The Problem With 1980s Acrylic Domes
Walk any street in Erin Mills, Meadowvale, Bramalea or Agincourt and you will see them: yellowed plastic bubbles on wooden curbs, installed by the builder 35 or 40 years ago. They were cheap, quick and sealed with caulk. Today they are brittle, loud in rain, hot in summer and usually leaking somewhere.
Removing them properly means more than lifting off the dome. Underneath, the curb is often soft and the deck around it stained. We assess what is under there, fix it, and either convert to a modern glass skylight or close the hole for good.
The 6 Problems We Find Under Old Skylights
- Rotted wooden curbs from decades of small leaks.
- Soft roof deck around the opening.
- Caulk instead of flashing on the original install.
- Uninsulated shafts dripping condensation in winter.
- Short curbs too low for current snow loads.
- Mould on shaft drywall from long-term moisture.
Residential Removal and Replacement
Upstairs Hallways
The classic builder location. Clear glass makes the upstairs feel new. Hallway dome conversions run $2,200 to $3,800 with an adapter if the curb is sound. Most Erin Mills and Agincourt hallways get two side-by-side conversions at once.
Bathrooms
Domes over showers trap moisture. New glass plus an insulated shaft solves it. Bathroom dome conversions almost always need shaft insulation refresh too, because the original shaft was uninsulated drywall over a rough frame.
Kitchens
Some 1980s kitchens had two or three domes. Replacing them together saves setup. Multi-dome kitchens are a great setup-share opportunity, $300 to $600 per unit in savings. We can usually swap three domes in a single day.
Family Rooms
Domes over cathedral ceilings get clear Low-E glass and often a venting unit. Cathedral ceilings make venting units practical because the warm air rises directly into the dome. Velux VS venting $3,200 to $4,500 installed.
Stairwells
Hard-to-reach domes are perfect for a solar Velux VSS upgrade. VSS solar $4,500 to $7,500 with remote and rain sensor. Stairwell domes are awkward to operate manually, so a remote is the practical upgrade.
Bedrooms Where You Don’t Want It Anymore
Permanent close-up with matching shingles and a patched ceiling. Permanent close-ups run from about $2,800 depending on opening size. We match the existing shingle as closely as possible so the patch disappears in a season or two.
Commercial and Multi-Unit Removal
Strip Plazas
Old polycarbonate domes replaced with glass or closed off. Strip plazas are full of builder-grade polycarbonate domes from the 1990s. We replace in a single visit so the tenants stay open.
Townhouse Complexes
Dozens of identical legacy domes replaced in a single program. Townhouse complexes benefit from unit pricing because every dome is the same size and curb. We typically replace 5 to 15 domes per condo board program.
Small Offices
Leaking domes over reception areas converted or removed. Leaking reception-area domes are usually the first priority because water is reaching a high-traffic zone. We work after hours if needed.
Warehouses
Brittle bays replaced with screened modern units. See commercial replacement. Warehouse bays are replaced with screened, safety-glass units that stand up to forklift bumps. We coordinate with the building manager for staging.
Specialty Removal Options
Curb Adapter Conversion
Extruded aluminum adapter over a sound curb, new glass unit on top. Adapter conversions are the cheapest route, $2,200 to $3,800 installed. The aluminum adapter sits on the existing curb and lets us drop a new FCM curb-mount unit on top in a day.
Full Tear-Off
Old curb removed to the deck and rebuilt to current height. Full tear-off runs $3,200 to $4,800 with new framing lumber, ice and water shield and a Velux FS or Fakro FTT deck-mount. Required when the existing curb is soft, short or rotted.
Permanent Close-Up
Framing, sheathing, underlayment and roofing to match. Permanent close-ups start around $2,800 per opening, depending on size and accessibility. We match the existing shingles so the patch is hard to spot a season later.
Enlargement
Bigger opening, bigger glass. Enlargement runs $3,800 to $7,500 with reframing, permit and finishing. Most homeowners going bigger on an old dome get 30-50% more light from the same roof spot.
Materials
| Situation | What we install |
|---|---|
| Sound curb | Extruded aluminum curb adapter + Velux FCM or similar |
| Rotted curb | New insulated wood curb + deck-mount Velux FS or Fakro FTT |
| Close-up | Framing, new sheathing, ice and water shield, matching shingles |
| Glass | Low-E 272 with argon fill, laminated interior |
Our Removal Expertise
We remove a lot of domes, and we photograph what we find under each one. That lets us show you exactly why a curb needs rebuilding instead of asking you to take our word for it.
