How to Put in a Roof Window

A skylight is an excellent addition to any home. It shines sunlight into the principal rooms and lets in more fresh air, some even open. We’ll go over the fundamentals of putting up a pre-framed skylight, which will improve the aesthetics and practicality of your home. A skylight may let in three times as much light as a window of the same size, making even a small attic or room feel more airy. A shaft cut through the attic’s ceiling can also illuminate a home’s lower levels. DIYers with intermediate to advanced carpentry skills will have an easier time installing the conventional skylight unit because the frames come pre-attached. The sides and headers are manufactured to fit between regular rafters so that you can reuse the building’s existing framework. Roof opening preparation and completion may necessitate the services of a professional roofing contractor if your roof is made of metal, slate, or tile. In North America, asphalt shingles are used on eighty percent of all roofs. If your roof is made of asphalt shingles, you should be able to cut out the hole and seal it up on your own. Okay, so let’s begin.

Creating A Mark For The Saw To Cut Through.

Ensure the rafters are exposed, and then measure out 3 inches beyond the upper and bottom rafter edges to designate the four corners of the aperture for the skylight. Measure the distances diagonally between the four corners to ensure a square gap. Draw lines at right angles up the rafters’ sides to the roof sheathing from the corner marks using a rafter square or combination square. Each corner should have a large nail driven through it, and then the shingles and felt should be taken off the roof to expose a minimum of 16 inches on all sides of the aperture. To locate the inside borders of the rafters in an attic or other room with a finished ceiling, a pilot hole can be drilled through the top. Mark the rafters between the four corners and remove the ceiling. Compare the dimensions of your skylight to the rough opening’s four corners on the roof. The skylight’s frame needs around 1/4 inch of clearance on each side and 3 inches on either end to sit flush within your markings.

Truss Headers and Joist Hangers.

Put a joist hanger that is 3 inches wide at each corner of the hole and secure it with nails or screws. Hanger’s bottom must be flush with the rafter’s bottom, and the U’s outer edge must be flush with the line drawn to the corner hole. Get the dimensions of the hole and cut four headers to fit. Insert a hanger into a header and secure the assembly to the trimmed rafters with screws. Then, stagger the placement of the screws used to attach the second header to the first header. Attach the joist hangers’ flanges to the double headers with screws.

Positioning The Moonlight.

Sheathing with a width of 3 inches should be nailed or screwed over the tops of the headers to achieve a flat roof. Nail 5-inch-wide strips of felt over the titles, allowing them to overlap the previous thought by a few inches. The lower shingles can be replaced after the skylight opening has been prepared. Skylights should be installed so that their bottom flanges rest immediately on top of the new shingles while their top and side flanges rest on the felt borders. Roof nails should be driven into the top flange at a spacing of 12 inches. Replace the roofing over the top and side flanges and secure the sides with cleats. Nails should extend past the flashing when installed.

Completion Methods.

Attach the skylight’s wooden frame to the ceiling’s joists and beams with finishing nails. Drywall should be used to complete the interior of a roof. Apply drywall over the headers and finish the edges with corner beads or wood trims.

Adding a skylight to your roof is a gratifying and cost-saving project that can also improve the aesthetics of your home. If you’re not confident in your roofing abilities, it’s best to employ a local expert to help you out. God bless you and open the windows!

With 15 years of expertise, Eric Lamar is a licensed home improvement contractor serving the greater New York City area. Since its founding in 2008, his 96 Pro Contractors firm has become an industry leader in every facet of residential renovation. To learn more about our home remodeling services, please visit.

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