Installing Skylights III Part 3 of 3

By Mark Clement Parts 1 and 2 focused on laying out, cutting, then preparing the hole. Part 3 will wrap things up by getting the frame, glass, and flashing installed properly so that the unit looks good from the inside and, more important, doesn't let in any weather from the outside. Install the skylight frame and glass With one person working from inside the house and one working on the roof, pass the skylight frame through the opening. Figure 1 Frame. Set the skylight in position on the roof deck. Double check that the unit is centered in the opening; this is the key to easy trim later. Fasten through the brackets to the roof deck with supplied nails. (Figure 1) Then, working from the bottom up, wrap the side of the frame with membrane. I added "patches" to cover the corners where the paper had been cut. Figure 2 Tool Tip: You need your hammer a lot installing while tacking in step flashing pieces, but you're standing (or sitting) in a weird position to reach into your tool pouch a million times. It's possible, if not likely, you'll drop your hammer, either off the roof or maybe onto the glass (cringe!). To divert that impending train wreck, I made a little shelf with my flat bar so I could keep the hammer safely within arm's reach at all times. This also speeded things up considerably without adding any risk to the precious glass. (Figure 2) Glass. Pass the glass carefully through the opening, then re-install it in the opposite order you removed it before installation. Make sure the chain is reconnected securely and that the glass itself is locked in place. (Figures 3, 4 and 5) Figure 3 Figure 4 Figure 5 Install the Flashing Kit The flashing kit for the VS606 is Velux's EDL+, and it works with shingles or shakes. Start by installing the sill flashing, then work your way up, weaving in the step flashing with each shingle course (Figure 6). Then re-install the flashing package stripped from the glass previously (Figure 7). Finish off with the head flashing. Figure 6 Figure 7 It's key to get the head flashing under all the layers of shingles above the skylight opening, or you will have a leak for sure. Working it under all those shingles and asphalt paper is tricky but doable. Carefully pry up the shingles and nails with a flat bar, and slide the head flashing underneath. Technique Tip: The screws from the flashing package are aluminum and don't stick to magnetic driver bit holders. Consequently several of the screws supplied to me are waiting 30 feet below in the yard with the needle in the haystack. I used 3/8-inch lath screws as replacements and sealed the tops of them with roof cement to prevent leaks and corrosion. Shingles. This process can be tough on shingles. Have a tube of roof cement ready to roll for any quick repairs. Test If you're going to have a leak, it's best to know about it before you take the ladders down. I grabbed a garden hose and absolutely full-blast drowned each window for five minutes before coming down from the roof. Not a drop got through, and after multiple driving rainstorms and nor'easters, the interiors are still dry as a bone. Figure 8 Interior Trim Trim on these units was a simple yet site-specific matter of wrapping the space between the skylight frame and the existing framing with a 1x1 (3/4" x 3/4" actual size) bead of solid pine, which I made on the table saw. This is a trick I've used trimming skylights I've installed in porches. They don't require a shaft, but they do need something to clean up the transition. This easy, site-made solution is no fuss, no muss. And it leaves my customer with the view she wants: to the light outside. (Figure 8) Moving Skylights: What Not To Do Here's one last bit of advice. I had a grand vision when I started this project: Rather than run up and down a ladder all day, I rented an articulating man-lift. With the press of a button I could maneuver myself — and each skylight — 45 feet in the air quickly, safely and easily. However (and this is a big however), site conditions need to be right in order for a piece of equipment that big to be operable. See, it had been raining and the ground was soft. The rental company delivered the unit and I walked through what I was going to do with it with the driver. He gave me tips and pointers which were helpful. What he didn't give me any pointers on was what to do when this behemoth — and and its two-wheel drive, I might add — sunk like a stone into the wet grass. After about eight hours and a lot of help, I was finally able to get the machine out of the mud. I came away with a couple of lessons (and a landscaping repair.) First, unless it has been bone dry for weeks, get a four-wheel drive model. They have bigger tires and, if they do get stuck (duh) they have four-wheel drive. Second, if the company from which you rent the machine can't determine which one is best for your site conditions, get the four-wheel drive unit. Mark Clement is a remodeler and author of The Carpenter's Notebook and The Kid's Carpenter's Workbook, Fun Family Projects! Find out more at www.TheCarpentersNotebook.com. RELATED ARTICLES: Installing Skylights I Installing Skylights II