The lifespan of a tubular daylighting system starts with the right roof flashing

However, one of the most critical components is often overlooked: the roof flashing and roof curb.

This part of the system is exposed 24 hours a day to rain, wind, snow, UV radiation and constant temperature changes. The materials used and the way the flashing is manufactured have a significant impact on the lifespan of the entire daylighting system.

More than 30 years of practical experience

For more than 30 years, Techcomlight has supplied and installed thousands of tubular daylighting systems throughout the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, Germany, Poland, the United Kingdom and Ireland.

That experience has taught us an important lesson: whenever we discovered a better solution, we improved our designs.

Our philosophy has always been straightforward:

We don't choose the cheapest solution—we choose the solution that performs reliably for decades.

Over thirty years ago, our first flat roof curbs were manufactured from powder-coated steel.

Although this was common practice at the time, experience showed that a small percentage could develop corrosion during their service life. Minor damage to the protective coating during manufacturing or installation could eventually allow moisture to reach the steel.

Based on these findings, we moved to aluminium roof curbs.

Even within aluminium, there are significant differences in quality. Some roof curbs are welded together, while others are manufactured from a single seamless piece.

Our preference is always a seamless formed aluminium roof curb.

Every weld is theoretically a potential weak point. While a high-quality weld can last for many years, eliminating welds altogether removes that potential risk entirely.

Our earliest roof flashings for tiled and slate roofs were also manufactured from coated metal.

Over time we found that forming these flashings could occasionally damage the protective coating, which could affect long-term durability.

Today we use a high-quality lead replacement flashing.

This material is easy to dress around roof tiles and slate while offering excellent resistance to the weather conditions experienced throughout the UK and Europe.

We also introduced another important improvement.

Where many roof flashings traditionally relied heavily on sealants, our current systems use a mechanically pressed construction wherever possible. This significantly reduces dependence on sealant joints for waterproofing.

This improvement was introduced following practical experience, where ageing or deteriorated sealants were sometimes responsible for water ingress after many years.

Corrugated roofs require a different approach.

Rather than replacing an entire roofing sheet, we normally retain the existing roof sheet and reinforce the area locally before installing the flashing.

Our experience has shown that replacing complete sheets on older buildings can introduce unnecessary stresses into the roof structure due to differences in movement, ageing and thermal expansion.

By designing the flashing to integrate with the existing roof profile, we maintain reliable drainage while minimising disruption to the roof.

Over the years we have also tested several solutions for insulated sandwich panel roofs.

Plastic roof flashings proved less suitable where roofs are exposed to prolonged high temperatures.

Metal flashings offer excellent strength but naturally conduct more heat.

For this reason, our preferred solution has become a polyester roof flashing.

Although more labour-intensive to manufacture, polyester combines excellent durability with long-term resistance to the demanding conditions found on industrial roofs.

No two roofs are identical.

That is why we believe manufacturers should not offer a single standard flashing for every project.

Instead, the roof construction, insulation build-up, airtightness requirements and building design should all be considered before selecting the most appropriate solution.

In some projects, restoring the vapour control layer is equally important. For these applications, specialist solutions such as prefabricated insulated roof curbs or Curb Cap systems can provide additional performance.

The correct choice depends on the individual building rather than a one-size-fits-all approach.

A high-quality tubular daylighting system is about much more than daylight output.

Its long-term performance begins with a roof flashing that has been engineered for the building, manufactured from durable materials and designed to withstand decades of exposure to the elements.

At Techcomlight, we believe that investing in the right roof flashing today means fewer maintenance issues, greater reliability and a significantly longer service life for the entire daylighting system.

Because true quality is measured not only by the amount of daylight a system delivers—but by how well it continues to perform year after year.