Skylight Specialist Suggests Ways to Ensure Satisfaction

In the Mail: Jack Randall, president of Lighten-Up, 4747 Santa Lucia Drive, Woodland Hills 91364, takes issue with my advice on skylights in the June 30 column: “To suggest that the contractor was an ‘expert’ but people should listen to their own instincts was wrong. Most people would make the same mistake, because, as your inference suggests, they are no more ‘expert’ than the average contractor. The real experts are the contractors who install skylights every day and do nothing else, such as myself.

“I get these ‘it’s so hot’ calls twice a week in the summer, but to use Bristolite’s shade system (Dynalite) at $500 minimum is damned expensive heat control. The same effective heat control can be had with Levolor’s Skylighter Blind, strung on wire and made only for raked or horizontal applications, at about half the cost.

“(For) even less expensive (solutions try) a pair of cafe curtain rods with double hem stitched curtains to hang in the (skylight) well, or shade cloth stretched over a wooden frame, hinged just under the skylight. As for the bronze-lensed skylights, the lenses can easily be changed or a liner lens added to an existing skylight. There’s no need to replace the whole unit.

“There are many more tricks to control heat, but the main one is at the front end, which is to keep the skylight small to begin with, no more than 3% of the floor area of the room being lit by the skylight. Certainly not the 10% that the (building) code prescribes for windows.

“Through-(the)-attic installations should use the same small skylight, but flare the well out as it makes its transition through the attic to allow ample spread of light to the floor.

“Above all, you should advise your readers to deal only with experienced skylight installation specialists, not just any ‘expert’ contractor. The liability of cutting holes in people’s roofs, cutting out rafters and joists and bracing to make room for the wells, sealing and flashing to ensure a weathertight installation, these all can be added to heat gain as hazards to the homeowner that the average contractor is just not prepared to deal with.”

Also on the subject of skylights, Sharyn R. Masilotti of Bristol Fiberlite Industries, mentioned in the June 30 column, points out a misunderstanding that reached print on the subject of exterior shade systems.

“Actually there are several manufacturers who make excellent shade systems of this kind; while I’m not familiar with their specific products, I do know that the basic design concept has proven quite sound,” Masilotti wrote.