Are gaps around replacement skylights normal?
Gaps at the top and bottom of replacement skylights often leave people questioning if the fitment is correct. When planning to cut through a rafter and install headers to finish the opening, nearby fireplace connections can interfere with this standard setup. This structural uncertainty stops people from knowing how to properly finish the framing.
What people tried
Every workaround mentioned in the threads below. We haven’t tested any of them — and nobody here is claiming they worked.
Found another way around this?
Share your steps and trade-offs so fellow engineers don't have to reinvent the wheel. No account required.
- 1installing trim piecesDid this help you?
- 2using spray foam to fill gapsDid this help you?
- 3Consulting a structural engineerDid this help you?
- 4Using specialized structural hardwareDid this help you?
- 5Sistering the adjacent rafters and doubling up the headers above and below the cutDid this help you?
- 6Seeking advice from carpenters rather than roofersDid this help you?
In their words
Unedited, grouped by where they were said, most upvoted first within each place, each linked to the thread it came from.
“We just had 3 skylights replaced along with our roof and I'm a bit concerned about the fitment of the skylights. Does this look correct? I'm worried about the gaps at the bottom and to a lesser extent top.”source ↗
“The rafter that goes through the skylight I was planning on cutting and installing headers top and bottom. However, not sure if that fireplace connection effects that standard setup.”source ↗
Where this came up
People with this problem also raised
- 8How to fix a leaking skylight after rain
- 5Is a gap in roof sheathing at the ridge okay before shingling?
- 2How to seal a wide half-inch window gap
- 2How to stop solar heat from skylights on a budget
- 3How to seal gaps around underground downspout adapters
- 2Massive gaps around furnace filter and a pipe in the way