Blinds/Shade For A Skylight

By

blackjack74

http://www.thehis.com/solarus_sun_shades_overview.html for professinal skylight shades. But you could do it yourself- go to the hardware store and buy window screen frames- the thick kind- make sure... go online and buy some solar fabric- and screw the frame in or hold it in place with swivel hooks- should run you about $40 for all of it.

By SweetEvilWoman (Guest Post)

Here is a couple of fixes for a skylight.
Fabric fix - make a curtain
Measure the opening and cut your choice of fabric 2 inches wider then width of opening and 6 inches longer than the length of the opening. Hem width sides by folding 1/2 inch over twice and topstitch at the outside edge and the folded under edge. For the length, fold over at 3 inches top and bottom and stitch as close to the outside edges as you can. Take the unfinished edge of the fabric and fold under 1/2 inch and topstitch laying flat so the you have a tube like tunnel with open edges at both sides. Purchase correct size of compression rods for the skylight opening, slide thru tube ends and install your fitted fabric curtain.

Plastic Fix - make it look like a light and still get some light
Purchase Crushed Ice plastic replacement lens from Home Depot or other home supply company and purchase enough 1/2 inch quarter round stock to completely encircle opening. Measure and cut the crushed ice to fit inside the opening. Measure & cut the 1/2 inch quarter round stock, miter corners to fit the four sides of the opening. Check the fit of both the plastic and the wood pieces BEFORE you do the finished installation. Put your plastic into the opening first and attach each wood strip with screws, keeping the edges flush with the edge of skylight opening to hold the plastic in place.

We did the 'plastic fix' on our kitchen skylight and LOVE IT! We still get daytime natural light and it keeps heat from escaping in winter and keeps kitchen cooler in the summer. Hope this helps!

By

kladybug

Velcro on 3 sides, fixed on the 4th? Sticky velcro is awesomely easy.

By

pamphyila

Couldn't you put a piece of cloth over rope? then you could manipulate the opening/closing of the skylight area easily. (You could also use shade cloth... or a bamboo roller blind used sideways)

By

Laurel...

What if you make a curtain the way you did in your room but you use two panels. You could push them to either side to "open" them. They would probably side easy enough on the two rods to do that! Good luck! :)