How to Add a Skylight to your Home

Adding a skylight to your home is not only a good way to add value and beauty, but also as a way to save on the amount of electricity you use when lighting your home. Even on cloudy days, a skylight can let in enough light to illuminate a room, making your wall art and decorative wall vases that much more attractive. Plus, natural lighting is more pleasing and beneficial than artificial light. Adding a skylight to any room of a single story home or to any room on the top floor of a multi-story home can be fairly simple. Although this is not a project that some homeowners embark on themselves unless they feel comfortable with the necessary construction methods, finding a contractor who can install a skylight is an easy task. However, it is important to remember that in many cases, installing a skylight will require a building permit.

All text copyright Shanel. Photo from Flikr - "Skylight in the Loft" courtesy of philcampbell.

Deciding Where to Install the Skylight

If your home has a conventional roof frame, the rafters can generally be cut and then re-framed to add a skylight in almost any location. However, if your home has a truss roof frame, skylights need to be installed to fit between the existing rafters. It's also important to choose a location that is not blocked by other home systems, such as heating vents, electrical wires, heat and air conditioning units, or anything else that would have to be moved to make room for the skylight. Skylights make a nice addition to almost any living area, so any room in your home with proper roof access should be a good choice.

All text copyright Shanel. Photo from Flikr - "Bee Cottage loft" courtesy of pleasantpointinn.

Preparing to Install the Skylight

Once the location for the skylight has been determined, the position should be marked on the ceiling. Then the drywall can be removed from the area that has been marked, along with the insulation. If the home has a conventional roof frame, the joist can be cut and the ceiling opening framed with the same size of lumber used for the joists. The roof opening is generally also cut during this step in homes with a cathedral ceiling, since there isn't an attic overhead. Then, suspend a plumb bob so that you can determine where to cut the hole in the roof.

Except for cathedral ceilings and upstairs rooms in homes without an attic, a shaft is generally needed so that the light is directed from the hole that will be cut in the roof itself, down to the hole that has been cut in the ceiling. This shaft is generally framed with 2x4 lumber unless you can nail plywood from the rafters directly to the ceiling joist. This shaft is should be insulated and plastic sheeting is generally used as a vapor barrier in the shaft.

Installing the Skylight

Once the opening for the skylight has been created and prepared, the skylight can be installed. Installation methods will vary according to the skylight selected, so always follow the directions carefully to insure a good insulation. Improper installation of a skylight can result in water leakage problems, especially if care is not taken with the flashing.

All text copyright Shanel. Photo from Flikr - "The loft skylight" courtesy of rabble.