Owning a home costs a lot of money. In addition to mortgage payments, property taxes, and general maintenance, there is also the dreaded monthly electricity bill. Using electricity is unavoidable, but how much you use, can be modified. Here are some important ways that a skylight can save you money on your electricity bill.

Better than a window

Instead of turning on lamp, we use windows as a natural source of light. However, even better than a window is a skylight. Windows are hampered by their brightness by both external and internal elements. Outside, there are trees, fences, and even other houses that can block light from coming in through windows. Inside, there are blinds and curtains that block light. However, a skylight doesn’t have to contend with these issues. Instead, it can let in a maximum amount of natural light. With a skylight, you won’t need to turn on as many lights inside your house.

Tinted glass

Skylights are more than just panes of glass. In fact, many skylights have the option of having tinted glass. This is especially a good idea if you live in southern areas that have brighter sun exposure. Tinted glass in a skylight still lets in natural light. However, it reduces the amount of heat that enters your house. If you have to run the air conditioning as a result of a skylight, then that negates any electrical bill savings you might have discovered. Instead, look into the option of tinted glass so that a skylight can save you money year-round.

Low-emissivity

Further to tinted glass on a skylight, look into low-emissivity or low-e coatings. These coatings actually use a very thin layer of metal on the glass. As a result, non-solar heat is prevented from entering the home. The coating cannot be seen by a human eye, so it won’t affect the aesthetics of a skylight. As a bonus to how the low-e skylight can save you money, many electrical companies offer rebates if such coatings are applied in a home.

Location

Where you place your skylight will greatly affect how much money you save. This is where skylight experts come into play. Before a skylight is installed, they will ensure that the proper location is chosen. For the most part, skylights that are built on south facing roofs are the best for saving you money. This is because it will filter in heat during the winter months, while keeping heat out in the summer months. If your skylight can brighten your house while also warming or cooling it, then you will see a direct correlation in your electricity bill.

There are many factors to consider before installing a skylight, so be sure to have a thorough discussion with your skylight provider. They will probably have a lot of suggestions that you might not even have considered before.

 

In the past flat roofs were sort of like your dysfunctional uncle. He was always around but nobody wanted to talk about him. Like your uncle there just wasn’t a lot that could be done with a flat roof and so it was left to its own devices. In recent years however architects and interior designers have discovered the benefits of installing skylights in flat roofs. Those benefits range from the environmental to the aesthetic to the downright practical and, as a result, the flat roof has become the new frontier of commercial design and development.

The Best Commercial Skylights for Your Flat Roof

While most everyone agrees that flat roof skylights are an idea whose time has come not everyone is aware of which type of commercial skylights are best for their flat roof. Below we’re going to take a look at the issue and provide some guidance you’ll hopefully find helpful.

Flat Roof Skylights: Basic Considerations

Flat roof skylights have gained favour because of their ability to exploit the wide open spaces of the roof to deliver natural light into commercial enterprises. Some commercial skylights are fixed, (they cannot be opened and closed) while others are retractable and still others are made of reinforced glass that can actually be walked on. So which type is right for your business? To find an answer to that question consider the following:

• Drainage – Perhaps the most crucial difference between the sloped roof skylight and the flat roof skylight is drainage. This is an issue that needs to be addressed not only in the way the roof is designed, but in the type of skylight you install. In most (not all) cases domed skylights are recommended for flat roofs because they do a better job of dispersing rainwater than other skylights.

• Size – While it may be tempting to put the largest flat roof skylight ever created on your roof to let in as much light as possible, it’s not always a matter of ‘bigger is better’ when it comes to skylights. Some roofs are simply not designed to have enormous openings carved into them and huge heavy commercial skylights dumped into those openings. As such you need to keep structural considerations up front when you are planning to install flat roof skylights.

• Surroundings – Even if you determine that your roof is perfectly capable of supporting as many large domed skylights as you want to install the fact is the surrounding environment may call for a more restrained deployment of roof skylights. That is, if yours is a relatively low building and there are numerous trees in the surrounding area you’ll want to consider whether falling branches from those trees represent a clear and present danger to your skylight plans. If they do you may want to cut back on the number and size of your roof skylights or install skylights with the type of reinforced glass we mentioned earlier.

To learn more about flat roof skylights or to discuss any aspect of commercial skylights with one of our experts, give us a call today on (416) 665-4482.

Skylights are often seen as a kind of architectural indulgence but that narrow assessment doesn’t give them their due as a green home improvement; which they certainly are. Today’s skylights are every bit as energy efficient as the best double pane vinyl windows and the natural light they let in can result in lower costs for heating and lighting as well as a more welcoming environment for plants. Not convinced? Let’s take a look then at how residential skylights fare against other green home improvements.

Residential Skylights: Are They Really Green?

Residential skylights are not just beautiful they also compare favourably to other common environmentally responsible enhancements like:

• Dual Pane Windows – Standard dual pane windows – the kind you install in your kitchen and living room – provide effective insulation against heat loss in the winter and heat gain in the summer. As such they help you save energy and money. Most of today’s skylights are also dual pane and as such need to be considered on par with the rest of your energy saving windows.
• Tankless water heater – Tankless water heaters heat only the water you need when you need it. They free you from having to have 50 gallons or more of hot water constantly sitting around gobbling up energy. Today’s home skylights also provide you what you need on demand. They let the warm sunshine in on those frigid cold days and open to allow heat to vent from the house on those blistering hot afternoons.
• The Programmable Thermostat – The programmable thermostat can adjust the temperature in your home automatically, eliminating the chance that you’ll forget to turn the temp down before you go to work or sleep. Likewise, you can install motorized shades over your skylights that are programmed to close during those times of the day when direct sunlight might cause your home to overheat.

