Skylight Glass Before the Winter Rain: Leak, Fog, or a Crack in Metro Vancouver
Late October in Metro Vancouver is when the rain stops being a shower and sits on the roof. Halloween is Saturday, October 31. The clocks fall back on Sunday, November 1, so the hall is dark an hour sooner. Across Vancouver, Burnaby, Surrey, Coquitlam, and the Fraser Valley, a ceiling stain, a milky pane, or a drip often shows up in the same week.
A wet ceiling under a skylight is not always a broken pane. Room-side moisture can bead and fall. Fog between the panes is a failed seal. A crack lets weather in. Water at the curb, on clear glass, is often past the glass entirely.
Wall windows that puddle on the sill are in our rain at intact glass post. The wipe test for ordinary windows is in our room-side condensation versus a failed seal note. This one stays on glass set in the roof, fixed or venting, before the heavy winter rain.
Why this week is the practical time to look
Winter rain on the coast is usually a long soak. A curb that sheds a short storm can weep after a day of wind.
- The rain lasts. A tired gasket can mark the drywall in November.
- The roof takes the wind. South and west slopes take more of a coastal system.
- Evenings get dark on Sunday. A milky unit shows under the lamp.
- The first frost is close inland. A clear Fraser Valley night can show a failed seal. Wall-window moisture is in our first frost post.
Stay inside. A wet roof is not a place to walk. Window glass replacement fits when the sealed unit is what failed.
A drip under the glass is not always the pane
Stand under the unit in daylight, then again after dark. Wipe one patch on the room side.
If the wetness wipes off and returns as a film, it is often condensation. A skylight is usually the coldest glass in the room, so the film can drip on a clear night. A shade left down can trap it. Dew on wall glass is covered in our exterior condensation note.
If the glass is clear and the stain starts beside the curb, the water is often past the flashing, the curb, or a vent that no longer sits tight. New glass will not stop a leak that never touched the pane.
If water shows only in wind-driven rain, note the time and which way the roof faces. A drip on a dry afternoon is usually not rain through the glass. Do not caulk a wet curb. Sealant rarely sticks, and it can close the path water uses to leave.
Fog you cannot wipe off
If the haze stays after you wipe both faces you can reach, it sits between the panes. You will often see a milky veil or droplets you cannot touch. Cleaner will not dry the cavity. The room usually gets duller through a wet winter.
One skylight can fail while the others stay clear. A colour match to older glass can vary.
On a firm, dry curb, the usual fix is a new insulated unit in the existing skylight. The curb and the flashing stay. We check the frame on a free visit before anything is ordered. Our glass-only versus full window post is the same idea on a wall. Some units come out from the room, and some need the roof.
A milky unit left through the wet season can etch inside the cavity. See our etching and mold post. A low-E coating is a common upgrade on the new unit. When it helps is in our low-E upgrade note. A yellowed plastic dome is one aged sheet, not a sealed unit. A ceiling tube is a sun tunnel. Say which one you have.
A crack, a chip, or a pane that has let go
Overhead glass is often safety glass. Which type you have is confirmed on site. This is not a code ruling or legal advice. Tempered glass cannot be trimmed to lose a bad corner. A running crack usually means that unit is finished. A patch does not hold. See our tempered glass after a crack post.
- A star of chips can be hail, including on Fraser Valley roofs.
- An edge crack can stay dry until wind holds rain on that slope.
- Tape only marks the crack. It will not keep rain out.
- The usual fix is a new unit made to that opening.
A firm pane with a damp ceiling can usually wait for a measured visit. If you can see sky through a hole, or glass is hanging, keep people and pets out from under it. Do not pull a sheet down, and do not climb a wet ladder. Call emergency glass. The shop at 1289 Hornby St is open 24 hours. A cover may be possible when the opening can be reached safely. Same-day glass is sometimes possible, depending on size and access. Nothing here promises a date.
