Skylights

[Chris Padilla]

So moving on with the living room remodel in our home, we are going to get 3 Velux Skylights for our vaulted ceiling.

Our rafters are 24" on center and we are spacing the skylights out on every other rafter bay.

Roof is a 3:12, 15-degree pitch.

Anyway, they want $650 each to install each skylight. Just curious what the collective here thinks about that. I'm having a new roof installed as well and may see what the roofing company wants to install 'em for me or I think I may just do the darn things myself. They don't appear that difficult to do.

Cheers

[Jim Becker]

The "roof intersection" is critical relative to making your skylights as leak-resistant as possible...talk to the roofers even if you plan on doing the interior work. Let them physically install the skylights as part of the job. IMHO, of course.

[David G Baker]

What Jim said.

[Peter Lyon]

If you get the flashing kit with the skylights, installing them is not too difficult (assuming you understand the basics of how to roof and flash). IMHO, the real challenge is the interior mudding and texturing to seamlessly blend it in after you've framed the interior opening (assuming a flat ceiling). This is not only messy, it's hard to make it not look like an afterthought.

[Mike Cutler]

So moving on with the living room remodel in our home, we are going to get 3 Velux Skylights for our vaulted ceiling.

Our rafters are 24" on center and we are spacing the skylights out on every other rafter bay.

Roof is a 3:12, 15-degree pitch.

Anyway, they want $650 each to install each skylight. Just curious what the collective here thinks about that. I'm having a new roof installed as well and may see what the roofing company wants to install 'em for me or I think I may just do the darn things myself. They don't appear that difficult to do.

Cheers

They are not hard to install Chris, but they do require some forethought.
In your case it sounds as if the skylights will fit between roof rafters and joists. Is this correct?
If so there are a lot of things you don't have to worry about. Frame in the rough openening, install per Velux directions and make sure that you get the correct flashing kit for your roof pitch. There is more than one kit. 3:12 is not a very steep pitch.
If you are going to redo the roof anyway, wait to to install the flashing, or the roofer will just have to take it off. In fact there is a "Water & Ice" underlayment that has to be laid in a very specific manner. You may want to coordinate both activities with the roofing company.
I don't know if I would have the roofers install the window,and do the rough work. They may not have that skillset, or experience.
It's really not a hard job.

[Andy Hoyt]

Mike is right about the flashing kit and a 3/12 pitch, which is rather shallow. Not sure what Velux calls 'em, but I'm pretty sure Andersen ferers to them as an Incline Curb Flashing kit.

The weakest part of your new roof will be where you're intentionally punching a bunch of big holes into it. Don't scrimp - be sure it's done right. And get the installer's home number in advance.

[Joe Mioux]

if it was me, and you need a new roof anyway. get a carpenter up there let them set the skylights. and the roofers do the roofing and any additional flashing. you can always do the finish and trim work on the inside.


btw, did you ever give smc a tour of your garage? if not......? how about a tour.

does anyone remember those famous curtains?

joe

[Greg Cole]

Me being umm... me. I'd install them with the kit rec'ed by the manufacturer. Then again, being me... I'd be the schmuck on the roof from start to finish. It's not the most difficult work 'round, but it's a whole bunch of umm...well.... "exercise". I did about 16 or so squares on my house last year in 2 days including stripping and clean up..... hindsight says that 3 days would have been more appropriate for time allotment. 6am to 8pm on a roof is a looooooong day, especially on day 2 .
FWIW, some of the tube style "skylights" are worth looking into as well. They provide alot of light without the huge hole in the roof deck and eventual water penetration issues. I've yet to see a skylight that hasn't been a problem eventually...... and installation of this style "skylight" can be done before new roof or 'bout as easily after new roof install.

Cheers,
Greg

[Chris Padilla]

These skylights come with a separate flashing kit that is supposed to make it pretty fool proof so I'm fairly certain I can handle it. 2 grand for install is a bit much, IMO.

The skylights will fit between the rafters since they are 24" OC so nothing will happen to the framework other than a 2x6s to box in the skylight between the rafters. I may need additional material to fill in space across the width of the skylight.

