A few nights ago, a flash of brilliance struck during a conversation after dinner about making a frame for a future skylight in my reciprocal roof. We were sitting around, thinking of alternatives to making a wood frame, which would have proved quite difficult considering the irregular nature (14 uneven round poles) of the top of the roof.

And then someone mentioned a tire. And then I remembered the huge tractor tires we have lying around on the property, and amazingly enough, the dimensions were nearly perfect: a five foot diameter tire with a three foot diameter hole, perfect for the 4.5 foot diameter rafter ring, and 3.5 foot diameter hole in the roof.

I borrowed a reciprocating saw and cut the tire in half (not a pleasant experience: it stunk [literally]!), and then with the help of a few others, we hoisted it onto the roof, and onto the top of the rafters. Viola! A tractor tire skylight frame!

I plan on having a piece of thick glass cut to the size of the tire, and then I will caulk it to the surface, and then maybe brace it with some screws.

If this works, I will have to recommend it to others with spare tractor tires lying around… of which there are plenty headed for landfills, too, no doubt…