Adding a skylight to a home offers many benefits. For starters, they allow more natural light to flow into your home in different ways and into different areas. For those smaller rooms or places that don’t have ways to the outside, a skylight would get that much-needed natural light to shine in.
Skylights also are an excellent design feature to add to any home.
If you’re thinking of installing a skylight, here’s what to expect for the installation process.
Cutting the Opening
You’ll need an opening in the roof to install a skylight. It’s best to outline the area you’ll be cutting to ensure you cut correctly. When you’re going through the roof, one wrong line could completely throw off how the installation will go.
To cut, you need to strip the shingles of where the skylight will go, and around it for when you’re working. Make sure to stay off the cutout though.
For that last cut, it’s best to have someone inside that is holding on to the piece. If it drops down, it could cause damage below. Having someone underneath will be able to lower the cutout down slowly.
Flash the Sill
Sheathing needs to be nailed around the perimeter of the opening. You’ll also need to lay self-adhesive membrane around the bottom edge, with about an inch being cut off to expose the sill.
Put in the Skylight
Another step that requires an additional person is when it’s time to put in the skylight. With one outside on the roof and the other inside, carefully lay the skylight where the cutout is. Rest it against the sill and slowly lower it onto the roof.
Seal the Sides
Sealing the sides is a crucial step that should not be missed. Adding sealing helps to keep the skylight tightly in place so that no air or water can seep through the edges.
Cover the bottom edges with a membrane that goes past the sides of the skylight. Slowly start to work your way around the rest of the skylight, ensuring that part of it is pressed against the roof.
Added Back Roofing Shingles
Nail roofing shingles back to the area of the skylight and over the membrane. After that, install a U-shaped sill flashing over the shingles, and slip it around the bottom edge of the skylight.
What to Watch For
When installing your skylight, make sure you’re using not just a high-quality skylight, but that you’re using high-quality products as well. Using too low of quality and your skylight could break and leak.
Watch where you place your skylight. It should be planned around the rafters of the roof. Also, you want to install it in an area that either brings in lots of sunlight or only a bit, depending on what you’re wanting.
Be very careful when installing a skylight. Make sure you go through the proper safety precautions to ensure you do not fall or have anything land on you. That is why it’s best to leave the installation process to the professionals.
