What are Skylights?
Skylights are an excellent way of getting more light into a top level room or attic space/conversion. A skylight can fill a room with warmth and a feeling of spaciousness. By reducing the need for electric lighting and adding winter warmth, they help trim energy bills. And clear ones give you a window to the starry night sky. Modern designs make these an extremely affordable way of getting more light into these areas which are often difficult to fit with conventional windows.
A skylight’s frame is designed to withstand the rigors of rainfall that a roof receives. Modern skylights work together with the roofing material to help run-off of rain and snow. Newer skylights are virtually leak-free, thanks to their rugged construction and the advent of modern building materials such as UPVC. They're also equipped with channels that carry away condensation preventing damp and rot problems.
Materials Used to Make Skylights
Though some frames are solid wood or aluminium, most new skylights are made of a combination of metal, vinyl (UPVC) and wood. The exterior frames tend to be aluminium cladding with a durable finish; the part you see inside is often made of solid wood, plywood or white vinyl.
Some skylights have acrylic or polycarbonate glazing; while others use glass. Plastic ones are lightweight, economical choices often put where a skylight could be easily broken. Because they have to be moulded, they come only in a limited number of fixed sizes and shapes. Glass is preferred by many people because it doesn't scratch as readily as plastic does and also because it's available in nearly limitless sizes and types. You can get single, double or triple glazing with energy-saving low-E glass or argon-gas-filled panes for even better insulation properties. For use where the sun may damage carpets and furniture with ultra-violet (UV) rays, you can also get bronze-tinted or other UV-blocking glass.
A skylight's shaft controls how light is delivered to the room below. If all four sides are flared, light spreads over a wide area. A shaft with perpendicular sides focuses the light straight below. Therefore, if the shaft is flared on only one or two sides, it will spread more light in the direction of the flares.