Installing A Skylight
A skylight is a nice addition to any room, but if not installed properly then it can easily become a very expensive headache. With a skylight, you can receive the beauty of natural sunlight directly from your roof.
The care that you take while installing a skylight will reflect in a long useful life, making sure that the skylight serves its purpose for years to come.
Installing a skylight is not a very easy task and should be done by a professional. Installing a skylight by yourself is not recommended, not only because the quality of the job might be less than satisfactory, but also because you might hurt yourself or cause an accident in the process.
Nevertheless, it’s a good idea to understand the basic methodology for installing a skylight. This will let you give better instructions to the person that’s installing it, as well as answer better to any questions or suggestions he might have.
There are the most common steps that are followed when installing a skylight:
Step 1: Planning: Before installing a skylight, plan out where you want it to be installed. This part also includes calculating the skylight's size as well as getting an idea of the desired result. Consider that some light will be lost in the shaft, specially with tubular skylights.
Step 2: Placement: The roof has to be marked according to the size and location of the skylight you want to install. The four corners and the center of the proposed skylight location have to be marked. The best way to do this is by drilling a small hole at each corner to mark the exact location of the skylight on the roof's surface.
Step 3: Cutting the roof: The saw has to be adjusted so that the blade cuts through the roofing material and the sheathing but not into the rafters. The ceiling wall and other insulation have to be removed carefully.
Step 4: Installing the shaft: Holes have to be made on the roof to adjust the skylight frame properly. If needed, a shaft should be installed too. This will connect the roof to the ceiling.
Step 5: Place and secure the skylight: This is the last and most important step in installing a skylight. After the skylight has been placed, it has to be aligned with the opening on the ceiling. After the screws and edges are installed, cement has to be applied in order to make a smooth surface.
As mentioned before, this information is purely for reference. Always use the services of a professional when installing a skylight.