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How To Install A Skylight

How To Install A Skylight

Installing a skylight in your home is a quick and easy home improvement that makes a significant impact. A skylight brings in natural light, creating a more spacious feel, while also enhancing the aesthetics and improving energy efficiency.

Unlike many other types of home improvement, skylights can be installed by anyone with a good level of DIY skills. By following the steps outlined in this guide, you could soon have a stunning skylight installed to upgrade your property, without the costs of hiring a professional. We also cover the typical costs if you opt to hire a contractor to complete the job.

Take a look at our range of high-quality rooflights to choose the perfect one for your home.

A guide to installing a skylight yourself

If you are considering installing a skylight yourself, there are a few factors to consider before you get started. Firstly, your rooflight design choice will impact the installation difficulty. Flat, fixed rooflights are the easiest to install. Installing rooflights into pitched roofs requires angled cuts into the roof and there may also be rafters in pitched roofs that you may need to cut and reinforce.  

Installing an opening rooflight is also more complicated than a non-opening design, so if you want to keep your project as simple as possible, a fixed, flat rooflight will be the most straightforward type of installation.

You have several options when it comes to additional features, for example, you can select a rooflight with integral blinds and there are different glass types, including privacy glass.

Once you have selected your skylight, you will require the following items for the installation work:

  • Circular saw

  • Utility knife

  • Screwdriver or drill

  • Measuring tape

  • Hammer and nails or roofing nailer

  • Safety gear including goggles and gloves

  • Roofing sealant

  • Roofing adhesive and flashing kit

Watch our installation video to see the steps involved, which are:

  • Measure and cut the opening in the roof 

  • Build the upstand

  • Weatherproof the upstand

  • Add a layer of sealant

  • Lower rooflight into the upstand

  • Pre drill holes evenly around the rooflight

  • Secure with screws

The cost of installing your rooflight will vary depending on the design you select. A single flat frameless skylight costs as low as £165 ex. VAT for a 500x500mm, while a very large skylight with dimensions of 1000x2500mm costs around £807 ex. VAT.  You can read more about the factors affecting the costs of skylight installation in our guide.

Hiring a contractor to install your skylight

Many people prefer to hire a contractor to install their skylight, which will be the more suitable option if you are not confident that you have the required level of DIY skills. Hiring a contractor will give you peace of mind that the work has been completed to a professional standard. Labour costs are generally quite reasonable too, as installation of one flat, fixed rooflight should take no more than a few hours.

The average day rate of a rooflight installer is between £150 and £200, so the cost for a straightforward installation will be quite affordable. If there are additional costs for scaffolding, structural alterations or planning permission, costs will be higher. However, most rooflights don’t require planning permission or scaffolding for installation.

Roof type considerations

How hard it is to install a skylight largely depends on the type of roof you want to install the rooflight into. As mentioned, it is easier to install a skylight in a flat roof, as you don’t have the complication of rafters or cutting at an angle. However, a professional installer will be able to handle all the requirements for installing into a pitched roof.

The other factor that will increase the installation difficulty is the roofing material. You will need to have the right tools for cutting through the roof material. 

To install a skylight in a metal roof, a circular saw will be the most suitable tool. If you want to install a skylight on a shingle roof, you can usually cut the shingle using a roofing blade or utility knife. To install a skylight on a tile roof, thinner tiles can be cut with tile cutters, while thicker tiles may require an angle grinder or circular saw.

The installation guide video should have given you an idea of how hard it is to install a rooflight and whether it is a job you can do yourself. At Rooflights and Skylights UK, our team can help you to choose the best skylight design to complement your property. We have a wide range of rooflights, skylights and roof lanterns to enhance your home. 

Get an online quote and choose from our great additional features to create the ideal skylight to elevate your home.

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