About the Butler Skylight — MR-24 Lite Panel
The Butler Lite-Panl™ is the genuine Butler skylight for MR-24 standing seam roofs. It’s a translucent fiberglass-reinforced polyester (FRP) panel formed to the exact MR-24 profile, so it slots into the roof in place of a standard steel panel and lets natural daylight into the building below. One panel covers the same 24-inch-wide drainage plane as the steel panel it replaces, with the same 2-inch standing seams locking it to the panels on either side.
The Lite-Panl is the current Butler factory skylight option for MR-24 roofs. Butler’s older patented daylighting product, the SunLite Strip® curbed acrylic system, is no longer listed in Butler Manufacturing’s active product catalog. If your building has a SunLite Strip unit that needs replacement, contact us — we can help you identify the right path forward.
Butler MR-24 Lite Panel Specifications
|
Spec |
Detail |
|
Width coverage |
24 inches (matches MR-24 panel) |
|
Profile |
Roll-formed to MR-24 standing seam profile, 2-inch major corrugations on 24-inch centers |
|
Material |
Fiberglass-reinforced polyester (FRP), translucent white |
|
UV protection |
Available — recommended for all exterior installations |
|
Compatibility |
Butler MR-24 and CMR-24 roof systems |
|
Average service life |
Approximately 10 years before yellowing or brittleness sets in |
|
Installation |
Seams into adjacent steel MR-24 panels using standard MR-24 seaming process |
|
Fall protection |
Safety screens recommended above or below per OSHA |
What to Know Before You Order
Lite-Panls don’t last as long as the steel roof around them. Fiberglass translucent panels are consumable. The steel MR-24 panels next to them can be 30+ years old and still in great shape, while the Lite-Panl has yellowed, cracked, or become brittle. If yours is failing, that’s normal — fiberglass simply doesn’t have the lifespan of finished steel.
Always order UV-protected. Non-UV panels fail dramatically faster. The small cost difference pays back many times over.
Order safety screens at the same time. OSHA classifies translucent roof panels as fall hazards. A fall-through screen installed above or below the Lite-Panl protects anyone walking the roof for HVAC service, inspections, or cleaning.
Replacement involves the seamer. Because the Lite-Panl seams into adjacent MR-24 panels with the same 360-degree double-lock seam, replacing one requires un-seaming the adjacent panels, swapping the Lite-Panl, and re-seaming with the Roof Runner® machine. This is not a one-person DIY job — plan for it like an MR-24 panel replacement.
What You’ll Need to Order
- Butler job number (preferred) — pulls the exact original panel spec from your building drawings.
- Length — match the surrounding MR-24 panel length.
- UV protection — yes or no (yes is the right answer almost every time).
- Quantity — count every Lite-Panl that needs replacement, not just the worst one. If one has reached end of life, the others installed at the same time are usually right behind it.
- Fall protection — add safety screens at the same time if not already installed.
Don’t have your job number or original spec? Send us a photo of your existing Lite-Panl from inside the building (showing the corrugation profile) and the length, and we’ll match it.
Butler Skylight FAQs
What is a Butler Lite-Panl? The Butler Lite-Panl is Butler Manufacturing’s fiberglass translucent roof panel — the genuine Butler skylight built to the exact MR-24 roof profile. It replaces one full-width MR-24 steel panel and lets daylight through.
Is the Butler SunLite Strip still available? The SunLite Strip® was Butler’s patented prismatic acrylic curbed daylighting system, heavily promoted from around 2010 through 2021. It is no longer listed in Butler Manufacturing’s current product catalog. If you have an existing SunLite Strip unit that needs replacement, contact us and we’ll help you identify the right replacement path.
Why has my Butler skylight turned yellow? That’s the standard end-of-life signal for a fiberglass Lite-Panl. UV exposure breaks down the resin over roughly a decade, causing yellowing, hazing, and eventual brittleness. The panel is no longer doing its job (transmitting light) and has become a fall risk. Replace it.
Can I just patch a cracked Lite-Panl? Short term, sealant or a patch may stop a leak. Long term, no — a cracked translucent panel is a fall-through hazard for anyone walking the roof, and the rest of the panel is usually past its service life too. Plan to replace it.
Are Butler Lite-Panls made for the Butlerib II roof too? Yes. The Butlerib II Roof Lite Panel is the through-fastened version of the same product, formed to the Butlerib II 1½-inch corrugation profile. Different panel — same idea.
Are there OSHA requirements for Butler skylights? OSHA classifies any translucent roof panel as a fall hazard. Fall-through screens, guardrails, or covers are required when workers may be on the roof near the skylight. Order fall protection with your Lite-Panl if you don’t already have it.
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