All About Skylight Windows

                                                                                         

Have you ever moved into a new home and despaired over what to do with that one tiny room that never gets used? It could be because it’s cold or dark and unpleasant to be in. While it may seem impossible to improve, installing skylight windows can make the world of difference. But even though a skylight promises light and style for the room, it’s a little scary to consider making a hole in your ceiling. But, reading on you will find out everything you need to know about skylight windows, ensuring that you are able to make an informed choice.

What is a Skylight Window?

To start off with, it is useful to know exactly what a skylight window is. They are basically overhead windows that are usually set into the roof of your home. Skylight windows come in a variety of shapes and sizes, making sure that at least one style will suit your particular needs. Most skylight windows used in domestic homes are flat, essentially just like windows, only set into the roof. These flat window skylights are often either rectangular or square in shape, but are also customisable to suit any space, making them versatile enough to use in any area in your home.

Bubble skylight windows protrude out on to the roof of a building in a domed shape. These can also come in a variety of shapes and sizes and are mostly used as architectural features. This means that bubble skylight windows are mostly found on commercial buildings to both add light and style to a public place. ventilating skylight windows can actually open, not only letting in light, but valuable fresh air too. Plus these skylight windows even feature electric sensors which close the windows at the first signs of moisture. Lastly, there is even a type of skylight window to be used in areas like attics and basements where the roof is not easily accessible. Sky tunnels literally tunnel through the ceiling to an opening and use reflective metal tubing to let the maximum amount of light into the room.

Where to Install Skylight Windows

Obviously the first place skylight windows should be considered is in rooms where normal windows can’t be accommodated or in very poorly lit, closed spaces. But there is more to the placement of skylight windows than this. The direction which a skylight window will face can affect a room quite dramatically and should be a careful consideration.

In the United Kingdom, skylight windows that are installed to be angled towards the north provide cool illumination for the rooms below. East facing roof skylight windows offer morning sun and light, while west facing invite the warmth and light of the afternoon. Skylight windows that face south offer the most solar warmth for a room, ideal for those colder spots in your house or areas, like a nursery, that need to be kept cosy all year round. This means that you need to take a room’s function and location into account when installing skylight windows.

What Materials Should Be Used

Skylight windows can be constructed out of a variety of materials and the choice of materials depends entirely on your needs. If you live in an area that experiences high winds or is a hurricane risk, impact glass should be used in your skylight windows to prevent the glass from breaking. Many skylights are constructed out of vinyl as this material is both hard-wearing and long-lasting. Glass skylight windows require a little more maintenance, but can be better customised to meet your exacting needs. Glass can be tinted to shade particularly bright rooms or even reflect a certain colour to tie in with the décor in a room.

Glass skylight windows are the most energy efficient option for a home and can help to greatly decrease heating and cooling bills. Solar control glass can be used to help regulate the amount of UV rays that filter into a room, keeping it cooler in warm weather. Thermal insulating glass skylight windows do the opposite and keep the warmth in a room in winter, helping to reduce heating bills, without forcing you to compromise on light. While reducing your bills throughout the year, the use of glass technology in your skylight windows also helps you play your part in the fight against global warming, by reducing your home’s carbon footprint.

Skylight Window Blinds

Once you have taken the plunge and installed skylight windows, the next thing to think about is some blinds. These can really add to the style of a room, simply by tying in the colour, pattern or fabrics already present. Many skylight window blinds also come in thick dark material to ensure that limited light is let in if needed, which is ideal for rooms like nurseries that need to be kept dark at certain times in the day. These blinds can also be made out of energy efficient material, that help to further reduce heating and cooling bills. But what about opening them? The great thing about skylight window blinds is that they can be fully automated meaning that they open, close or even half open at the touch of a button.

But What About Keeping Skylight Windows Clean?

While all of the above might sound like exactly what you need, there is one problem that every person worries about when installing skylight windows. How do you keep them clean? A dirty skylight is not only unsightly, it cannot fulfil its purpose of letting in light. The idea of climbing on the roof or spending money on window cleaners often puts people off skylights, but this needn’t be the case. Self-cleaning glass is a simple way to enjoy cleaner skylights all year round, with minimal effort from you. Coated in a special layer that reacts with sunlight, organic dirt is broken down and loosened. This same coating encourages rain water to sheet off the glass, washing away this loosened dirt and leaving the skylight window streak free. This essentially solves the problem of keeping skylight windows clean, eliminating the final reason you could have not to include this stylish and practical addition to your home.

About the author:
Pilkington is an established world leader in the glass industry and was the company to pioneer self-cleaning glass. Since its advent, Pilkington Activ™ Self-Cleaning Glass has evolved to include solar control properties to create a practical and versatile product that is ideal to be used in skylight windows and any glass windows and doors in your home.

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