"Skylight" for standard 14"x14" roof hole (removed Air-con)

Post project writeups, ideas, DIY mods and off the shelf modifications and improvements. Also "Known Issues" and their resolutions.
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Scott
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Re: "Skylight" for standard 14"x14" roof hole (removed Air-c

Post by Scott »

Blue~Go wrote:Great to see your addition to this topic/thread - glad you joined in. It's good to have information for various year models, too.
Naturally we want to see photos :D Especially when you get your wood trim up!
I was going to take a couple shots yesterday, but the rain wouldn't stop!
On mine the hole was just about perfect for the 14" x 14" vent, but I probably just lucked out.
More likely that I un-lucked out!
Great technique with the laundry basket. I'm happy to put in any amount of time prepping vs. cleaning up dust (ugh).
Thanks! An ounce of prevention beats a pound of cure. ;)
Plate glass sounds interesting. I was thinking I'd go to tempered acrylic when I change, but real glass would be interesting presuming it has some non-breaking factor
The glass was salvaged from an old display cabinet; it's not tempered so it would present an additional hazard. It was still my first choice because it will never craze and is less vulnerable to scratching. Now that my roof is flat-ish, I might give it another go. But it has been raining so much lately, it's not happening any time soon :(
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Re: "Skylight" for standard 14"x14" roof hole (removed Air-c

Post by Blue~Go »

Just a note (Scott I realize you probably already know this, but just to have it here in the thread). I agree that basically nothing beats glass. I love glass! But, plastics are used a lot in boat hatches for obvious reasons (that's my background). Lexan (polycarbonate) got very popular for awhile as it is "bulletproof," but after a while people found out it crazes like crazy, is prone to scratching, and yellows. Bleah.

On the other hand, "regular" Plexiglas (acrylic) is not as tough, so Lexan was thought to be better. BUT *tempered* acrylic is the best of both worlds. I'd agree it's not glass, but it doesn't craze, and is not prone to scratching like Lexan (which also has a problem with ammonia based washing fluids). And its tough. Good boat hatch manufacturers often use it.

So, just another option. Lexan would be my last choice due to the crazing and yellowing.

Glass still rocks though.
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Re: "Skylight" for standard 14"x14" roof hole (removed Air-c

Post by Rokrover »

Wow - fantastic job. How did I miss this thread blundering along my own way? Sorry you had to repeat a lot of this for my recent post on the same topic today.
Ted C. / SW Arizona
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Re: "Skylight" for standard 14"x14" roof hole (removed Air-c

Post by Blue~Go »

Well, some things just seem too unlikely to search for, don't they? But hey, three of us here now -- so any day now it may be a movement :lol:

PS: BTW, kdarling, I did a little over a year ago finally paint the original Fantastic Fan garnish white again (used rattle can white spray paint made for plastics). Made a pleasant difference.
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Re: "Skylight" for standard 14"x14" roof hole (removed Air-c

Post by kdarling »

Blue~Go wrote:PS: BTW, kdarling, I did a little over a year ago finally paint the original Fantastic Fan garnish white again (used rattle can white spray paint made for plastics). Made a pleasant difference.
Hurrah! Now I'll finally be able to sleep at night. :lol:

Seriously, you guys do some inspired work. And the photos of Chinook guts are invaluable.
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Re: "Skylight" for standard 14"x14" roof hole (removed Air-c

Post by Blue~Go »

The "guts" photos are the best, aren't they? :mrgreen:
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Re: "Skylight" for standard 14"x14" roof hole (removed Air-c

Post by Rokrover »

I shall continue my skylight progress in this Master thread. Last episode was completion of the outside and now we tackle the inside to stuff some guts out of the way. Battlefield surgery!

I had thought of a clear lexan panel in a picture frame screwed to the ceiling to trap insulating air but I can now confirm Blue~Go’s caution it gets awfully hot under there at high noon, so bad idea. Yet I had to do something soon as the nice oak table was now irradiated by a solar hot spot.

My hasty fix may be amusing to some but for now it was cheap, quick and works. ACE hardware had a 14” x 18” register that just fits. The louvers dissipate heat yet allow air circulation, deflect direct sunlight and hide the wire rat nest tucked along the edges.

