While almost everyone is aware of what a skylight is and the benefits that they can bring to a property, most people’s knowledge doesn’t extend any further. However, if you’re seriously considering having residential skylights installed at your home, it’s advisable that you do some background reading around the subject, particularly into the different types of residential skylights that can be purchased. Each option has their own unique attributes that could affect (and hopefully benefit) your home in their own unique way. After more than three decades in the industry, we’ve installed just about all of the different variations of residential (and commercial) skylights that there are and we are going to talk you through a few of the main options in this article – ventilating, fixed and tubular skylights.
Residential Skylights: There’s More Than Just One Option!
- Fixed Skylights – As the name rather suggests, with this option the skylight is fixed into position and can’t be opened or closed. They are typically used to illuminate long stretches of the home where the most important requirement is the amount of light that enters the interior, such as hallways or stairways. These are areas are typically normally quite dark and the additional light provided by fixed residential skylights not only makes it easier to navigate these areas, but it makes them appear larger too.
- Ventilating Skylights – In other parts of the home that are more frequently used, not being able to open the skylight can be an issue that causes the space to smell and the air to go “stale.” That’s where ventilating residential skylights come in. They can be opened and closed to ensure a supply of fresh air can easily be circulated around your home, helping to prevent the aforementioned problems. As hot, humid air rises, it exits the property and is replaced by cooler air, which helps to ensure the correct moisture balance is sustained. As they are often located at a considerable height, ventilating residential skylights will be installed with some sort of mechanism to enable you to open and close it, which can be manual or motorised. Other features can be integrated into the system to automate its operation, including detectors that monitor humidity and temperature levels within the property, as well as rain sensors.
- Tubular Skylights – This is a cost effective solution that is typically utilized when it’s simply not possible to install fixed or ventilating residential skylights due to their size. They utilize a small collector dome, which is installed on the roof, a highly reflective delivery tube that runs from the roof until the ceiling inside the house, and a light diffuser which is installed into the ceiling of the target room. This system channels the sun’s natural light into your home and then distributes it evenly throughout the room. They offer a number of advantages over the first two options, including reducing the potential for glare and irregular light patterns.
To learn more about each of these options and discover which one is most suited to your needs, contact the experienced Toronto based team at Aluplex on (416) 665-4482.
