A skylight in the floor?

Sunset, Feb, 1988

A skylight in the floor?

An interior skylight brightens this previously gloomy entry. The 43 1/2- by 61-inch skylight seems to be nothing out of the ordinary--until someone walks on it, since it's also the floor of a low-traffic alcove upstairs. Made of 1/2-inch-thick sheet acrylic, it rests on four 2-by-12 floor joists. Walkers do have to step carefully to avoid scratching it.

Owner Robert Hertz of Los Angeles cut through flooring upstairs and gypsum board below. To frame the panel, he added cross blocking between the joists. Gravity holds the acrylic in place.

Photo: Over-door skylight illuminates entry with light from second-floor window

Photo: In upstairs alcove, the skylight is a walk-on floor with peekaboo view of front door