You go to the cottage because you want a strong connection with the outside,” says Christine Lolley, principal and co-founder of Solares Architecture in Toronto, who has a cottage on Kahshe Lake, Ont. Or, to put it a different way: nobody wants to go to their cottage to sit in a dark room.
Adding a skylight is a way to bring some of the beauty of nature inside. But there’s a lot to consider in making the investment worthwhile. Where’s the best place to put it? Should it open to let the fresh air in, or is that too risky if it rains? And is a skylight something you might be able to install yourself?
We break down what you need to know about adding a window to the sky into your home away from home.
Photo by Chris Daniele
Why get a skylight?
More lighting. The main and most obvious benefit of a skylight is that it adds light to a room. Adding natural light reduces your need for artificial light, which will bring down your electricity bill. Just how much will depend on where your skylight is located and how big it is, but if you consider it costs about $100 to power a 100-watt incandescent light bulb for a year, if your skylight can reduce even a percentage of that, you’ll see savings over time. But it’s not just the energy savings that make it worthwhile. The light you get from a skylight is brighter and more pleasant than artificial light and can even be brighter than what you get from a window, especially midday, says Paige Groomes, the owner and principal designer at Paige Elizabeth Interiors in Muskoka. ”Obviously, around here we have a lot of tree coverage, and some people’s cottages are generally more shaded than others. Skylights can help mitigate that,” she says.
Efficient ventilation and heating. Skylights are more energy efficient than they used to be. “Like window units, you can get double- and triple-paned skylights now,” says Melodie Coneybeare, an architect who works with Lolley at Solares Architecture, which specializes in energy-efficient buildings and sustainable design.
Of course, “no skylight or window is going to get even close to the performance of a well-insulated and airtight wall,” says Lolley. Plus, skylights, especially if they face south, can add heat to your cottage—not something most people are looking for in the summer months.
“If you have too many skylights, that can lead to overheating. Sometimes you see these sunrooms that are windows on three sides, and then they have six skylights down each side of the roof,” says Lolley. “And then it’s like a greenhouse effect. It’s overkill.”
Those caveats aside, a strategically placed venting skylight can help with proper heating and cooling of your cottage. “Heat rises,” says Lolley, “and it pools at the uppermost area of a building. As the heat rises, it pulls more air in with it from any open windows. So when you have the ability to release that super hot air at the top of the building, you can just keep pulling more air in, and you get really great cross-ventilation.”
And while that south-facing skylight may add warmth to a cottage in the summer, it can also help heat your property during the winter months and have the potential to greatly cut down on heating bills, says Groomes.
According to the U.S. Department of Energy, in order to optimize heat gain in the winter but minimize it in the summer, you want the skylight to sit at a slope equal to your geographical latitude plus five to 15 degrees. Of course, if you’re installing the skylight into an existing structure, your roof’s slope isn’t changeable—but keep in mind that a low slope will let in more heat in the summer and less in the winter, which is exactly the opposite of what you want.
That said, you can help minimize heat gain—at least somewhat—by keeping the skylight on the smaller side, or by getting a blind for the skylight; adding blinds to skylights will block some of the sun’s heat, but not all of it.
Which skylight is right for you?
Skylight technology has improved over the years—the acrylic domed skylights of the past have been replaced by newer models that are not only more energy efficient, they’re also far more leak proof.
Types of skylights
There are three main types of skylights: venting or fixed (which are just fancy words for skylights that open and skylights that don’t) and tubular.
A venting skylight (i.e. one that opens) allows air flow through your cottage. While having an open hole on your roof may seem risky—how many times have you left your cottage windows open only to have a huge downpour move in?—skylights these days can be fitted with rain sensors that automatically close the windows when rain starts. These skylights also have a battery backup in case the power goes out. Lolley is a proponent of venting skylights, saying the benefit is worth the risk.
That said, Damien Stokholm, the owner of Stokholm Building Company in Bracebridge, Ont., says he’d hesitate to recommend a skylight that opens. “You’re asking a lot of that gasket,” he says. (The gasket is the rubber piece that runs around the frame and that becomes compacted when you close the skylight.) It’s going to deteriorate over time, which increases the likelihood for leaks, he explains. If the gasket has started to deteriorate from the elements and wear and tear, then it’s more likely to let in pooling water. “I would only do it on a fairly steep roof,” says Stokholm; the water can run down and around the skylight rather than pooling on it.
Some skylight manufacturers offer a leak-proof guarantee—and that applies to both venting and non-venting skylights. “The way that we produce our skylight, there’s very little difference between a fixed and venting skylight in the engineering of the product itself,” says Mark Taylor, the national sales manager of skylight manufacturer Velux Canada. “With our water-shedding system, if water gets into certain areas, it’s designed to get out.”
Not all skylights are created equal. If you’re risk averse, a fixed skylight might be a good choice. Bonus: they’re less expensive than venting skylights and you don’t need to run any electrical.
