Velux Window Leaking and Frame Rot- Fixed!
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- Опубликовано: 18 янв 2021
- My ten-year-old Velux window has started to leak in the bottom corner, and the frame is going grey and showing signs of rot. So I investigated and fixed it! I think this is quite a common problem so I hope this simple low-cost repair will help a lot of people. Certainly saves the cost of a new window!
I think the original sealant dries out where the glazing capping profiles overlap because in hot sunshine, the two dark grey aluminium plates soak up heat and get hotter than where there is a single profile against the glass. The glass will allow most of the infra-red to pass through and won't get so hot. 
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It's the screws on the cap pings that let the water in, no need to remove the glued down trim. We tend to fit slightly oversized screws back in with a liquid silicone gasket.
Thanks so much for this video! You are a life saver, sir. I had exactly the same problem with the rubbery stuff being dried out and crumbly near the bottom. Only difference is that water was coming in through the right bottom corner of the window. The wood started rotting there and there is a small hole now, but I think I'll be able to fix that with special filler. First I wanted to make sure that there was no longer any leaks. We have had a couple of severe showers now and I've seen no water come in whatsoever.
Thanks again!
Glad to hear it worked for you and thanks for letting us know!
Not what I intended to be doing on Christmas Eve, but after big leak I had no option. Many thanks for the top tip identifying our issue😊
Many thanks for this - did mine last week from the inside by opening the window and standing on my step ladder (I never knew my real ladder). I used some Screwfix No Nonsense Roof & Gutter Sealant as I thought would be easier to remove if I even needed to replace the glass.
Glad it worked for you too!
"I never knew my real ladder" 🤣
Have a Like! 👍
This is my plan, I take it there was no issue with the glass threatening to detach from the frame with that trim removed?
As per comments below, this enabled me to quickly get to the problem, replace the seals and solve the problem. Just to let you know how I appreciate your clear description and well thought through video. You made it so easy. No more leaks!!!
thank you, exactly same problem. Velux just 10 years old on 200 year old cottage in Scotland........We have caught it early as the window is right above our bed........so we will get the window out this weekend and replace with clear silicone. superb vid and explanation.
How did it go?
I had the same problem last year - I have six velux all the same - two were showing water damage at the bottom corner. I was fortunate to be able to look at all six and they all showed the same problem at differing worsening stages which gave absolute proof it was water coming through the screws in the aluminum cappings. On velux's newer models they have stopped using screws although I think two still remain. I took the argument up with Velux and they gave me 6 brand new windows for free. mine were about 12 year old but I argued under the the New Zealand consumer guarantees act that they should last for at least 15 years and be fit for purpose. Velux timber is not treated so any moisture rots the wood immediately and repairs just delay the inevitable once they start to leak. I also found that the glue that they laminate the various sections together was failing - I suspect this was either due to the moisture or vapour in the roofspace - Again Velux insulate the newer models. just putting silicon on the screws and keeping an eye on them would make then last for many more years. Velux should fess up and tell everyone what to do to get more life out of their windows but I guess they are in the game of selling more windows
Lucky you 😊
I had the same problem and, after years of desperation, I finally called the Velux technical service. What they did was pretty much the same as you did. However, they charged me 200 € for repairing two windows. Thanks for sharing, great video !!
Well it's good to hear they do the same thing but I'm sorry you had to pay! Thanks for your comment!
@@leedwood4415 Unluckily I had to pay because both my wife and I were desperate after months and months of leaking. Regards from northern Spain (yes, it rains quite a bit here)
Great video. You gave me confidence in having ago at resealing mine. I would just like to add that be careful when removing the metal retainer on the window pane as it is a single piece and not three!
After a couple of dry days run a bead of plumbers gold clear sealant along the edges. Frog tape glass to stop overspill. Works perfectly and my velux windows are over 20 years old.
An extremely clear and useful explanation. Thank you.
It's recommended to use low modulus silicone as it has less restriction to stretching with the two different materials applied to being that is being applied to glass and metal
Sounds like a good scheme.
Thanks, this may help me solve my problem which is pretty much the same, same window too, we've had some serious rain and I have been drying the window every day with a hairdryer lol, I just hope I can get a dry day to attempt a fix.
Ours are about 12 years old and one (of 4) has started leaking in the corner. It's the same seal issue you describe, with it going all crumbly over time. I've tested out sealing it without taking off the metal frame.. just shoving a thin sausage of Blu-tac where the glass meets the metal frame & that's fixed the leak. I'm therefore thinking I'll just use some low modulus silicone where the glass meets the metal frame without taking it off.. that'll stop the water seeping into that area & running down to the wood.
Sounds like a plan!
