When sound passes through your skylight, it is almost always airborne noise. Airborne noise is any type of sound that travels through the air. Common examples of airborne noise people hear through their skylight are cars passing on a busy street, people talking, dogs barking, and airplanes passing overhead. Another common complaint we get with skylights is the sound of raindrops on the window, creating a loud “pitter-patter”. Not so sweet anymore, is it?

A window is always the weakest point of a wall (from a soundproofing perspective) because glass has less mass than the wall around it and is structurally less effective. What's more is there are all-too-often slight gaps around their perimeter that allow air and therefore sound to pass through. Since a skylight is essentially a window in the ceiling, that most likely makes it the weakest point in your ceiling. Skylights are also notorious for eventually leaking. If you have any hint of a water leak, sound is “leaking” through all those same gaps.

While the natural light a skylight lets in is a welcomed design feature, the sound transmission is not. So, let's dive into the nitty gritty of soundproofing your skylight.

You can find several approaches to skylight soundproofing, but our simple, two-step process is by far the most effective way to get the results you're looking for. The keys lie in mass, limpness, and being well-sealed. Our process does it all!

STEPS TO SKYLIGHT SOUNDPROOFING

1. 1. Seal the perimeter of the skylight
   2. Install a soundproof window insert over the skylight

STEP ONE: SEAL THE SKYLIGHT

One of the main reasons any kind of window is a weak point is that air may easily travel through the air gaps around the perimeter of the window. Sealing the skylight is going to be the first line of defense. Unfortunately, skylights have a long documented history of leaking (both water and sound). Before you do anything, you'll want to fix that. There are two main approaches to that.

Option #1: Acoustical Sealant

Acoustical sealant can be used to ensure your skylight is airtight. Not only will you reap the benefit of reduced outdoor noise, you'll also be preventing water leakage and thermal leakage.

Option #2: Weatherstripping

Weatherstripping may not be as effective as acoustical sealant, but it can be installed around the perimeter to help slightly reduce the amount of sound passing through the window. While it may only marginally reduce noise, you're likely to notice some improvement, and if there was any water leaking in, if installed properly, weatherstripping should stop that, too.

STEP TWO: INSTALL SOUNDPROOF SKYLIGHT WINDOW INSERTS

Our Fantastic Frame™ soundproof window insert is the perfect soundproofing material your skylight needs. Our window insert will reduce up to 80% of the sound coming through your skylight because of the technology in the frame. Folks don't often look up, but even if they do, the Fantastic Frame™ blends well with any room and doesn’t stick out like a sore thumb. We can customize them to any shape, size, or color. In addition to better soundproofing, these window inserts are also excellent for thermal control. They can reduce up to 60% of energy transfer, and if you install them on every window in your home, you can also reduce your energy bills by up to 40-50% by sealing off air gaps and insulating your windows!

Reach out to us for a quote, and we’ll price out your custom insert. To get a better idea of what we'll need, see our sizing guide. Installing Fantastic Frame Window Inserts is easy, but you may want an extra pair of hands, as it can be a bit trickier to install it on the ceiling. Check out our complete installation instructions for an in depth walkthrough of installing the soundproof window inserts. Keep in mind that for a skylight, you’ll also need a ladder. Our skylight inserts come with an additional swivel clip in order to keep them in place because . . . you know . . . gravity.

Sealing the perimeter of the skylight and using our Fantastic Frame™ window inserts is by far the best approach to soundproofing an existing skylight, but there is an alternative. We've already said it; windows are the weak point in any construction. So . . . what if you removed it? While most people are here because they want to make their skylight soundproof, it's possible you don't even care to have it at all. Maybe you bought a house that had it, but it was never on your wishlist.

If you go this route, we highly recommend vetting for a competent roofer to close up the opening and patch the roof. Once you install insulation and drywall on the underside, the giant hole in your ceiling will be closed! This option is particularly attractive if the skylight is having issues with leaking or if you need to redo the roof anyways.