which we look at but don't repair.
• Moss or debris on the roof uphill of the skylight, since that's where the dirt comes from.

How we approach it

• With fall protection set, we clear needles and moss from around the frame first, so the next rain doesn't wash them straight back onto clean glass.
• Glass is cleaned by hand with a soft applicator and squeegee. Domed acrylic scratches easily, so it gets non-abrasive pads and plenty of water rather than scrapers.
• If the roof around the skylights is mossy, we'll mention it. Clearing the roof uphill is often what keeps the skylight clean for longer.

When we leave a skylight alone

Some older acrylic domes are brittle or crazed, and some skylights sit on roofs too steep to work on safely. In those cases we'll tell you, rather than risk cracking the unit or taking chances on the roof.

Questions we hear