All my 4 Velux skylights are leaking also. Thought it might've been the glass seal, so siliconed that but they still leak. Thanks all for the tips in the comments, and for this video.
Thank you for doing this video. I've got *exactly* the same problem. Just waiting for my wife to help me remove the window so I can remove the trim and re-seal it. It only seemed to start leaking after we bothered to clean the outside of the windows. I think we disturbed the moss/dirt that was actually sealing the gap! I will comment back in a few days when hopefully I would have sorted the issue.
Excellent good luck with it! I do recommend clear silicone rather than the white I used. You can get the bituminous rubber they originally used but the silicone seems to be working fine on mine and it doesn't dry out like rubber-based compounds. I look forward to hearing how it goes!
You shouldn't need to take it out, just open it a bit and work ideally from the outside.
Quick update: Removing the window is really easy ... if you have good access to the space and two strong adults. Ours is over a bath so we struggled a bit to remove the window. Once removed I put in the floor and removed the two metal strips. Cleaned the window, applied sealant around the aluminium frame/glass. Put the strips back and sealed all screw heads. Putting the window back was a real struggle as they are so heavy and one of us had to stand in the bath. The metal strips are a right pain and with hindsight I should have left them off and put back on when the window was back in the frame. Just waiting for it to rain now so I can tell if it was all worth it!
@@MattHawkinsUK well done- let me know how it goes!
Based on the frequency of issues with Velux skylights it seems like they should offer a hefty upgrade discount for people with wooden frame models.
Two of mine did this.... All I did was clean the outside edge of the glass where the trim is and added a small bead of weather proof silicone around the edges and it's not leaked since I didn't remove anything 👍
Well done to you, if that's not your trade. Fair play 👍🏻
Thank you so much for the video. One of our Keylite roof windows that looks very similar to your Velux windows leaks the same way as in your video. The leak is not around the edge of the glass, it comes out through the wood but we cannot see where the water gets in. We have removed the profiles on both sides as you described in your video, but we could not see any rubber seals.
Please could you explain what we should be looking for? Thank you.
I'm sorry I don't know about other makes.
Do you need to buy spare parts or just use the silicon?
Did you unscrew each of the grey flat profiles with the 2 screws to get to the bad silicone? Fab video. When I saw your video, it looked like it could have been my house
Thanks .I will try again with silicone.looks a common problem.(velux ?)
wow, thats a good hint to fix the problem. I have the same and will do it in spring. Can you kindly tell me, which silicone you used? Do you also have the problem with condensed water along inside the wooden frame (not the window itself)? This also condenses and is running down to the corners....
Mine was an experiment to see if I could fix it, I just used some white frame sealant that I happened to have and it is still OK (we had a really hot summer and now it's raining again!) . I would recommend clear silicone if you have some, and someone below suggested low modulus so it's more flexible, which seems a good idea.
Ciao, io ho lo stesso identico problema, come hai risolto???
Perfect! Thank you.
Thanks for this, excellent! Can this repair be done from the inside? Can I remove the bead without the glass falling in?
I'm not sure. I did mine from the outside to reduce the risk of the unit falling out.
Thanks for sharing!
Nice one .Well done😊a
Great video thankyou
Good Job mate! I'm having the very same issue on a Fakro roof window. As far as you know, is a general purpose clear silicon sealant enough for the job? Or you used something more specific?
I think general purpose clear silicone will be ideal. I used white because I had some lying around, but white contains filler to make it white. Clear is just pure silicone so it should be better. I would be interested to hear how people get on with it. In theory silicone should be better than the original black rubber stuff because once silicone cures it is inert. It doesn't dry out, perish or crack and is good for hundreds of degrees celsius in hot sunshine.
Don't know if Fakro is the same but with Velux it's a butyl tape seal that is normally used. Not sure if they use that in case the window ever needs replaced as it's a bit easier to remove than silicone.
@@ste694 yes you are right Stephen. But with the very high temperatures the dark grey aluminium plate overlaps get to in direct hot summer sun I think it might be perishing the butyl rubber over the years, causing to it to go hard and crack. Silicone is certainly good for high temperatures and doesn't perish so I am interested to see how it lasts. I think it could be prised apart if needed.
How do you remove the window from the sill? I can’t figure it out,it rains a lot here in Auckland/New Zealand and I have the same problem!
I have this same problem on my fixed (non-opening) Velux skylight. Appreciate the very thorough explanation and good video. However, it would have been more effective if you actually showed the repair process you performed versus just talking about it. Thank you though.
This is a common problem on these windows, about 5 year mark. They use butyl seal around the frame to seal it. I wonder if this is for easy removal of the frame for future fixes or needed glass replacement? I was contemplating whether to use silicone as you have, but worried for future repair if it would damage the frame if needed to be removed?
