Skylights are a light-transmitting device installed onto a roofline and are designed to primarily provide natural light but can also provide ventilation to interior rooms. Skylights capture the sunlight illuminating from the sun and transfer it down to the inside of a building and are also able to provide the experience of an open window on the roof to provide ventilation if required. Skylights come in various styles and sizes using different materials but are designed to suit specific roof profiles.
What Rooms Can Have Skylights Installed?
The simple answer to this question is any room, however, the roof structure of the home and services contained within the roof cavity of the home may sometimes prevent installation. But if not, it will impact the location of the skylight when installing it. If you’re considering adding skylights to your home, consider doing it during the design of the home (if possible) to identify potential dark areas so that you get what you want where you want it.
When visiting display homes or established homes for sale always remember to turn lights off so that you can identify dark areas before building or buying. If you are installing skylights into an established home, restrictions may apply to installation, which can impact the performance of the skylight. It is important to consider where you’d like the light in the room and how it will impact the internal space. You should also consider the best location on the roof to maximize sunlight capture and always install skylights before solar panels, solar hot water systems or any other services are installed on the roof.
Skylights are designed to bring sunlight into your home so naturally, they are most beneficial in dark, low-lit rooms that may also require extra ventilation. The most common spaces for skylights include the kitchen, dining room, bathroom, living room, bedroom and passageways. In saying that, they look beautiful in all rooms and allow you to brighten up those dark spaces
On top of allowing natural sunlight into your space, some skylights have ventilation capabilities and help with airflow. These are known as vented skylights and can be provided as a more traditional style skylight with a dedicated light shaft, ceiling frame and diffuser or a roof window, which opens and has an open light shaft.
Ventilated skylights are a smart choice for rooms in your home that are humid or where condensation is a concern. Often, rooms with high levels of moisture include the laundry, bathroom and kitchen. This is where vented skylights can assist in the prevention of mould and mildew from forming.
Where In The Room Should I Install A Skylight?
The placement of your skylight will depend on your roof structure and services on the roof (solar etc.) as well as within the roof cavity (plumbing, electrical, AC etc.) of the home. In some cases, multiple skylights are beneficial and in others, one large skylight works best.
Tubular skylights are an alternative skylight design suitable for most areas of the home needing less space for installation. They are particularly effective in smaller areas that require light such as WIR’s, pantries, foyers and hallways. However, the installation of multiple tubular skylights will provide great natural light throughout several areas of the home. Tubular skylights are also able to provide passive ventilation or can have a mechanical fan system included if required. Tubular skylights can also provide the transition from round to square or rectangle at the ceiling if a round ceiling frame and diffuser are not desired (this is provided sufficient space from roof to ceiling enables a transition box to be installed).
Opening and fixed roof windows are more suited for large open areas such as kitchens and living areas where multiple windows may be installed to create a “wow” factor. Something else to consider when deciding on the most suitable skylight for installation is the distance from the roof to the ceiling in the area of installation. This will impact the light transfer as well as potentially create a long “narrow” tunnel if only one roof window is being installed. You may need to install multiple roof windows to open the area up but this may not be possible so a tubular skylight or standard square or rectangular skylight may be more effective in these instances.
Ultimately where the skylight can be installed in the room will be dictated to by the roof structure of the home, the services contained on the roof of the home and within the roof cavity of the home.
Another thing to consider is how the skylight will affect your interior design. Remember lighter colours within the home will maximise light transfer around the area rather than having the light absorbed by darker colours.
Knowing which type of skylight to purchase and where it can be placed on your roof before you start installing makes the process easier for you and your installer. Professionals can help you with this process to ensure you’re getting the best natural light solution for your space!
Sun Location
Skylights rely on the sun to absorb and reflect natural light. It’s no surprise that the sun’s location must be factored in when selecting the appropriate skylight. If you’re looking for a large amount of light, you should consider where the sun’s location is and how it will best transfer light into your home. If you’re looking for less intense more passive light, the same thing should be considered so that you can achieve the desired outcome.
The orientation of your house and roof to the sun will impact how much natural light you can procure. For example, if you are facing north, you will have intense sunlight for most of the day. If you’re facing south, you will have more moderate natural light for the entire day. If you are east-facing, your sunlight will be strongest in the morning, but not so strong in the afternoon. If your house is west facing, you will have the most amount of light in the afternoon and less light in the morning. A few other external factors to consider include whether there are any large buildings or trees around your house as this may create shadowing over the skylight on the roof.
Skylights are an excellent tool to make the most of each room in your home. They help you elevate and maximise those dark stairwells or forgotten corners. Each house has unique factors, which will affect the placement and style of your skylight. If you’re looking to cut a hole through your roof make sure that it is done by a qualified and reputable company so, let Calidad Industries take care of that for you!
At Calidad Industries, we offer roof window fixed, ventilated and tubular skylights designed for various types of buildings. Contact us here for more information or give us a call on (08) 9302 6622.
NOTE: All of the points above are also applicable to commercial and industrial buildings and venues.