Type of installation
Skylights can either be deck-mounted or curb-mounted. “In a deck-mount, the frame is basically attached to the roof,” says Jody Johnson, the owner of Roofing for Less in Orillia, Ont. “With a curb-mounted skylight, a box is built on the roof around the opening, and then the frame of the glass is attached to the curb. So it sits a bit higher off the roof.”
The slope of your roof can help determine which type of installation works best for you. A curb-mounted style, for example, works for flat roofs (as long as they’re tilted slightly, so the water drains off) and for slopes of up to roughly 50 degrees. Deck-mounts, on the other hand, work for slopes of about 15 to 85 degrees, explains Taylor. Deck-mounted skylights are also more energy-efficient, since they sit snug against the roof and don’t allow as much heat to escape.
Traditional rectangular options
Size
In general, if a room has several windows, a skylight should be about five per cent of the area of the floor. If there is currently little to no natural light coming in, the skylight should be about 15 per cent of the floor area. You can use one or several skylights to make up this area. Bottom line? The bigger the room, the more light that you want, and the more skylights that you’ll need.
If you take a quick look at a home building store or a skylight manufacturer’s website, you may get overwhelmed by all the skylight sizes available. In reality, if you’re installing a skylight into an existing cottage, you’re limited by how your roof is constructed. If your roof is built with rafters, the skylight needs to fit in the space between them. If your roof is built with trusses, you often have a bit more width to play with, but you’re still bound by the distance between the trusses, says Johnson.
It is possible to cut into your existing structure and remove a truss or rafter—but that makes skylight installation a much more complicated job. “If you’re doing a pretty big renovation, it might make sense,” says Stokholm. “But we’re talking about ripping the ceiling out, and ripping a portion of the roof out completely. And then reframing the roof. So it’s not minor at all.” (You can buy custom-made skylights, although they cost more, says Johnson.)
You may also need a permit. “This is why many people opt for tubular skylights a.k.a. sun tunnels instead of skylights,” says Johnson. (See “Tubular Skylights.”) If you’re putting a skylight into a new build, your roof structure can be built to accommodate your chosen skylight, and you have more options for size.
Location
Skylights are an obvious addition in a spot that you might not have windows, such as hallways and bathrooms, says Groomes. Putting the window on the ceiling “gives you natural light without having to affect any privacy needs in the bathroom or any area that you might have an issue with privacy.”
Stokholm will sometimes install a skylight after the addition of a screened-in porch. “We’re often doing screened rooms off the front of the cottage, and it can make your living room a little bit dark,” he explains. “The skylight brings a lot more light into the interior living space.”
Add-ons
If you’re opting for a venting skylight, you have a few options for how it will open.
Early venting skylights needed a person to crank them open with a long rod; these days, skylights open automatically, either because they’re hardwired into your home’s electrical system or because they’re solar-powered. These automatic skylights can often be controlled by a remote control, a switch, or a smartphone app. “People can already let some fresh air into the cottage while they’re on the way up,” says Taylor, adding that the sensor system will stop the skylight from opening if it happens to be raining in cottage country at that time.
Skylights can also be fitted with blinds, which can be operated manually or electrically. Natural light is great—just not necessarily early in the morning when you’re trying to sleep. Blinds can also help with temperature control.
Tubular skylights
If adding a skylight to your cottage isn’t feasible because of space or cost, consider a sun tunnel or a tubular skylight. A sun tunnel is a tube that pokes up a few inches past the roof and is capped by a clear plastic dome.
The tube descends through your ceiling—bending if needed— and the light gets reflected through the tube into the room you want the light in. “On the inside, it looks like a flat LED light on your ceiling,” says Johnson.
“They’re much easier to connect to your roofing membrane, and they have fewer risks from problems, such as ice damming and water leakage,” says Lolley, because the part that sits on the top of the roof is a small dome, a shape that more easily allows water to roll off and away from it.
Tubular skylights come with options, such as a blind inside that allows you to “turn off” the light or an interior light bulb for nighttime.
Skylights from scratch
You’re limited to where a skylight can go as a retrofit, but when it’s a new build, you can put it anywhere, and builders will frame the roof accordingly. Well, almost anywhere. You still need to think about where to place the skylight to minimize ice damming—away from the eaves is better—and where to place it to get the most light benefit. Centering the skylight in the middle of the ceiling can be a mistake. Your roof is on an angle; the skylight may just light up the opposite wall instead of distributing the light evenly. Disappointing!
Installation and troubleshooting
Skylights have a reputation for leaking, and it’s not entirely unfounded. So what’s going on if you start to see water coming in around your skylight? There are a number of possible causes.
Condensation. “When people think that their skylights are leaking, it’s often condensation in the winter,” says Stokholm. “Warm, moist air is hitting the inside of the glass, and then it’s condensing, running down, and dripping.” Condensation can cause some damage to your drywall, and, in severe cases, can lead to mould. Stokholm recommends trying to keep the air moving with fans if this is an issue. If you notice condensation forming, keep any blinds on the skylight open to allow air to circulate. Keeping humidity levels low with a dehumidifier can also help.
