Skylights

Skylights provide natural light to interior areas that normally would receive a minimal amount of outside light. They connect people to the environment and can help save on energy bills by cutting down on the use of interior lights. Installing a skylight requires carpentry skills, confidence when working on the roof, and the willingness to cut a hole in your roof. Lay out a skylight from the bottom up – beginning at the ceiling, working up to the attic floor, and then finally up to the roof. You then install a skylight from the roof down – cutting the holes, putting in the skylight, framing the shaft, and then finally cutting the hole in the ceiling.

Mask off an outline for the skylight. Drive nails through the corners of the outline into the attic. Once you have decided on the location, and once you have market it on the roof, install the skylight. Then work your way back down- drop lines from the roof to the attic floor to lay out the bottom of the light shaft. Check to see whether the corners are still over the nails you drove through the masking tape outline. If not, drill holes from the attic down to mark the proper location, and cut away the ceiling. Frame the opening, and then build the light shaft above it.