The Many Green Benefits of Skylights

Few green home improvements can stand side by side with home skylights when it comes to:

• Reducing energy consumption – Skylights can reduce your dependency on artificial lighting thereby generating substantial savings on your monthly electric bill.
• Creating a healthier environment – Skylights bring natural light into long forgotten areas and natural light brings with it a reduction in the amount of potentially dangerous mold and bacteria that propagate in the dark, dank places of the home.
• Lifting the atmosphere – Numerous studies have concluded that people not only perform better, they feel better when the live and work in spaces that are flooded with natural light. As such skylights in the home can lift everyone’s spirits and make it a more upbeat, inviting place.

Residential skylights will not only enhance the curb appeal of your home they’ll make it a far more energy efficient, healthy and welcoming place for everyone. To learn more about the many green benefits of skylights and how they can transform the interior of your home talk to the skylight experts at Aluplex on (416) 665-4482.

Move over, chandeliers, there’s a new way to provide lighting and style to your home. For years now, skylights have grown in popularity due to their sleek design and energy consumption benefits, but some are better than others. Here’s all you need to know about pyramid skylights and the benefits they have that others don’t.

When it Comes to Water Management, Pyramid Skylights Lead the Way

When we think of skylights, we tend to associate them with sunshine and give little thought to rain – but that could prove costly. Some skylights are better equipped to deal with rain than others, and a pyramid skylight is one of them. Whilst flat skylights are a great product, their retention of water both looks unsightly and could cause problems down the line. A pyramid, however, is much more effective simply because of its shape. Water will simply roll down, rather than gather, and so you don’t have to worry about it pooling and causing damage to your home.

Aerodynamically Sound

Some skylights may buckle under a strong wind, but the sharp, sleek corners of a pyramid skylight means it’s aerodynamic and is up to the test. With less wind pushing against the face of the skylight, you won’t have to worry about it potentially being damaged or flying away to Oz any time soon.

Aesthetically Pleasing

As welcome on your home as they would be in a gallery, a pyramid shaped skylight is definitely a headline grabber. For centuries people have wondered about the pyramids and now you have a chance to incorporate its style onto your home. Where some skylights may look as though they belong in the 70s, pyramids offer a sleek, minimal design that’s bound to get chins wagging and increase the curb appeal of your home.

Increased Lighting

Skylights are associated with letting the sunshine through into your property, and pyramid ones can do it better than others. By shining onto the prism, light is transferred down into your property at a wide angle, illuminating more than other types may. Not only does this mean you get more natural light for your money, the fact that it covers a wider area than other skylight types means that you won’t have to rely as much on electrical lights in your home. This can save on both your energy costs and your carbon footprint.

A Cheap Focal Point

Raising the roof level of your home will cost you thousands, but you can easily achieve a similar effect with a pyramid skylight. This will give your room a focal point around which you can organize you furniture to provide a sense of elegance that other skylight types simply can’t offer you.

Skylights – All are Good, but Some are Better than Others

Skylights are a modern, forward-thinking home improvement that can not only have save the planet, but save you money as well. As you’ve read, pyramids lead the way for the skylights, offering a range of benefits such as increased natural lighting whilst also looking great, too.

Pyramid skylights are designed to add a touch of visual interest and elegance to your otherwise mundane roof. They are primarily used on flat roofs and are often installed in clusters. They’re a high value aesthetic choice for both residential and commercial buildings but that aesthetic value can be compromised if, among other things, the wrong size of pyramid skylight is installed or they are installed without giving due consideration to their location. Below we’re going to take a look at the things you’ll want to consider to ensure your skylights complement rather than spoil the look of your roof.

Pyramid Skylights: Things to Consider

Pyramid skylights are the most effective way to bring light into your home or commercial enterprise all through the day. That’s because the pyramid shape allows them to capture light from every angle. Below are the most important things you’ll want to consider to ensure your skylights wind up an aesthetic asset rather than an aesthetic detriment.

• Size – The size of the pyramids you install is crucial to getting the most out of their ability to capture light. In most cases our customers find that choosing slightly larger skylights than they originally envisioned is a good idea. Ask one of our experts to demonstrate how a slightly larger skylight can benefit your home or business both practically and aesthetically.

• Positioning – Placement of your new pyramid skylight is as important as size. It’s one thing to select a larger skylight than you originally envisioned, it’s another thing to place it in a way that takes advantage of all the light it can capture. Placing your skylight on the roof under an overhanging tree is a mistake for 2 reason. First the tree will block light for at least half the day and second, if there is a heavy wind event you run the risk of a falling branch cracking or even breaking the skylight. The experts at Aluplex will be happy to help you determine the right placement for your skylights.

• The Installation – You can have a perfectly sized skylight and choose the ideal location for it but if the installation is poor the skylight can wind up doing more harm than good. Water leaking in around a poorly installed skylight can rot the roof joists, destroy fiberglass insulation in the roof and walls and leak down onto carpeting and furniture. All that moisture in the walls can also become a breeding ground for bacteria and potentially dangerous mold. When the experienced pros from Aluplex install your skylights you’ll rest easy knowing they’re good to go for years to come.

Experience: The Aluplex Difference

Aluplex has installed scores of pyramid skylights for residential and commercial customers across the GTA. No one is more experienced and no one has as many satisfied customers. In order to ensure you choose the right skylights for your home or business contact the pros and Aluplex and talk to one of our skylight experts.