Tube skylight problem--slanted ceiling

14 years ago

We are at the end of a major addition project for a weekend house about two hours away. One upstairs bathroom is pretty small and does not have a window. It has a slanted roof that rises from a 6 foot wall to a fairly small 9 foot ceiling that is flat. The rest of the ceiling slants.

In the flat part of the ceiling are required energy efficient lighting, a forced air heat vent, fire sprinkler outlet (required) and an exhaust fan.

Plans specified a solar tube skylight for the room because there wasn't a window. We regularly asked the contractor where this was going to go. So......we showed up this weekend and he had installed it in the slanted ceiling, where it now blazes into your eyes when you walk into the door of the bathroom.

The contractor wants to install a "diffuser" lens to make it less bright. We want him to relocate the items that are already installed to fit the tube in the ceiling where it is drawn and where it makes sense. He says he could not cut in the skylight until the rest of the work was done and that the problem could not be avoided. We think this could have been anticipated and other items, such as even the exhaust fan, relocated.

I've not found a single photo anywhere of a solar tube skylight located on a slanted ceiling. Would appreciate any experience or advice on this nasty problem.

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Comments (5)

anrol
14 years ago
If it was specified that it was to go in the flat part of the ceiling then why isn't it there? Sounds like somebody screwed up! You think that they would check with the owner first when the plan indicates one thing and they decide to take it upon themselves to change the plans. Sheesh! We were just discussing this in kitchen forum recently with Beekeeper's Wife about screw ups with new builds. I'm sure others will chime in.
johnc3
Original Author
14 years ago
Yes you would think this. They said that they really "hated" putting it in the slanted part. I am sympathetic because the area in the flat part is very crowded but yes, they could have called and should have. I think we are going to make them redo all of this which will be tough, access is very limited in this part of the house. We may end up with the exhaut fan as a vent and put the fan on the roof as a unit (fantech) and have to run a soffit through the MBR closet to fit in the vent. In other words, half baked and not looking like a totally new piece of construction. They are already two months late and with pool season coming we want them out of there so the pressure is on!
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Annie Deighnaugh
14 years ago
Yes they need to move the light...even with the diffuser, ours is very bright on sunny days and not comfortable to look at. I'd see if they couldn't swap the location with the exhaust vent as that should be near the top of the room but doesn't have to be in the ceiling.
Debbi Branka
14 years ago
This isn't an answer to your dilemma, but I just saved this bathroom to my ideabook in Houzz - a skylight (not tube) in a slanted ceiling. I love it!

[traditional bathroom design[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/traditional-bathroom-ideas-phbr1-bp~t_712~s_2107) by boston design-build ARCHIA HOMES
johnc3
Original Author
14 years ago
This does look good. Actually, my wife and I thought it might have worked in the shower, though since it is the only daylight in the room we preferred a more central location.