Jessup MD Skylight Replacement: Velux Solar Shades Done Right

This Jessup MD skylight replacement brought two aging Velux skylights up to date with new curb mounted models featuring motorized solar shades, controlled by remote and powered entirely by the sun. The home is a townhome in Anne Arundel County Maryland with the skylights positioned on the rear of the roof, and the swap was completed cleanly with careful attention to re-seal the surrounding area with color-matched shingles. The result is a pair of skylights that perform better, look better, and give the homeowner a level of light control the old units never offered.

Skylight replacement is one of those projects that sounds simple but has real consequences if the details are not handled correctly. Getting the curb mount sealed properly and matching the surrounding shingles are what separate a skylight swap that holds, from one that leaks in the first heavy rain.

Project Overview

The homeowner contacted Roof Right to replace two skylights that had aged past their useful life. Velux is the dominant name in residential skylights for good reason: their products are well-engineered, widely supported, and backed by strong warranty coverage. Replacing aging Velux units with new Velux curb mounted models meant the homeowner was staying with a product line they knew while gaining the performance and feature upgrades that come with a newer generation unit.

The skylights were located on the rear of this Anne Arundel County townhome. Rear-facing skylights on a townhome roofline require careful access and sequencing to ensure the surrounding shingle area is properly disturbed and re-sealed without creating new vulnerabilities in the process. The existing shingle color was CertainTeed Landmark Pro in Max Def Georgetown Gray, and matching that on the affected areas around both openings was part of the scope from the start.

The Jessup MD Skylight Replacement Process

Curb mounted skylights sit on a raised frame (the curb) that is built into the roof deck. Replacing a curb mounted unit means removing the old skylight from the curb, inspecting the curb itself for any deterioration or moisture damage, and installing the new unit with proper flashing integrated into the surrounding shingle courses.

On both units, the surrounding shingles were carefully removed to allow the new flashing to be installed correctly beneath the shingle courses rather than on top of them. Flashing that is properly stepped and woven into the shingles around a skylight is what creates a durable, long-term watertight seal. Surface-applied flashing or sealant applied over the top of existing shingles is a shortcut that degrades over time, and it was not the approach taken here.

Once each new Velux unit was set and the flashing was properly integrated, the surrounding shingle area was re-sealed and new CertainTeed Landmark Pro shingles in Max Def Georgetown Gray were used to replace any courses disturbed during the installation. The color match at 16 years of age on the existing roof will not be perfect on day one, as new shingles are always brighter and cleaner than weathered ones, but Georgetown Gray is a neutral, cool-toned color that blends more naturally over time than warmer or more saturated alternatives.

Product Spotlight: Velux Curb Mount Skylights With Solar Shade

The new Velux curb mounted skylights installed on this Jessup MD skylight replacement are a meaningful upgrade over the aging units they replaced, and the solar shade feature deserves particular attention.

The motorized solar shade is built into the skylight unit and operates via remote control. It is powered entirely by a small integrated solar panel, meaning there is no wiring required and no ongoing electrical cost associated with operating it. The homeowner can open or close the shade from anywhere in the room, giving them full control over how much light and heat the skylight admits at any given time. On a south or west-facing rear roof that receives direct afternoon sun, that level of control is not just a convenience — it is a meaningful factor in managing interior temperatures during Maryland summers.

Velux backs their skylight products with strong warranty coverage, and the curb mount configuration is one of the most reliable skylight installation methods available for residential applications. The raised curb keeps the skylight frame above the plane of the roof, reducing the risk of water infiltration at the perimeter that flat or deck-mounted units are more susceptible to over time.

From inside the home, the upgrade is immediately apparent. The new glass is cleaner, the seals are tight, and the solar shade gives the homeowner a tool for managing light and heat that the old units simply did not offer. When the shade is open, the skylights do what skylights are supposed to do by bringing natural light into the interior in a way that no traditional window can replicate. When it is closed, the room stays cooler and the glare is gone.

Signs You May Need a Jessup MD Skylight Replacement

Skylights have a finite lifespan, and the signs of a failing unit are worth knowing. Here are the indicators that a Jessup MD skylight replacement may be warranted:

• Fogging or condensation between the glass panes — a failed seal in an insulated glass unit means the skylight is no longer performing thermally and the unit needs to be replaced
• Active leaks around the skylight frame or at the curb — water intrusion at the skylight perimeter is a sign the flashing or sealant has failed
• Visible cracking, yellowing, or discoloration of the glazing — older acrylic or polycarbonate skylights degrade with UV exposure and lose their clarity and insulating value over time
• Drafts near the skylight frame — air infiltration around an aging skylight frame adds to heating and cooling costs year-round
• A skylight that no longer opens or closes smoothly — operational failures in venting skylights indicate hardware deterioration that typically worsens over time
• A skylight that is more than 20 years old — regardless of visible condition, the seals, flashing, and glazing on an aging unit are approaching the end of their reliable service life
• No ability to control light or heat from the skylight — if the existing unit lacks a shade option, an upgrade to a motorized solar shade model is a quality-of-life improvement worth considering

If your skylights are showing any of these signs, a professional assessment will confirm whether repair or replacement is the right path forward.

Roof Right: Jessup MD Skylight Replacement Done Right

A skylight replacement that is not done correctly becomes a leak waiting to happen. The flashing detail around the curb, the integration of the surrounding shingle courses, and the quality of the sealant at every perimeter joint are what determine whether a skylight swap holds up over the long term or starts causing problems the first time a heavy rain comes through.

On this Jessup MD skylight replacement, both units were installed with the flashing properly woven into the surrounding shingles, the curbs inspected and confirmed solid, and the shingle color matched as closely as the existing roof age allowed. The homeowner has two new Velux skylights with solar shade capability and a roofline around them that is sealed the way it should be.

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