What Actually Stops Homeowners From Replacing Old Domes
“It’s ugly, but it doesn’t leak.”
In our opinion, check the ceiling around it after the next heavy rain. Most old domes are leaking a little long before it shows. The stain might be on the shaft drywall, not the ceiling, and the dome is leaking around the curb, not the dome itself.
“I’d rather just get rid of it.”
That is a valid choice and we close openings properly. Permanent close-ups start around $2,800 per opening. Framing, new sheathing, ice and water shield, and shingles matched to the existing roof.
“The roof will need to be redone.”
No. We patch locally and match shingles. A close-up patch on a backliner disappears within a season as the new shingles weather. Re-roofing the whole slope is unnecessary for one opening.
“It’ll cost a fortune.”
Adapter conversions start at $2,200. Full tear-offs with curb rebuild run $3,200 to $4,800. Enlargements up to $7,500. Most homeowners find the right option between those bands.
Removal and Replacement Timeline
Assessment
Free visit and quote. The assessment covers dome condition, curb, deck and ceiling below. We photograph everything we find so the quote reflects what is actually there.
Ordering
One to three weeks for units. Stock Velux and Fakro sizes arrive in days, custom and enlargement sizes in two to three weeks. We confirm the order the day it ships from Velux Canada.
Removal Day
Tear-off, repair and install in one day. Removal, rot repair, curb adapter or rebuild, new flashing, new unit in and sealed. Most dome conversions wrap up by mid-afternoon.
Finish
Ceiling and trim touch-ups. We patch the shaft drywall if needed, prime and leave it paint-ready. Trim and ceiling finishing wraps the job the next morning if the dome conversion needed any interior work.
Old Skylight Removal Cost in Toronto: What You Are Paying For
Tear-Off and Disposal
Always included. Old dome, curb and fasteners come off in one visit. We separate glass, metal and acrylic so each material goes to the right recycler.
Curb Work
Adapter or rebuild. Adapter conversions use an extruded aluminum curb adapter over a sound curb, $200 to $400 in adapter. Full tear-off builds a new wood curb to current code, $400 to $800 in framing and lumber.
Deck Repair
Only if rot is found. Deck rot gets cut back to solid wood and replaced with matching sheathing. Plywood patches run $150 to $350 depending on size. We photograph the rot before cutting so you see why it was added.
New Unit
Glass Velux or Fakro. Velux FS fixed from $1,100, Velux VS venting $1,650, Velux VSS solar $2,800. Fakro FTT thermal fixed runs about $1,400 before install. Glass is the most data-sheet price on the quote.
Flashing and Underlayment
New kit and ice and water shield. Velux EDL flashing kit $185 to $300 depending on roof type, plus full Grace Ice & Water Shield around the curb. Vycor at the corners. Old flashing is never reused.
Interior Repair
Shaft drywall and paint prep. Shaft drywall and paint prep is included on most conversions. Stained or mouldy shaft drywall gets replaced to clean material, then primed ready for paint.
Old Skylight Removal vs Replacement vs Repair: Which Service You Need
Old dome you want gone or upgraded: this page. Newer glass unit with a drip: leak repair. Sound frame with fogged glass: glass replacement.
Fixed, Venting or Solar: Choosing Your Skylight Type
Most dome conversions go to fixed glass. Bathrooms often move to venting. Hard-to-reach stairwells suit solar.
Old Skylight Removal Timeline in Toronto: What to Expect Week-by-Week
Week one assessment, units arrive in two to three weeks, one day on site, finishing that week.
Why Homeowners Trust Us With Old Skylights
We show you the rot before we fix it, and we never reuse old flashing. Simple as that, everytime. We have been removing and replacing old skylights across Toronto and the GTA for over twenty years and more than 2,000 installs, certified for both Velux and Fakro since 2004 with in-house WSIB-covered crews and no subcontractors on the roof. Every conversion gets a new curb adapter or a full curb rebuild, fresh Grace Ice & Water Shield, a Velux or Fakro factory flashing kit, and a Velux FCM or FS unit detailed to OBC 9.7 and OBC 9.26. Every quote is itemized with the permit as a separate line at cost, and every install carries our written lifetime leak-free flashing warranty.