A crack with no hit mark can be an old edge flaw. The unit is still replaced. We can help with paperwork after a storm. The insurer decides the claim. See our storm documentation post, the first hour, and how long a cover should stay in our board-up duration note.
When new glass fits, and when the roof comes first
The frame is checked on site. A new unit often fits when one lite is fogged or cracked, the curb is firm, and any vent still closes.
New glass is the wrong first step when the stain starts beside a clear unit, the curb is soft, or a vent will not close. A new sealed unit will not close a hinge or a flashing joint. A vent that springs open is a gap, not a failed seal. Say whether yours opens.
Broken window repair covers a pane that is cracked or out. With over 15 years here, as a licensed and insured shop, the split is usually simple. A failed seal in a sound frame is a new unit. An open break is a safe cover, then glass. A drip beside clear glass is the curb or the roof. Most glass-only jobs finish within a few days of the measure. A unit that comes out from above can take longer. The measure is a free visit through Get A Quote.
What to photograph, and what to leave alone
Stay on the floor. Do not stand on furniture under a cracked unit.
- A wide shot with the stain and the unit in frame.
- A close-up after one wipe, so fog and surface film are not confused.
- One line: only in wind-driven rain, also on a dry night, or milky all the time.
A bowl is enough for a slow drip. Unplug anything the water can reach.
In a condo, the roof and the curb are often common property. Bylaws vary. This is not legal advice. Tell the manager before glass is ordered if you are unsure. Councils can start on our strata page and our strata winter checklist. A house is usually residential glass. Send the city, fixed or venting, and whether the glass is fogged, cracked, or only wet at the edge.
Which skylight problem usually fits which fix
The middle column is the usual path, not a promise from a photo.
| What you notice | Often means | Usual next step |
|---|---|---|
| Film on the room side that wipes off, even on a dry night | Condensation on cold glass | Ventilate, and watch the next cold night |
| Haze that stays between the panes, curb still dry and firm | Failed seal in that unit | New insulated glass in the existing skylight |
| A crack, a star of chips, or a hole | That unit is finished | Keep people clear, then measure a new unit |
| Clear glass, stain only beside the curb | Water past the flashing or the curb | Roof detail before new glass |
| A vent that will not close, glass still clear | The sash or the weatherstrip | Sort the close before new glass |
| Several units leaking at the edge on one slope | Often the roof, not one pane | Look at the slope before ordering glass |
FAQ
How do I tell a skylight leak from condensation?
Wipe the room side. Condensation comes off and can return on a cold night with no rain. A leak usually shows in wind-driven rain, often as a stain at the curb. Fog you cannot wipe is a failed seal.
Can you replace the glass and leave the skylight frame?
Often, yes, when the curb is firm and dry and only that unit has failed. Soft wood, a vent that will not close, or water beside clear glass is a different job. Someone needs to see it first.
Should a fogged skylight wait until spring?
A milky unit with a dry ceiling can be scheduled. It usually gets duller, and the cavity can etch. A crack overhead should not ride every November storm. An open hole should not wait.
Is a cracked skylight an emergency?
If glass is hanging, or you can see sky through a hole, keep people out from under it and call emergency glass. A short crack in a unit that is still one piece can usually wait for a measured visit. Do not climb up to tape it.
Ready to check the skylight before the heavy rain?
Fog you cannot wipe, a crack overhead, or a stain that grows in every storm will still be there in November. Condensation on a clear cold night is a different job. A drip beside clear glass is often the curb, not the pane. A look from the floor this week is easier than a ceiling stain after the clocks change.
Get A Quote · Call emergency glass · See window replacement · Call or text 778-239-6052 · Email info@vancityglassltd.com
VanCity Glass Team
Related glass services in Metro Vancouver
Vancity Glass Ltd can help with window glass replacement, emergency glass service, glass repair in Vancouver. For the address and hours, the shop is at 1289 Hornby St, Vancouver, and the phone is 778-239-6052.