Poor installation. Even the highest-end skylights are only as good as their installation, says Lolley. “Look for an installer who has a lot of experience, and make sure you use a reputable company. That’s fairly easy to do these days, with all kinds of online reviews.” (And don’t forget: you can always ask cottage neighbours for recommendations.) Still, ask your installer for a warranty, one that lasts at least a couple of seasons.
So—whether you hire an expert or DIY the job, what exactly is involved in proper installation? First, stripping the shingles around the area where the skylight is going to go and then putting down an ice and water shield—a waterproof membrane, says Stokholm.
Then, “when you install a skylight, you should direct all water and snow away from it,” says Lolley. This is achieved by installing a cricket, a triangle-shaped bevel on the roof that diverts precipitation. Adding a skylight is “putting a big rectangular box on top of your roof,” says Lolley. “The edge that’s closest to the peak is basically a little shelf. Without a cricket, snow will pile up on that shelf and eventually put strain on the skylight’s frame.”
You’ll need to purchase and install the proper flashing kit—the metal that goes around the base of the skylight. “They make flashing kits for all roofing types—shingle, steel—and you have to order the correct one,” says Johnson.
Finally, it’s important to insulate the attic space around the skylight to help prevent ice damming, says Stokholm.
Ice damming. Ice damming occurs when the snow on top of your skylight melts and then hits your cold roof, freezing and turning into a buildup of ice. “When ice expands, it can actually lift elements of an installation, such as the flashing, allowing water to enter your cottage,” says Lolley.
Ice damming is less likely on a steep roof, as the water is less likely to pool when it melts and freezes around the skylight, says Stokholm. The type of skylight affects the chance of ice damming too, says Taylor. More energy-efficient skylights don’t conduct as much heat, and the snow doesn’t melt as readily, he explains. “That’s why we often don’t recommend curb-mounted skylights in environments where there’s snow that sits on the roof. The heat from the room rises, gets trapped above the roof deck level, and bleeds through the two-by-six frame that sits on the roof, causing snow melt,” says Taylor.
Ice damming is less of a risk with a well-ventilated roof. Still, the best way to monitor it and prevent damage is to keep an eye on your roof during the winter. Use a pair of binoculars—don’t climb up there—and check for ice. If you see some piling up, contact a professional who can remove it.
Better yet, get ahead of the ice. If you’re able to do so safely—using a roof rake, for example—remove snow that’s piling up on the skylight. Just be careful not to damage the flashing around the unit, warns Taylor. Another option is to install heat lines below the skylight, says Stokholm, “just make sure that the melted snow and ice can always run down.”
How to care for your skylight
Skylights are designed for the elements and don’t require much in the way of regular maintenance, but it’s a good idea to, in the fall, clear leaves and pine needles from the flashing, says Mark Taylor. Some skylight makers suggest washing them inside and out, like any window, at least once a year. But who wants to wash windows at the cottage? Or ever—especially if it involves a ladder and a harness?
Don’t forget the red tape!
Do you need a permit to install a skylight? Short answer, PART 1, it depends on the project. Short answer, PART 2, check with your building department. Regulations and bylaws can vary between provinces and between municipalities.
To go pro or not?
Do you need to hire a professional to install a skylight? That really depends on your own abilities, says Johnson. If you regularly use a saw, frame, insulate, patch drywall, perform roof work (laying waterproof membrane, installing flashing, and shingling), then you may have the skills to install one yourself.
That said, “I would say that this is an advanced project,” says Stokholm. “There’s a lot of little gotchas along the way that could cause significant damage later.” You could use the wrong installation tape, reverse the flashing, or get the angle wrong.
The reshingling isn’t necessarily a walk in the park either. “You might be up for shingling your small cabin, but are you up for weaving new shingles into old shingles?” says Stokholm.
Sun tunnels may appear easier to install, but there are still a lot of steps. “You’ll need to cut a hole in your roof, you need to seal that up, you need to assemble this reflective pipe through your roof cavity, maybe push some insulation out of the way, and then cut a hole through the ceiling, repair, and seal that,” says Lolley. In other words, it’s not a job for the faint of heart.
Show me the money
Costs to install skylights or sun tunnels vary greatly based on your cottage and the product you are installing. Skylights themselves range from $250 for a small, fixed unit to a couple thousand for a solar-paneled, venting skylight. Size, energy-efficiency of the glass, and features (rain sensors, for example) all influence price.
The cost of installation varies too. Johnson estimates cutting in a new skylight with no modifications to the rafters or trusses would cost around $1,400 to $1,800. If you needed to cut into the structure, the cost would be approximately $2,500 to $5,000, depending on size and engineering and permit requirements. A sun tunnel would cost around $1,000 to $2,000. And, no surprise: custom skylights and installations in remote areas will increase the total price tag.
If you’re still on the fence about adding a skylight, new technology in the form of LED artificial skylights may be an attractive alternative. But if you’re ready to reach for the stars, good! The right skylight, in the right place, installed correctly can add light and beauty to your cottage for years to come. Things are looking up.
Claire Gagné is a Toronto-based writer, editor, and content creator. This is her first feature story for Cottage Life.
This story originally appeared in our Sept/Oct ’23 issue.
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