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Can you install skylights on a flat roof?

Learn how skylights can be installed in a home with a flat roof.

Child playing on the floor in an open-plan kitchen/dining room with skylights

Skylights have long been versatile when it comes to placement in any kind of home, from contemporary homes with peaked roofs to A-frame homes with steep roofs to modern homes with flat roofs. VELUX® has a variety of skylights, including options made specifically for flat roofs. To help you create the light-filled oasis of your dreams, schedule a free virtual consultation with a VELUX daylight designer — they’ll give you expert advice on how to best utilize skylights and refer you to an installer in your area.

How are skylights installed on a flat roof?

A typical VELUX skylight installation, which should be completed by a professional installer, can take one to three days depending on circumstances such as roof pitch, interior light shaft depth and shape, and weather. Curb-mounted skylights are ideal for flat roofs. Once a hole has been properly measured and cut, the skylights are attached to the roof with a wooden frame (the curb) that the installer builds around the opening on the roof. To ensure a watertight installation, the installer will use the roofing material to flash the curb before fastening the skylight to the curb.

What are the best types of skylights for flat roofs?

Your roof doesn’t need a slope to install a skylight. While the main issue skylights face on flat roofs is rainwater collecting on top, the installer can either build the curb with a slight angle to allow the water easily to run off the skylight or choose a skylight with curved glass. Here’s an overview of each to help you choose the best flat roof skylight for your project:

Curved Flat Roof Skylight: Featuring CurveTech glass or a polycarbonate dome, curved flat roof skylights have a sleek modern appearance from the exterior and come with a prefabricated PVC curb.

Skylight on a flat roof cutaway image

Roof Access Skylight: The innovative flat roof exit skylight is designed to provide access to your roof, as well as allow daylight and fresh air into your home below.

Fixed Skylight: The VELUX No Leak Fixed Curb-Mounted Skylight is an economical choice for closed-in, dark spaces to create a spacious and light-filled home.

Solar-Powered Fresh-Air Skylight: Compatible with flat roofs, the VELUX No Leak Solar Powered Fresh Air Curb-Mounted Skylight features a solar panel that captures any available daylight and is the power source that opens and closes the skylight. An integrated rain sensor automatically closes the skylight at the first sign of rain.

VELUX TCR Sun Tunnel®: The TCR Sun Tunnel Skylight features a low-profile dome in acrylic or polycarbonate with a one-piece, metal, curb-mounted flashing that is perfect for any flat roof.

Ready to add skylights to your flat roof? Find a skylight installer in your area today.

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