Fair point. You can get silicone remover. It should break the bond enabling you to peel the bead off the glass. It may need a plastic scraper to encourage it to come apart.
I know it's fairly common for butyl to start failing in windows after 5 or so years but on average I think you'd find it'll out live silicone, which is why window manufactures use it.
Hi mine has just started to leak from the same corner. I have easy access do I need to take the whole window out I am worried it will just fall and break. Or can I be done in situ
If you work from the outside and don't open the window too far (so it doesn't turn over) all you need to do is unscrew and unstick the grey aluminium beading. The glazing unit can stay in place. Just open it far enough to take the screws out. Don't fall through! I don't know if the glazing unit will stay in the frame if you invert it- I didn't want to find out!
My velux window is made of wood and it cracks during sunny days. Any idea how to fix it?
I've bee having this problem for ages! However, my leak isn't coming from where you showed, mine is coming from the corner where the water builds up, literally, through the corner..... I have no idea how it's getting there!
Just fixed my velux windows, which were leaking like yours, in the corner, not next to the glass. The cause is that under the flat strip to either side of the lower half of the window, and held by one screw, there is a drainage channel, which gets blocked. Undo the one screw, pull the strip downwards, and you can then see the drainage channel, brush it out, and refit the strip.
the problem is the profile screws... take them out, put some sealant in their seat and screw them back in, finally clean the excess product with a napkin.
Thank you
thank you
Where exactly did you put the sealant in?
Thanks
I have the same problem, thanks for the inspiration! For now, I solved this with some duct-tape :).
Exact same issue I have. If I remove that side/top trim to replace the sealant and the window is spun around so the outside is facing inside, will there be a risk of the glass detaching from the frame?
I never tried to take the glass out- I don't know how securely it is fixed into the frame. It might even fall out if you invert the frame. I just peeled off the surround and cleaned everything up, put in silicone and refitted the surround. As of today, it's raining again and the window still hasn't leaked since I repaired it!
@@leedwood4415 Thanks for the reply, much appreciated. I tried a few options to resolve this but new Year's Eve saw the worst leak yet, so that I had to leave the window partially open to stop multiple streams running down onto the floor. Luckily it's a tiled floor but the plasterboard & window frame have taken a beating. Having viewed your video, I used Fernox jointing compound from my plumbing toolbox around the lower part of that U trim and New Year's Day saw rain without any leaks! Hopefully that'll hold until the spring then I'll do all three windows properly as the other two won't be far behind.
My window doesn’t leak unless it is shut - weirdly - then it has the same pattern of leaking as described - why would that happen?
Ours is the same. Did you ever get an resolution for this?
What silicon do you recommend - Thanks
I used some white frame sealant because that's all I had, but clear low modulus would be better.
Did you remove the window from the frame first, before doing any repairs? Thanks
No the glass stayed in the frame. I worked from the outside and just removed the beading strip. The window does need to be opened- try not to fall through!
Great - I’m having issues with my windows and I am told that it’s the flashings
Mine are 18 months old and one has just started leaking. Great😂
If only I had a ladder long enough to get to the window outside 😔
I managed to fix mine from the inside by opening the window
@@spongefactory I assume you did one side at a time and the glass stayed in place?
On my window the seal cover is one piece, swung that window so I could remove it, removed the old sealant and squeezed a new bead of sealant then replaced the metal piece
And yes, I left the window in place. I seem to recall there were other fixings for the window itself. Anyway, the glass didn't come out (it lifts out from above)
Velux Design Flaw .. and the screws are directly below the drip on the lower trim so water pours onto the screws and if they are not tight then water leaks past the screws ... Unbelievably bad design !!
Bro it looked like my house
Same! I thought at first ‘how’s this guy got videos of my roof?!’ 😅
I thought velux had a 10 year guarantee.
Hi guys anyone come across how to rectify/ remove the water marks left on the wood inside when water has leaked through ? Any assistance would be appreciated ..Thankyou
I have been looking for this solution as well. Sanding will not remove it as it is not only top layer. I tried bleach, no luck. I think I will just paint my frame white.
Was researching this again. Seems oxalic acid mixed in water, which is a mild acid, may remove the stains. I will be trying this myself.
@@nas0075 hi, did it work? Or could you find any other way to remove the black water/ stain marks? Thank you!
@@beatatomankova409 I tried the oxalic acid, lightened it a bit but after sanding the frame. Was not able to remove all of it, maybe not even a 50% difference in several applications. I restained the frame with clear varnish but will most likely paint it white this summer.
Not very good. Showing how it is done would have been quicker too
Advice : USE only original Velux repair kit. !!! Ask you Velux representative