• By Liam Ridings
• In Blog, Metal Roofing, Renovation

Can You Put a Skylight on a Metal Roof?

Skylights are fantastic design and structural elements that add light, ventilation and temperature regulation to residential and commercial spaces. Typically installed in rooms with little natural light or ventilation, skylights can also be used to make space feel bigger, brighter and airier than it actually is.

Similarly, metal roofing can provide a number of the same benefits of a skylight to a property. Metal roofing is only becoming increasingly popular in Australia because it allows for temperature regulation, ventilation, and metal roofing is incredibly economical. What’s more, metal roofing is very durable and lightweight; perfect for the dramatic Australian climate. Whether you’re building a new property or renovating an older one, you may be considering installing a skylight on a metal roof.

The big question is, can you put a skylight on a metal roof?

Can You Put a Skylight on a Metal Roof?

In the case of whether or not can you put a skylight on a metal roof, the answer is yes. Virtually any type of roof can technically install a skylight. However, when installing a skylight on a metal roof, there are a few additional considerations to make.

Here are four things to think about when installing a skylight on a metal roof:

1. Professional Installation 

Metal roofing skylight installation careful planning and an experienced roofing contractor who knows what they’re doing. An improperly mounted skylight or faulty flashing installation can wreak havoc for your entire roofing system. As such, it’s essential to rely on professional, experienced and qualified skylight installation Sydney service to avoid any skylight leaks or problems.

The most important consideration to make when installing a skylight on a metal roof is who you’re hiring to install the skylight. Can you put a skylight on a metal roof really depends and comes down to whether you hire the right team of roofing experts to perform the installation. Without quality and professional installation, putting a skylight on a metal roof is fraught with risk. You’re putting your property at risk of roof damage, risk of leaving the area vulnerable to water infiltration, and there’s also the risk of serious and expensive interior water damage when a skylight is not installed correctly.

2. When to Install Skylights

While we’re on the topic of installation, it’s worth noting which elements should be replaced or installed first. If you’re building a new roof, you’ll save money by installing a new skylight at the same time. While you can technically wait to install your skylight on a metal roof at a later date, this process can be laborious, time-consuming, expensive and puts your roofing materials at risk of water infiltration.

If you are re-roofing a building and have existing skylights, you should consider replacing any skylights that are more than ten years old. Rather than waiting for skylights to become damaged upon your new metal roofing, replacing both simultaneously will do your roof a wealth of benefits in terms of infrastructure.

3. Energy Efficiency 

An important consideration to make when asking “can you put a skylight on a metal roof?” is energy efficiency. One of the main reasons that metal roofing is so popular is because of its energy efficiency properties. Metal roofing traps heat in the winter, keeping the house warm and comfortable throughout bouts of cooler weather. In summer, metal roofing works to ensure that the cool air from inside the house is contained, keeping out the hot air from the sun. These properties make houses and commercial properties with metal roofing incredibly energy efficient, as the reliance on heating and cooling equipment is reduced.

On the other hand, Skylights are essentially a hole in the roof and can potentially compromise the energy efficiency of a metal roof. Given the transparency of a skylight, the window can allow the sun’s heat to enter homes or commercial buildings. Depending on where you’re located, this may or may not be a bad thing. If energy loss is a huge concern, various brands of skylights can be installed on metal roofs to mitigate any energy loss.

4. Noise

If you already have an existing skylight or metal roof, you probably know that rain can be incredibly noisy on both surfaces depending on the materials used. While Colorbond roofing and additional insulation can lessen the noise from the rain on metal materials, there is no real solution for the noise of rain pelting a skylight. Noise is something you should definitely consider when pondering can you put a skylight on a metal roof.

What About Installing a Skylight in Colorbond Roofing?

It is absolutely possible to install a skylight in Colorbond roofing. In fact, it’s also possible to have your skylight installed and painted to match your Colorbond roofing pallet. There a wide variety of skylights in Australia that are compatible with Colorbond and Zincalume roofing – all of which can be installed by the experts at Vertec Roofing.

A well-installed skylight on metal roofing can provide exceptional longevity and a fantastic addition to your property. The combination of skylights and metal roofing can offer a sleek, minimal and attractive aesthetic for your home or commercial property. The important thing to take away is that as long as your skylight is properly installed, maintained and cared for, there should be no problem installing a skylight on a metal roof.

If you still seek more answers on “can you put a skylight on a metal roof?” we suggest getting in contact with Vertec Roofing to speak to one of our metal roofing experts. Servicing, repairing and installing both skylights and metal roofs for more than 20 years, Vertec Roofing are Sydney and Australia’s leading roofing professionals. Our experience in the industry of metal roofing, combined with our commitment to exceptional work, means that we provide leading skylight in metal roofing installations across Sydney. Get a free quote online or call us on (02) 8007 4366 today.