LET THERE BE SKYLIGHT

Image Gallery The trickiest port of installing the skylight it to make it completely waterproof. A heavy plastic wrap will do nicely, but make certain that no moisture can sneak between the frame and the roofing.

By Flip Heilig

Build and Install a Skylight for Under $10

IN MY TRAVELS IN AND AROUND OUR new home state of New Hampshire, I've noticed a growing number of skylights and sky windows. And why not? There are so many advantages to these skylights that I'm sure everyone would or should want one or two. Aside from the romantic aspects of watching the rain or snow fall at night with the stars glowing, skylights cut down on your use of electricity (in our case, kerosene) and will help heat your home on sunny days.

When I found that most of these molded-plastic. bubble-type openings cost upwards of $200, I promptly swallowed my gum and decided to make one of my own design. Too hard for you? Well, I'm not a very talented person in this department, but with a sunny afternoon and a little research at the dump, these portholes in the roof proved to be quite simple to add to a new or already existing structure. And let's face it, any home improvement that can actually be done by the homeowner is an invaluable source of self esteem, and accomplishing it for almost nothing can only add to that good feeling.

First gather all the materials (most of which can be scrounged for free) and tools necessary for the job. The building process will only take about two hours.

Materials Needed

Old window (from a dump or demolition company)
1" x 4" board cut to the length you need (this is determined by adding 2" on all
sides of your window and measuring)
2" x 6" board the appropriate length for a window casing
1" x 2" board to support the window in the casing on all sides
1" x 6" or 1" x 8" board the length of your window
1 quart roofing tar and a suitable paint brush
4 pieces of lath
1 piece of 6 mil clear plastic at least 10 inches larger than window on either side
1 pound each eight- and tenpenny common nails
1 box small staples
Scrap roofing (about 2 yards)