Since I have the interior walls pretty torn up (upgraded all my insulation since this room is rather cold in the winter and hot in the summer) and we plan to have the "popcorn" ceiling scraped, I'm not too worried about the interior finish work to blend the skylights in. I will hire that out (have a buddy) for sure.

The roofers said they can install skylights but suggested I may not like their price! haha I'll call them and ask them anyway just for a comparison.

Oh, I'm in the SF Bay Area of California...not too much ice to worry about!

Joe, them curtains are LONG gone and I haven't really done much of a tour lately as I've been off the SMC radar screen for a while...just busy with other stuff in my life but I could post a little ditty on my new roof and skylights when they are done! It could be interestin'!

[Brian Weick]

If that price of $650 includes the interior finishing than yes-not including the painting, if not it's a little high to me. Make sure what ever you do that you get the proper flashing kit with that velux unit, ice & water shield from the field up the curbs and you will be in good shape. You said you are getting a new roof installed- you may be better off going with one company, providing they know what there doing. If it were me, I would do these myself , plot out your cut outs from inside, use a 18" 1.2" spade bit drill up through the ceiling and the roof sheathing, cut out it all out, install your jack rafters,install the skylights to the roof sheathing , use Ice & water shield then all the roofing Co, has to do is flash the units with the flashing kit and what ever shingles you are using and have it over with along with saving yourself some money-.
My 2 cents
Brian

[Chris Padilla]

I should add that I currently have a wood shake roof and will be going to an asphalt shingle roof so that means they'll need to add plywood sheathing to the rafters since it is skip-sheathing right now.

If anyone cares to dig further, we are getting this Velux Skylight (3 of 'em):

FS-112 Skylight (fixed, deck-mounted skylight, low-e glass/laminated, ~21" x 71")
EDL Step Flashing to match above skylight and new asphalt shingled roof
Solar Battery Powered LightBlock Shade (no wiring!!)

[Chris Padilla]

If that price of $650 includes the interior finishing than yes-not including the painting, if not it's a little high to me. Make sure what ever you do that you get the proper flashing kit with that velux unit, ice & water shield from the field up the curbs and you will be in good shape. You said you are getting a new roof installed- you may be better off going with one company, providing they know what there doing. If it were me, I would do these myself , plot out your cut outs from inside, use a 18" 1.2" spade bit drill up through the ceiling and the roof sheathing, cut out it all out, install your jack rafters,install the skylights to the roof sheathing , use Ice & water shield then all the roofing Co, has to do is flash the units with the flashing kit and what ever shingles you are using and have it over with along with saving yourself some money-.
My 2 cents
Brian

The price include ZERO interior work. I'm fairly certain I'll install these myself so thanks everyone for your comments!

[Greg Cole]

Chris,
I'd definately do it myself for the price you were given.
the area I live in here in Kansas City is LOADED with shake roofs.... we're in a rather "windy" area to say the least and lighting storms abound. Never understood the "must have this roof in this neighborhood" considering that must have roof isn't very good in high winds (aka tornadoes) nevermind it being a bunch of tinder for lightning.... I think it's finally not legal for neighborhood associations to mandate shake roofing anymore....

BTW, the roofing on a flat pitch like yours is a PITA, DAMKHIT... especially for tall blokes like me at 6'3".. it's a long way down to that roof decking.

Greg

[Ken Garlock]

Hey Cris, how goes it.

If you need new sheathing, have them install the type that has one side of aluminum foil. (Foil side goes down.)

Good luck with the project.

[Jim Becker]

Chris, you need to wait to install the skylights until the new sheathing is in place. If you want to do the skylight install, then work it out with your roofer such that you have the time to do so between when they rip off the old roof and put down the plywood and when they lay the shingles. You may want to arrange for some temporary tar paper at first that they replace with the good stuff, such as the self-stick membrane and heavy paper. This way, you have some protection from rain while you do the carpentry in your copious free time. My roofers and framers handled things this way for some of the roof on the addition due to time frames. A few rolls of thinner paper gave some weather protection between the sheathing going on and the final roof getting laid.