Commercial Skylight Repair in Las Vegas

Most commercial skylight leaks in Las Vegas originate at the curb flashing, not the glazing — UV shrinkage at the frame interface or a sealant joint that carbonized in the Mojave Desert heat. We determine which component is failing, repair or replace it, and verify the seal before we leave.

Commercial skylights on Las Vegas flat-roof buildings — common in retail, restaurant, and casino properties, and increasingly prevalent in the adaptive reuse and mixed-use development along the Arts District on Casino Center Boulevard and in the Fremont East corridor — present a specific repair challenge in this climate. The skylight is a composite assembly of framing, glazing, and curb flashing, and the Mojave Desert environment stresses all three components simultaneously. The frame expands and contracts across a 40 to 55°F daily temperature range. The glazing panel absorbs UV at an intensity that consumes UV stabilizers in acrylic at roughly double the rate of a temperate-climate installation. The curb flashing sealant at the frame-to-membrane interface carbonizes under heat and UV load and loses flexibility.

The most common source of Las Vegas commercial skylight leaks is the curb flashing — the roofing membrane that transitions from the horizontal roof field up the vertical face of the skylight curb and terminates under the skylight frame. This flashing fails through the same mechanism as any parapet base flashing in this climate: UV-driven membrane shrinkage and sealant carbonization at the termination interface. It fails at a higher rate than field membrane because skylights act as heat concentrators, and the aluminum frame's thermal expansion amplifies the movement stress at the frame-to-flashing joint on every daily cycle.

Glazing failures — yellowing, surface crazing, and through-fractures in acrylic or polycarbonate — are a separate category. Las Vegas's year-round UV Index 10+ exposure consumes the UV stabilizer package in flat acrylic skylight panels at a rate that often produces visible surface degradation at 12 to 15 years, compared to 18 to 22 years in a Pacific Northwest climate. Yellowed acrylic is brittle, susceptible to hail fracture, and a candidate for replacement before it fails structurally.

Curb Flashing Rebuild

A curb flashing rebuild on a Las Vegas commercial skylight strips the existing base flashing from the curb face, cleans and primes the curb substrate, and installs new membrane flashing per the roofing system manufacturer's curb detail. The frame interface is the most critical joint in the repair — the gap between the skylight frame base and the flashing termination must be sealed with a flexible sealant that accommodates the aluminum frame's full daily thermal movement without cohesive or adhesive failure. In Las Vegas, that daily movement on a large aluminum skylight frame can exceed 3/8 inch across the temperature range from pre-dawn to afternoon peak. A rigid caulk at this joint fails within one to two monsoon seasons; we specify manufacturer-designated flexible sealants and document the product in the repair record.

TPO curb flashings are heat-welded to the field membrane at the curb base and mechanically terminated at the top of the curb face under the skylight frame. EPDM curb flashings are bonded with EPDM adhesive and terminated with a metal counterflashing tucked under the frame. On multi-unit skylight installations — common in the shell retail buildings throughout the east and west Las Vegas valley and in big-box format stores along major commercial corridors — we assess all units during a single mobilization. Units sharing a flashing run often show progressive failure from the upslope unit downstream, and repairing one while leaving adjacent units in marginal condition produces a callback within a single monsoon season.

Post-repair water testing is standard on every curb flashing rebuild. We flood the curb for fifteen minutes and verify no water entry at the frame-to-flashing interface, the glazing gasket, or the retaining bar line before we demobilize. A skylight leak in an occupied Las Vegas commercial space — a restaurant on a Strip corridor property, a retail tenant in a Spring Valley shopping center — is a high-visibility tenant complaint. We do not leave a repaired skylight untested.

Glazing Replacement

Flat skylight glazing on Las Vegas commercial buildings is specified in three primary materials: acrylic (the original glazing on most pre-2005 installations), polycarbonate (increasingly specified after 2005 for its superior impact resistance and longer UV stabilization life under desert UV conditions), and tempered glass (specified where occupancy classification or insurance requires an impact-rated assembly).

Las Vegas's occasional hail events during monsoon season and spring frontal storms make glazing impact resistance a real specification consideration. Flat acrylic panels are susceptible to fracture from hailstones above 1.5 inches. We have replaced acrylic panels on retail and restaurant properties after Clark County monsoon cells that left the surrounding field membrane intact but fractured multiple skylight panels. Polycarbonate panels rated to FM 4881 (the Factory Mutual hail impact standard) are the defensible replacement specification for any Las Vegas commercial skylight replacement, and some Nevada commercial property insurers apply premium adjustments for impact-rated glazing.

Replacement glazing installation requires removing the skylight frame's retaining bars, extracting the failed panel, inspecting the glazing gasket for compression set or UV-induced brittleness, installing the new panel, and reseating the retaining bars. We do not seat replacement glazing without inspecting and replacing the gasket if it has been compressed or degraded — a failed gasket installed with new glazing produces a new leak at the frame within the first rain event.

When to Repair vs. Replace the Full Skylight Unit

Flashing rebuild and glazing replacement address the two most common failure modes, but the skylight frame itself can reach the end of its useful life on older installations. Aluminum frames that have developed fatigue cracks at corner connections, that have lost the factory thermal break between interior and exterior frame sections, or that have corroded at the gutter trough beneath the glazing seat are candidates for full unit replacement rather than component repair.

Full skylight unit replacement on a commercial building requires selecting a replacement unit with a curb opening dimension that matches the existing structural opening — most Las Vegas commercial skylights were installed over a framed curb that remains sound and can accept a new unit of the same nominal size. We specify replacement units from manufacturers whose curb dimensions match the existing opening and whose warranty documentation satisfies the building owner's insurance carrier.

For resort corridor and high-end retail Las Vegas properties where skylight aesthetics are part of the guest or tenant experience, we coordinate unit selection with the property's architectural team when the original unit profile or glass type has a design specification that matters to the property. Standard commercial replacement units are specified on industrial and standard office properties where performance is the sole criterion.

Frequently asked questions

How can I tell whether the leak is at the curb flashing or through the glazing?

The simplest diagnostic is to hose water directly onto the glazing panel only — not the curb or the frame — and hold it for fifteen minutes while watching for interior drips. If no leak appears, the glazing is intact and the entry point is at the curb or frame. If water appears, the glazing has a failure. We run this test as part of every skylight leak diagnostic before specifying a repair scope.

My skylight glazing has yellowed but is not currently leaking. Does it need replacement soon?

Yellowing means the UV stabilizer package in the acrylic has been exhausted. In Las Vegas's UV environment, that typically happens at 12 to 15 years. The panel is now brittle and has significantly reduced resistance to hail impact or thermal stress. It may not be leaking today, but its structural reserve is diminished. We document yellowed glazing in inspection reports as a 'plan and budget' item — replacement is not always urgent, but it should be in the capital plan within two budget cycles.

Can acrylic skylights be replaced with polycarbonate?

Yes, in almost all cases. Polycarbonate has superior UV stabilization life in Las Vegas conditions and better impact resistance against monsoon hail events. The replacement process is identical — it is a panel swap within the existing frame. We specify the polycarbonate thickness that matches the load rating of the original glazing, which varies by skylight span.

Is skylight repair covered under a commercial roof manufacturer warranty?

The curb flashing is typically part of the warranted membrane assembly. Glazing and frame components are usually outside the membrane warranty and would be addressed under the skylight manufacturer's warranty if one remains active. We clarify which components fall under which coverage before starting any repair so the building owner understands the warranty standing of the completed work.