The Complete Guide to Skylights
When you want to add a bit more light to your home, skylights provide a great way to do so. Skylights are windows or structures that are installed in your roof so that the sun can provide your home with more light. With skylights installed, your home can also stay warmer during winter. With the benefits that skylights offer, you might be considering adding one or more to your home. Since there are different types to choose from, as well as different materials, knowing more about skylights is important. The following information on skylights can help you get started on learning more about them.
Types of Skylights in the Southwest & Western United States
When choosing skylights for your home, you’ll find multiple types to consider. The kind you should get for your home will depend on certain factors, such as the type of roof you have. Learning more about the various types of skylights used in the southern & western US, can help you make this decision.
Attic Fan
Attic fans are ideal for removing heat from your home in summer. With the sun beating down on your home, the interior can quickly heat up and cause you to run your air conditioner. Having an attic fan installed means you’ll have a convenient way to lower your interior temperature. These fans also help remove moisture from your attic, which reduces the risk of wood rot, mold growth, and water damage. Solar attic fans allow you to enjoy the benefits of these fans without using electricity. These fans are mounted onto your roof or gable, where they collect sunlight and convert it into energy.
Curb Mount
Curb mount skylights are a common type of skylight. These skylights are raised on your roof rather than having a low profile. This design can make it easy to replace older skylights with new ones or have a custom design made. Curb mount skylights have a high profile that comes from a box structure that they are placed on. These skylights can be more convenient to install compared to deck mount skylights. When you want a custom design, a lower cost or a replacement skylight, a curb mount is usually the best choice.
Replacement Skylight Domes
When you have a skylight that needs to be replaced due to damage or wear and tear, look for replacement skylight domes. These domes provide a cost-effective and convenient way to replace old or damaged skylights. Skylight domes are typically made of acrylic and come in a pyramid or dome style.
Self Flashing
Self flashing skylights are ones installed right over openings in your roof deck. The curb and flashing are included in these skylights instead of having to be built separately. These features help lower the risk of leaks but keep in mind that they often cost more due to their complex design. The installation process for self-flashing skylights is typically shorter and easier than curb mount installations.
Tubelights
When you want the benefits of skylights, but you don’t have room for them on your roof, consider tubelights. These lights are tubes that take up much less space on your roof. The roof end of these tubes usually includes an acrylic cap that allows sunlight in. The interior end is usually a rounded window-like structure that sunlight shines through. Tubelights can increase natural light in your home and have more design flexibility than traditional skylights.
What Is the Main Purpose of a Skylight?
The main purpose of a skylight is to bring in more natural light to rooms or areas in a home. Skylights act as windows in roofs, letting in sunshine for better illumination during the day. They can also bring in more heat to rooms or areas from the sun. While this might not be a benefit for some homeowners in summer, it can result in lower heating bills in winter. Having the sun shining into your home in winter adds heat, so you can use your furnace less often than usual. This helps make your home more energy-efficient. With natural light coming into your home through your skylights, you can also reduce energy by leaving lights off. Sunlight coming through your roof can provide plenty of light during the day.
Skylights also have an aesthetic appeal for homeowners. They can give your home a more attractive look and make dimmer rooms look brighter and more welcoming. This added light can highlight paint colors and other tones in different rooms or areas of your home. With more light coming in, your home can look its best.
At The Window Depot, we offer the Solar Industries Inc. Skylight in different options. These include self-flashing, curb mounted, tubelights, and replacement domes. We can help you choose the type that works best in your home based on your roof and other factors. These skylights are also available in different sizes, including 2-feet x 2-feet, 2-feet x 4-feet and 4-feet x 4-feet. Other sizes are available as well, including 14-inch x 14-inch, 8-inch tube kits and 12-inch tube kits. A lifetime warranty on all of these products makes these skylights well worth the investment.
Materials Skylights Are Made Of
Skylights include a frame and glass or acrylic as the window or opening part. Different materials are available for these different components. When choosing skylights, it’s important to compare materials that are available for openings and frames. From glass and acrylic openings or domes to vinyl and aluminum frames, learn more about the different kinds of skylight materials to choose from.
Glass Skylight
Glass skylights provide multiple benefits compared to other materials. These skylights offer clear outdoor views and a high amount of durability that helps them last for many years. Glass skylights can also have different films or coatings added to improve energy efficiency and light control. For example, Low-E coatings on these skylights can help prevent solar heat from entering your home in summer. This keeps your home interior cooler without the use of air conditioning. These skylights offer good insulation, which helps homes stay warmer in winter. They are also available in a wide range of custom styles and designs.
Acrylic Skylight
Acrylic skylights offer an alternative to glass skylights. These skylights are more lightweight than glass, which can make them a good choice for certain types of roofs. Flat roofs and low slope roofs typically are unable to handle the weight of glass without added support. Acrylic skylights can be a better option for homes with these types of roofs. Acrylic skylights have a long life span and hold up well to UV exposure over the years without deteriorating. They also tend to cost less than other types of skylights and are more flexible in terms of design.
