A tubular skylight collects sunlight on the roof and senses it into the room below. Uninstalled, a four-foot tubular skylight is about $450.00. If you need more than four-feet, you have to buy tube extension for about $35.00 of foot. Large tubular skylights can put out as much light as a dozen 100 watt light bulbs would give off 1/10 the heat.

Dark corners and family rooms, kitchens or bathrooms are the best spots for skylights. The light has the most dramatic affect. To install a tubular skylight, go up in the attic. In between the rafters, mark the center of the tubular skylight by tapping a nail through the roof. Then using a plumb line hang from that nail, mark the opposing center of the whole in the ceiling. A plumb line is a cord with the weight use to determine the vertical from a given point. Tap a nail into the ceiling at the mark you made.

From inside the house, find the nail in the ceiling, mark the circle and cut the whole. Insert and rotate the plastic plates in ceiling ring into place, making sure there is a tight fit between the ceiling ring and the ceiling. Back up on the roof, find the nail, mark the top bottom and sizes of the opening. Check the directions that came with your tubular skylight to make sure you’re drilling the correct size hole. Cut the opening, being very careful not to damage any of the rafters. Remove any roofing material. Apply mastic around the raft opening, put the flange in place on top of the mastic and secure the flange over the opening using the screws provided. Replace roofing material around the flange.

While you’re on the roof, install the pivot ring on the upper elbow and remove the protective film then drop it in place. Now, go back in the attic. Find out how long the straight tunnel section and lower elbow needs to be that connects the upper elbow in your roof with hole in your ceiling. Adjust the angle of both of the elbows if necessary. Remove of the film and put together the straight tunnel sections, connect them with the elbows. When you do this, make sure the top section is on the outside of the upper elbow. Make sure the bottom section is on the inside of the lower elbow. Do not cut any of the tunnel sections, instead overlap the sections more.

Once the entire assembly is in place, use the tape and screw supplied to secure the fit. Back on the roof, install the dome at the very top of the skylight with screws provided. Then, go inside the house and secure the tunnel to the ceiling ring with the screws provided. Install the diffuser with the frosted side face down. Make sure the diffuser is secure. Rotate the diffuser into lock position. Center the trim ring under the ceiling ring and snap the tabs in a position or you can align the tabs with the notches and then rotate to secure the ring.

Now, enjoy all the free light that your tubular skylight provides.