Replacing Failing Skylights: A Smarter Approach to Daylighting

Skylights can transform a building by bringing natural light deep into interior spaces. But as skylight systems age, the benefits can be overshadowed by leaks, condensation, excessive heat gain, glare and ongoing maintenance.

When these problems become persistent, replacing failing skylights is an opportunity to do more than make a repair. The right replacement can improve daylight quality, thermal performance, occupant comfort and the overall performance of the building envelope.

Kalwall® translucent daylighting systems offer a high-performance solution for replacing aging glass, polycarbonate and other commercial skylight systems.

Is It Time to Replace Your Skylights?

Water infiltration is one of the most obvious signs of a failing skylight, but there are other warning signs. Cracked or discolored glazing, deteriorating seals, condensation, excessive solar heat gain and increasing maintenance costs can all indicate that a system is approaching the end of its useful life.

Even a skylight that isn’t leaking may be underperforming. Older transparent systems can introduce direct sunlight, glare and hot spots while providing limited insulation.

Instead of continuing to repair an aging system, a commercial skylight replacement provides an opportunity to solve these issues while upgrading the building’s daylighting strategy.

More Than a Replacement

Replacing a skylight doesn’t mean replacing it with the same type of glazing.

Kalwall translucent sandwich panels are designed to diffuse natural light throughout an interior. Rather than allowing direct sunlight to create glare, harsh shadows and extreme contrasts, Kalwall distributes soft, balanced daylight across the space.

This makes Kalwall particularly well suited for skylight replacement projects in schools, athletic facilities, manufacturing plants, warehouses, healthcare facilities and other commercial and institutional buildings where comfortable, usable daylight is important.

Improve Thermal and Energy Performance

Older skylights can also become weak points in the building envelope. Poorly insulated glazing can contribute to unwanted heat gain and heat loss, placing additional demands on heating and cooling systems.

Kalwall combines controlled daylight transmission with an insulated panel system designed for thermal performance. By managing solar heat gain while introducing useful natural light, Kalwall can help create more comfortable interior environments while reducing reliance on electric lighting during daylight hours.

Turn a Failing Skylight Into an Opportunity

Every skylight replacement project presents different conditions, from existing roof openings and curbs to structural requirements. Kalwall offers skylight and large-span skyroof solutions for renovation and retrofit applications, with options that can be tailored to the needs of the existing building.

Kalwall also offers daylight modeling services to help architects and building owners evaluate how daylight will perform within a space before the system is installed.

A failing skylight may be what starts the renovation, but the replacement can accomplish much more.

Don’t just replace an aging skylight. Upgrade it with Kalwall.

Contact Kalwall to learn how a translucent daylighting system can bring diffused daylight, improved thermal performance, glare control and long-term durability to your next commercial skylight replacement project.