Aluminum Skylight
Aluminum skylights can be a good option for homeowners in hotter climate states. These aluminum frames don’t transfer outdoor heat into your home, helping you save on energy use in summer. They’re also highly durable, which allows them to last for many years. Aluminum skylights do not require a lot of maintenance in order to stay in good condition. This can make them a more convenient option for some homeowners. Aluminum skylights are also able to withstand adverse weather conditions, which helps minimize the risk of damage. This type of skylight frame material is lightweight as well, so it won’t add much weight to your roof.
Vinyl Skylight
Vinyl skylights include frames made of vinyl for better energy efficiency. These skylights do not allow much heat into your home from the sun, which is a big benefit in summer. During winter, heat from inside your home won’t escape through these frames. Vinyl skylights can help you save money on your heating and cooling bills while also providing your home with more natural light. These skylights are typically more cost-effective compared to other skylight frame materials. You can also expect to have little to no condensation building up on vinyl skylights, which helps lower the risk of moisture damage.
Some Components You Should Look for in a Skylight
When you choose skylights for your home, different components or features are available. Some skylights have features that make it easy to control how much light comes into your home at any given time, such as shades. Others have smart features that offer convenient control and improved energy efficiency. Among the many components and features that are available, consider looking for solar-powered skylights.
Solar-Powered Skylights
Solar-powered skylights don’t use any electricity to operate. When you want to open and close these skylights or operate blinds or shades attached to them, solar power makes this possible. These skylights draw on the sun’s energy and turn it into a source of power. With this type of component, you’ll have a more energy-efficient way to operate your skylights. When there’s a power outage from storms or other causes, you’ll still be able to use your skylights. Using solar-powered skylights can help you significantly reduce your energy usage and energy bills even more than with skylights that use electricity.
Our Awesome Skylight Vendor
At The Window Depot, we’re proud to have Solar Industries as our skylight vendor. Solar Industries is a skylight manufacturing company that has been making skylights since 1976. This full-service skylight company, located in Tucson, also has dealer locations in New Mexico, California, Arizona, and Nevada. Their Skyview Skylights offer improved energy efficiency, durability, and affordability for homeowners who want to add more light to their home. Aluminum and vinyl skylight options are available, along with low-emissivity (Low-E) glass for less heat transfer. Solar Industries also offers Skyview Tubelights and skylights in custom shapes and sizes to fit any home. Other shapes that are available include octagons, acrylic pyramids, triangular shapes and ridgelites, as well as prismatic skylights.
With Solar Industries as our vendor, our customers can count on having high-quality skylights installed. Each skylight comes with a lifetime warranty for peace of mind. These skylights allow homeowners to add as much natural light as possible to their home, as well as some extra heat during winter.
New Skylight Technology in 2022
Skylight technology has come a long way from the simple skylight designs of old. Today’s skylights make use of innovations that improve their functionality and energy efficiency. Skylight technological features that are growing in demand include smart features, such as voice control that allows for easier use. With this feature, you can adjust skylights as needed using voice commands rather than manual controls or a remote. Switchable smart glass is another newer feature for skylights. This feature makes it easy to change glass from clear to translucent or frosted for better privacy and light control. When you want to make a room darker or prevent others from seeing inside, you can flip a switch or press a button to achieve this effect.
New skylight technology also includes glass that darkens or tints on its own based on outdoor light and other factors. This helps improve the energy efficiency of skylights, which can result in lower energy bills. For example, these skylights can darken in order to let in less sunlight during the hottest part of the day. This can help keep your home cooler and allow you to use your air conditioning less. When rooms need more light, these skylights can become clear again to allow in more sunshine.
What to Look for in an Installer
When choosing a skylight installer, it’s highly important to make sure you hire someone knowledgeable. Skylights involve making an opening in your roof, so it’s essential to ensure this is done correctly and safely. Having skylights properly installed also helps reduce the risk of leaks and other problems that can occur. Skylight installation can be a complicated process, so take your time comparing installers and choosing the right one. Your installer should have experience with installing the type of skylights you’re getting. They should also know how to do this type of work on your roof.
Choosing a skylight installer also means making sure they are licensed, bonded, and insured. You can look this information up in order to find out for sure before hiring an installer. You should check for positive references and reviews as well. You can read through reviews online and ask your installer for a list of references. Getting in touch with these references allows you to ask previous customers how well the installation was done. You can also find out if they have had any issues with their skylights since then. Ideally, you should hire an installer who offers a warranty on your skylights. Your skylights should come with a warranty that covers repairs and other costs if certain problems occur.
If you’re ready to choose skylights for your home or if you want more information first, please contact The Window Depot. Our experts can help you select the right type of skylight for your home so you maximize the benefits they offer. We can also answer your questions about skylights or provide more detailed information as needed. You can also bring up any concerns you might have about the installation process. With our help and expertise, your home can soon become brighter with new skylights.