Going natural with skylights installation

To brighten up a dark room, skylights installation can provide a simple, permanent solution. How to decide whether a skylight is the right way to shed a little more light on the subject at your place.

Check out your local real estate window and it's a safe bet that if a house is blessed with loads of natural light, it'll be mentioned in the advertisement.

Why? Because, when it comes to increasing the appeal of a house, natural light is a safe bet, so, as the old saying goes, if you've got it, flaunt it. But what if your place doesn't have a lot of natural light?

What if you've painted every wall a pale colour and kept windows free of light-blocking furniture and you still feel you need to have the lights switched on in the middle of the day?

Installing a skylight may be the solution

Cheaper and less invasive than knocking down a wall, skylights can provide as much as three times the amount of light shed by a traditional wall-mounted window. And because they come in a variety of shapes and sizes, you're bound to find one to suit your situation.

First up, you need to get to grips with the difference between roof windows, skylights and sun tunnels. While roof windows are designed for installation in 'in-reach' ceilings like the type you'll find in attics and loft rooms, skylights are installed in out-of-reach ceilings and often come complete with a shaft built around them to connect the glass at roof level with the ceiling height. Both can either be fixed or able to be opened.

A skylight not only increases light but also provides ventilation

A tubular skylight or sun tunnel is designed for smaller areas - like an entrance, hallway or toilet - where a skylight isn't appropriate, or where a conversion of a roof space to fit a skylight isn't an option due to structural considerations.

Light is absorbed into a glass panel or dome on the roof and directed through a flexible tunnel made from reflective material. All you see on the ceiling inside is a glowing dome that diffuses the natural light around the space below.

A skylight or roof window has the potential to increase the temperature in your home in summer and will also contribute to heat loss in winter. To minimise these effects, it's a good idea to choose double-glazed, insulated glass.

So how do you choose where a skylight would work best at your place?

Think about the sun's movements, because obviously that will be your light source. For maximum benefit, it's best to avoid placing a roof window or skylight on a south-facing section of roof, as even during the summer months, it won't receive a lot of light.

On the other hand, a window installed in a north-facing roof panel is a good choice, as it will allow a good dose of sunlight into your house throughout the entire day. One on the east is best in the morning and a skylight on the west will attract light in the afternoon.

Contact a skylights installation specialist in your area to find out more about natural lighting for your home: