About Skylights
A skylight is a window that opens from the top of your roof to let in natural light. Skylights are usually made out of glass and are surrounded by a frame in your roof.
There are skylights today that may be automated so they open at certain times to help bring more oxygen into the house or to air it out for safety reasons after the smoke has been detected. Our skylights can have a built-in shade so you can control how much light comes in during the hotter months of summer when direct sunlight could create heat problems inside the building.
Skylights come in different shapes and sizes, but if you’re thinking about having skylights installed on your home one thing that you should know is that skylights are not meant to replace windows. Well, skylights are not only meant to provide light into a room that may not have any windows or other sources of natural light, but skylights are also meant to replace the need for skirting boards, architraves, and cornices.
These skylights can be fixed skylights or patented skylights. Fixed skylight s have hinges on the side which allow them to open so air can circulate. This is important during warmer months when you want to get fresh air inside your home without letting bugs in too. When it’s cold outside you should close the skylight to avoid losing heat from your home. Patented skylights are already made an internal ventilation system that functions automatically as you need it to. You can set skylights so they open at certain times and for a certain amount of time.
Some skylights come with a pre-attached ladder which is useful should it ever be needed to get onto the roof and do any repairs or maintenance work on the skylight itself, but always keep in mind that skylights should only be used as an entry/exit point into the house if the other access points such as doors and windows are not working properly.
Skylight Installation
Before skylight installation day arrives here’s another piece of the important information you should know: having skylights installed require flashing, which is basically additional protection for your skylight so water doesn’t seep through. Flashing looks like any other type of roofing material, but skylights require flashing that comes with a skylight pre-installed.
When you decide to have skylights installed make sure the skylights you choose come in two pieces: one piece is called the skylight carrier and it’s what fits onto your roof; the second part is what goes inside – this will contain all glass panels which can be removed if necessary for maintenance purposes. Always ensure proper flashing has been done when skylight installation day arrives or risk water damage under a skylight or having to do skylight removal again should your skylight leak at some point in time.
Don’t forget to look into skylights with automated features such as remote skylights which open when you need them to and skylights that close automatically when it starts raining.
Skylights are not meant to replace skirting boards, architraves or cornices! They only serve the purpose of letting natural light into your home. Skylight installation can be done by yourself if you know how to work with ladders and tools, but if skylight installation sounds like an intimidating task then check out local skylight companies in your neighborhood that may offer skylight installation for a price.
Also keep in mind skylights will provide no heat at all, so in wintertime, they’re not very efficient because cold air from outside gets inside as well. However, during the summer months, skylights come in very handy as skylights not only provide light but also let fresh air inside so you don’t have to keep your windows opened all the time to get some cool air.
Conclusion
If skylight installation is something you can do yourself well, this may be an option for you, but many time’s it’s better to leave it to a professional installer to ensure you get the flashing and other skylight installation procedures done correctly the first time…
If you’re thinking about installing skylights in your home, reach out to CKG Contractors at 973-599-0811 or email chris@ckgcontractors.com.