All those carpet creases obvious in the picture can wait while I mull the concept as a long-term solution. I concur lexan is not the best skylight material under UV exposure so during storage I have a dog kennel lid to cover the outside dome. I do not have the luxury of a garage tall enough to fit the Chinook, even with A/C removed.
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Re: "Skylight" for standard 14"x14" roof hole (removed Air-c

Post by Blue~Go »

Now I finally know what it looks like to be on the other side of one of those "scary" (when I was a youngster) grates that were in downtown sidewalks :lol:

That's an ingenious perma-temp solution while you mull things over. I took the leftover square cutout (for the skylight) from that section of grey foamboard I used to cover the Air-con insults to the overhead carpet and if/when the sun is right overhead I use a couple of pieces of blue tape to stick it to the garnish. there is a slight gap all the way around the perimeter so it kind of works like your louvers (but with less of a view). I tend to be parked in the shade when the sun is directly overhead, but it doesn't always work out that way. September through April-ish the sun is low enough in the sky even at noon that I don't do anything. Taking inspiration from your photo, I think I'm going to make a square out of Phifertex shade cloth and then replacing the four corner screws in the garnish with snap studs and then I can snap the shade cloth up when I want to. Then I will get the nifty filtered light like you do during the high-noonday-sun season when not in the shade.

Speaking of the "bruised" overhead carpet (thanks, Air-con :x ), as shown previously in the thread, I found some grey patterned foam board that looks pretty decent up there. However, I have in the past thought about filling in that whole "top tier" overhead section on the inside with something like semi-gloss whiteboard. I would fill in the areas that don't have that extra ~1/2" of depth* with something like extruded foam board to make it all level, and then just do the whole thing. I like lots of reflected light, and the carpet kind of soaks it up. Plus then I would have a washable place to swat mosquitoes :lol:

BG

*Not sure if all are the same, but in my overhead there is an additional ~1/2" of added thickness in the area that has the Fantastic vent, forward light, and [former] Air-con, then another little section under the rear light (the one just ahead of the stove/sink). This is all in the uppermost tier.
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Re: "Skylight" for standard 14"x14" roof hole (removed Air-c

Post by Rokrover »

Ta Da….. may I present for your viewing pleasure my FINAL custom interior garnish for the skylight. I mulled over my “HVAC grille” concept and realized some refinement was in order, particularly regarding size.

So I visited the Mothership of all ACE hardwares in Tucson where by serendipity they had the precise register I was looking for. It is 25” x 26” and fits snugly as the pictures show. This was the only large size they had in stock and turned out it was special ordered for a customer who changed his mind. It was not even in inventory with a barcode, so checkout took a long time. I digress….

You can just see the shadows of the wires I wrapped in white split-wire loom and zip locked for security. I pointed the grille louvers rearwards for natural kitchen light. There is a slight bow in the ceiling and the metal grille is flexible enough to accommodate this with sharp edges that bite into the carpet lining. This larger grille covers all those nasty A/C creases nicely, too. Now I’m content.

But wait, there’s still the yawning maw above the stove where the microwave used to be. Wood is not my preferred medium and I could hardly do the Chinook cabinetry style justice. The project treadmill never stops.
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Ted C. / SW Arizona
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Re: "Skylight" for standard 14"x14" roof hole (removed Air-c

Post by Blue~Go »

Why do I imagine a giant suction pulling me up and pinning me to the underside of that vent when I look at it? :lol: No, just kidding. What a find on that size (and I can imagine the checkout procedure.... what, no bar code?!?).

I have since completely removed the entire microwave "box," because I was tired of doing the limbo while cooking, but here is a post showing what I did when I first removed the microwave. Barely any carpentry skills required :)

viewtopic.php?f=7&t=45&hilit=remove+microwave

BG

PS: What I eventually did was just make the run of cabinets over the dining area continue into the area above the stove. So I essentially have two "same" cabinets on port and starboard, both of which have three doors. No more limbo! (Albeit no more giant storage hole either.... just a normal sized one.)
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