When you think of bringing light into your home, you immediately think of windows. However, it’s not always possible to install a traditionally placed window in every external facing wall. For example, you might live in a single storey, open plan home that has no walls, resulting in the centre of the room remaining darker than the edges. If you live in a house very close to its neighbours or an adjacent structure you won’t have space to open and close any windows, or you might want a way to let light in without compromising your privacy. You could also have a load bearing wall that you can’t add a window to. Whatever your reasons are for not having a traditional window in one or more areas of your home, you’ll be happy to know that you don’t have to put up with a dingy and dark living space without it. Skylights are the perfect way to warm and illuminate any structure. Here’s what they have to offer.
Why Skylights?
A skylight is a square or circular window placed in your roof to allow light and sunshine into an otherwise dark area. It’s a popular option for people facing the situations mentioned above, as well as those looking to add more brightness and warmth to their living situation. They’re a beautiful addition to any home, but before you start looking for someone to install them, keep the following essential factors in mind.
The Importance Of Using Glazed Glass
In the past, skylights were made out of plastic, but this has fallen out of favour for many reasons. When exposed to direct sunlight, it tends to warp. It’s challenging to keep clean, and often even rain can stain it. It doesn’t keep noise out, which can be disruptive, and it also is no match for UV rays – making it unsafe and uncomfortable to stand under for long periods. For this reason, most modern skylights are made from tempered and glazed glass. Using this material has several unique benefits:
• It Looks Better For Longer – Most modern skylights have a Neat® coating applied to them, which is a layer of titanium that makes it water repellent and makes sure dirt rinses off without leaving marks or water spots. It also actively breaks down organic material that lands on its surfaces, such as dirt, dust, leaves and bird waste.
• It’s UV Resistant – You might be wondering why you need your skylight to be UV resistant when you installed it to get more sun and light in the first place. The answer is that the direct force of the sun can do more harm than good. It can bleach flooring, carpets and furniture and can make a space uncomfortably warm and hot, especially if you’re directly seated underneath it. Most windows block radiant heat and UV rays so that you enjoy a brighter home without coming into contact with harmful rays that aren’t great for your skin. They can do this as they have a low-emissivity (low-E) coating of microscopic metallic particles on them, which are invisible to the naked eye but reduces the amount of non-solar heat the light lets into a space.
• It’s Strong – a common concern people have is how safe skylights are. You may be wondering if an intense storm, hail or break-in could damage the skylight. And if that happens, what would happen to the person standing beneath it? You’ll be glad to know that most skylights feature additional laminated inner panels as well as an outer layer of toughened safety glass. This means that the glass has been tested in real-life conditions and that if it does shatter, it won’t break into large jagged pieces that are likely to injure someone.
• Other Benefits – A quality glazed skylight will need to be compliant with Australian Standard AS1288 in terms of its glazing, which is the minimum level of quality you can expect from most skylights on the market. Also, look out for other value-added conditions, such as ones that reduce ambient and external noise and ones that have a good quality rating according to the Window Energy Rating Scheme.
By now you no doubt understand precisely what advantages a double glazed skylight can bring to your home. Your next step should be to partner with a local expert in glazed skylight design and installation who can bring your vision to life in an affordable, creative and functional manner. Energy Concepts is a business that can help you in this, so contact us today.
