Installing a skylight through an attic
Q How can a skylight be installed through a roof with an attic? How does the light and air get down into the room through the attic space?
A The situation you describe is quite typical, since most homes have unfinished attics. What's required is some kind of vertical tunnel with flared sides that rises up from the ceiling and meets the skylight up top as it goes through the roof. Flared sides make a huge difference for the amount of light and air that gets into the room. All this is simple enough, but there's a key detail.
In cold climates this tunnel needs to be insulated so the indoor surface doesn't get cold and trigger condensation in the tunnel during winter. It's best to use foam for this application rather than fibre-based batts. Closed cell spray foam or rigid foam sheets such as extruded polystyrene are excellent options and widely available. And unlike fibre-based insulations, closed-cell foams need no vapour barrier. Apply it to the outside face of the tunnel as it goes through the attic, sealing the gaps and joints with spray foam from a hand-held can.
COVERED VERANDA PROJECT
Q Do I need to do anything to protect the 6x6 white cedar posts I just bought for a deck project? I'm having a roof added over an existing deck, and I want these posts to last.
A I applaud your plan to turn your deck into a covered porch. Even just adding a roof and no walls makes any deck much more useful. As for wood protection, you don't need to do anything to wood to help it last longer and resist rot. Stains and coatings are only about achieving a certain appearance, and even then this won't last more than a few years without stripping and reapplication.
The main thing to consider is how you'll finish all the exposed wood on your project. On one project I did like yours, I used 11/2 inch-thick lumber for the roof sheathing, since plywood looks so bad from underneath. This is thicker than needed structurally, but thick enough that roofing nails don't show through. I also pre-finished all rafters and roof boards to avoid the nasty hassle of applying stain over your head.
STONE-BASED DECKING MATERIALS
Q What are your thoughts on stone-based decking products I'm seen lately? I'm planning to expand my existing composite deck and came across this product type that's new to me.
A I haven't used stone-based decking yet, but according to reviews I've seen, complaints about challenging installation procedures seem to come up. It takes awhile for new product families to get optimized, so perhaps that's the case here. In the meantime I can recommend composite deck materials. I've always had good results with Trex, both the original version and the newer type.
All this said, buy a small amount of stone-based decking to see what it's like. This up-and-coming option offers different looks than wood or composite.
FINISH FOR STAIRS
Q Can you recommend a sealant for distressed painted wood stairs that endures high traffic? A You could apply urethane to your stairs, or wipe-on poly, and these would reduce the rate of wear on the paint. That said, since your stairs are distressed by design, you might want to stick with paint alone. Having no sealing coat would make it easier to renew the finish when the time comes, compared with having a coat of half-worn urethane on top of the paint. One nice thing about distressed finishes is that wear and dents look good (up to a point). Every wood stair finish wears out in time, so ease of renewal is an important point.
Steve Maxwell has been helping Canadians make the most of their homes, gardens, workshops and cottages since 1988. Visit him online at baileylineroad.com for thousands of articles and videos on successful hands-on living.