Skylight Restoration
Extending the Life of Commercial Skylights Through Expert Repair & Restoration
Project: 245 First St
Location: 245 First St, Cambridge, MA
Architect: William Sloan Associates
General Contractor: A&A Window Products
Major Supplier: Skyline Skylights
FEATURED PROJECT
245 First St.
A & A does targeted skylight restoration and repair for commercial and institutional buildings — addressing leaks, failed glazing, deteriorated seals, and aging framing systems before full replacement becomes necessary.
At 245 First Street in Cambridge, A&A Window Products installed two Skyline skylights above the building’s main lobby, creating a bright, welcoming entrance space enhanced by natural daylight. The overhead installation required careful planning and the use of specialized staging systems to safely execute the work at height while maintaining project efficiency.
A&A collaborated closely with key project partners, including Atlantic Fenestrations and Watertown Ironworks, to coordinate the installation and ensure seamless integration of the skylights into the building structure. The completed system provides both architectural impact and long-term performance, delivering abundant natural light while contributing to the modern aesthetic of the lobby.
Service Overview
Commercial skylights are complex building envelope components that combine structural framing, glazing systems, drainage, and weatherproofing into a single assembly. When any of these elements deteriorate — through sealant failure, frame corrosion, glass seal breakdown, or flashing conditions — the result is typically water infiltration, energy loss, and progressive damage to the surrounding building structure.
A & A Window Products restores and repairs commercial skylight systems for institutional, commercial, and public-use buildings across New England, bringing the same building envelope expertise we apply to curtain wall and window systems to the specialized demands of overhead glazing.
Scope of Capabilities
- Skylight leak investigation and water infiltration source identification
- Sealant and gasket removal and replacement
- Glazing replacement within existing skylight framing
- Frame repair and corrosion remediation
- Flashing repair and weatherproofing at skylight perimeter conditions
- Pressure bar and cap replacement
- Drainage system inspection and clearing
- Safety glazing upgrades within existing frames
- Full skylight system replacement where restoration is no longer practical
- Access planning and specialty rigging for roof-level work
Why A&A Window Products
Building Envelope Expertise Applied Overhead
Skylight systems fail for many of the same reasons curtain wall and storefront systems do — sealant breakdown, thermal movement, frame deterioration, and drainage failures. A & A's decades of building envelope experience give our team a diagnostic advantage when investigating skylight conditions that have resisted straightforward repair attempts.
Repair-First Approach
Full skylight replacement is expensive and disruptive. Our team evaluates each system honestly, recommending targeted repair and restoration where it can genuinely resolve the problem and extend system life — and advising replacement only when the condition of the framing, glazing, or drainage system makes restoration impractical.
Safe Access in Challenging Locations
Skylights are by definition difficult to access. A & A maintains aerial lift equipment and has experience planning safe access for roof-level and atrium glazing work in occupied commercial and institutional buildings.
Typical Applications
- Institutional and university buildings with aging atrium or roof skylight systems
- Museums and cultural institutions with specialty overhead glazing
- Commercial office buildings and lobbies
- Healthcare facilities with interior courtyard or atrium skylights
- Historic buildings with original or period skylight framing
- Public and civic facilities with large overhead glazing assemblies
Discuss Your Project
If your skylight system is leaking, showing signs of deterioration, or has been difficult to resolve through previous repair attempts, our team can help. A & A Window Products works with building owners, facilities directors, and architects to assess skylight conditions and develop practical restoration or replacement strategies.