Source Needed For Original Skylight's Outer Cover
The translucent white plastic dome-shaped outer cover on 2 of the 3 original 18" (I think) square skylights have really large cracks in them, while the inside glass part is fine. Is there a source for these original outer covers? Has anyone ever replaced their outer covers & with what success? I can't imagine there are any Eichler owners who haven't had this problem with the original covers since they are not only quite old & get so much weather wear & tear, but the plastics technology back in the 50's & 60's more than likely was not very advanced.
Any info or suggestions will be greatly appreciated!
Thanks! =)
Chatterbox lounge covers a big chunk of California. I always check the profile to see where someone is located. Are you talking about a double-dome skylight ?
Hi Randy!
Yes, I guess that is what it is called. There are 3 of them in almost all Eichlers I've ever seen - 1 in the Master Bath, 1 in a hallway & 1 in the garage. They have 2 covers to them, the outer one being quite translucent, white & very domed. This is the part that is broken on 2 of ours. We are in Concord, SF East Bay
Any info/help is appreciated
=)
Check your phone book for a local skylight source. The whole thing with metal frame and two plastic domes costs us about $70.00, but we order the top quality model 100 units at a time. You will likely need to have the skylight made. Eichler skylights are 18 3/4" inside the box.
Skylights are secured to the top of a wooden box. The box is part of the roof....the skylight is not, and can easily be changed.
The original were not double glazed, nor were the frames very good.
I've converted mine to latest type and sizes (the closest size larger).
As long as the original framing box is in good order, you can do it as described below.
Chose a new skylight a bit larger than the old. I've found that the Eichler sizes a bit smaller than what's considered standard today. So it's just building a new box to be screwed on top of the old skylight box.
Remove the old skylight and build a new wooden framing junction/transition to the new skylight box size. Four lengths of 2x4 lumber cut and fitted so that the inside diamension is the same as the inside diamension of the old box and the outside diamension to match the new skylight. This will be on top of the old box. Then screw the new transition framing box on top of the old skylight framing box.
Make sure to seal the seam between the old and new. I like Sikaflex and deck screws.
Prime everything and make sure to have anti fungicide put into the primer and finish coat paint.
Seat the new skylight on top of a bead of silicone sealer and screw in the new skylight. Mine are double pane plexi glass dome.
If the roof is tar and gravel, paint the new outside box with tar and sealer. If foam, then use Sikaflex sealer and paint it with the speical sealer from Dura-Foam. HomeDepot and Orchard Supply has a plyable roof sealer for mobil homes that works well on foam roofing.
Apply putty to the inside and finish to whatever finish you have/wish. Then paint it or whatever you wish.
Bottom line: you don't need to touch the old sky light box frame. Just build a new transition piece to match the new skylight's requirements. The roof seal won't be touched and the new extended section (only about 2-3 inches higher) needs to be primed, painted and then sealed to the roof.
You will now have a modern engineered, double pane, dome skylight that is insulated and won't leak/weep/etc. Any standard color or clear. Even operable (openable).
