The Art of Skylights: Adding Natural Light to Your Home
Has your home been looking dull and bleak lately? Perhaps you’ve already tried redecorating, changing the wallpapers, or hanging some pictures on the walls with the hopes of giving the space some life. Yet, despite this, your home still feels like it’s missing a certain spark…
If you’re experiencing the same problem, it’s probably time to consider installing skylights! It’s an effective way to bring in natural light and fresh air into any residential space. It creates an open and refreshing atmosphere that’s not only visually appealing but also beneficial to its residents. The difference between a home with skylights and those without is stark and unmistakable—once you install your own skylights, there’s just no going back!
At Robbins Roofing and Construction, we’re passionate about all things related to roofing, so we’re excited to share what we know about skylights with you. Let’s get into it!
The Benefits of Skylights in a Home or Office
Skylights can brighten up your home in more ways than one. Whether you’re looking to improve the appearance of your house or enhance its overall ambiance, a skylight can transform any space into a bright, lively area. What’s even better is that it won’t just look good—it will also make you feel great!
Natural Light
Skylights welcome natural light into your home. It paints your furniture in a lively, warm light, making the space more appealing and inviting. Feeling the sun on your skin can also improve your mood and brighten up your day—it’s science! All in all, you can give your spaces a simple but effective makeover while lifting your spirits without having to break the bank!
Fresh Air and Ventilation
Skylights can also improve the air quality in your home by allowing fresh air to flow and circulate throughout the rooms. This way, you can enhance your indoor climate, ensuring that any stale air gets expelled and replaced with cool, clean air.
Energy Efficiency
Not only are skylights easy on the eyes, they’re also easy on your pockets! With skylights, you won’t need to constantly have your overhead light on. Instead, you have the option and convenience of daylighting! It’s energy efficient and allows natural light to illuminate various rooms of your home.
Different Kinds of Skylights to Consider
If you’re thinking of adding skylights, determine the exact type of skylight that fits your needs. There are many types to pick from, but don’t worry! We’re here to walk you through various skylights that might just be the next addition to your home.
Fixed Skylights
These kinds of skylights are fixed and cannot be opened, merely adding natural light to your home. They’re a great choice if you just want to bring more light to your spaces without the need for ventilation.
Ventilated or Operable Skylights
A ventilated or operable skylight can be opened to allow fresh air into interior spaces. They’re ideal for homeowners who wish to brighten up rooms while allowing a pleasant breeze inside. You can control each skylight either manually or with a remote. Some of the newer models even have sensors that can detect rain and automatically close the skylights when it starts to pour.
Tubular Skylights
Tubular skylights, also known as sun tunnels, utilize reflective tubes to capture sunlight and channel them into your home. These are useful for closed interior spaces like hallways, bathrooms, and closets. Tubular skylights also take up less space, with one end of the sun tunnels above the roof and the other installed to your ceiling. This is a good option for low-slope roofs.
Unit Skylights
These skylights offer the same advantages as the others—they illuminate rooms with sunlight and freshen up the air with additional ventilation. However, these units are designed to be ready for installation. Adding them to your home generally takes less time and offers more convenience. Aside from that, these kinds of skylights are often more affordable. Ultimately, this is best for people who are looking for a skylight that’s not only cost-effective but also easy to install.
Solar Powered Skylights
Solar powered skylights are another great option if you’re looking to bring in both daylight and fresh air into your home. These types of skylights are equipped with solar panels and use sunlight to power their various features and functions, such as automatic ventilation, built-in blinds, rain sensors, and more. The great part is that you don’t have to deal with any electric wiring to make solar skylights work. You can also save big on your electric bill because these solar-powered skylights are self-sufficient.
Roof Windows
A roof window is quite similar to operable skylights as it also brings sunlight and fresh air into homes. However, roof windows are usually larger which allows even more daylight into your space. With their hinged design, they can also be manually opened and closed and are often installed in more accessible spots. It’s deck-mounted or designed to be flush with the roofline, which might fit some homeowners’ preferences. There’s also a list of styles and designs to choose from, such as top-hung, pivoting, side-hung, and electrically operated.
Get a Custom Rendering of Skylights in Your Space
Let’s say you’ve looked through all the possible skylights and none of them stand out to you. Maybe you have a very specific skylight in mind, the type that would perfectly fit your home and functions exactly the way you want it to. In that case, we suggest that you consider reaching out to a professional and having your skylights customized!
Skylight Design Considerations
Your skylight journey isn’t over yet! Once you’ve landed on the specific type of skylight, the next step would be to consider various designs that fit your preferences.
Glazing
One of the things you should look into when dealing with skylights is the glazing. This refers to the material covering the opening of a skylight, which is often made of glass or plastic. The glazing affects how durable your skylight is in the long run, how much light comes through your skylight, how well it keeps the heat in, and how much protection it offers from things like noise pollution, UV rays, and so on. Some of the most commonly used types of glass or plastic glazing are the standard double pane glass that also comes in single or triple-layer glazing, as well as Low-E (low emissivity) coatings, gas fills, tinted glazing, or standard safety glass such as tempered or laminated glass.
Skylight Size and Shape
Take some time to decide on the sizes and shapes of your skylights—would you prefer a larger one to bring in more natural light into the room, or a more conservative size that blends in better with the rest of your interior? Consider what the best size and shape would best complement and enhance your property, and which type would offer the best functionality and energy efficiency.
Shades
Don’t forget to consider shades! In terms of functionality, skylight shades or blinds give you control over the amount of heat or light entering each room. Consider shades that offer flexibility, privacy, and energy efficiency. Aside from that, the right shade can also improve the visual appeal of your home, so make sure to pick shades with the right style, color, and design!
Transform Your Home
So, are you ready to transform your home? With skylights, you can invite the sun and fresh air into your home, making natural daylight a part of every room! If you’re up for it, get ready for energy savings, better air quality, and brighter, more refreshing days that are sure to come your way with residential roofing in OKC by Robbins Roofing.
