Residential skylights have rapidly grown in popularity among homeowners in Toronto in recent years, but what about commercial skylights? Are they able to benefit businesses in the same way that they benefit homeowners? If you own a commercial property and you’re looking to ensure its design is as efficient as it can possibly be, there are a number of reasons to consider having commercial skylights installed and we’re going to discuss some of the main ones during this article.

A Few Very Good Reasons to Consider Having Commercial Skylights Installed

How could commercial skylights possibly benefit your business? Aren’t they just essentially planned “gaps” in the roof that let the light from the sun inside?! While that is a description that is technically correct, if not a little basic, commercial skylights can benefit a commercial operation quite significantly in many cases, as you’ll find out below:

• Considerable Energy Savings – In a commercial environment, one of the biggest drains in terms of energy usage is artificial lighting. Through various studies it has been found to account for approximately 40 percent of the total energy usage in the average commercial building. 40 percent! Skylights allow natural light to be used and reduce your dependence on artificial lighting to the point that it is used up to 70 percent less in most cases. This translates to considerable savings and ensures the initial outlay is recouped in a relatively short amount of time.
• Creates a Healthy Environment – There are many studies that have been conducted that have found a lack of exposure to natural light and frequent exposure to artificial lighting can be harmful to your health. Commercial skylights ensure your premises is flooded with natural light containing vitamin D, which is essential to a healthy lifestyle. Natural light is also thought to have a positive impact upon mental health and this is thought to lead to greater productivity levels and fewer days absent from work.
• Environmentally Friendly  The push towards being environmentally friendly and sustainable has been huge in recent years as the whole world pulls together in order to protect the earth’s atmosphere and preserve its depleted supply of natural resources. Commercial skylights are a great way to reduce your company’s carbon footprint and become greener, since you will consume less energy as a result of skylights installation, and the alternative you will be using is completely sustainable and doesn’t give off any harmful by products.
• Further Cost Savings – It’s not just the  energy that is an ongoing cost when utilizing artificial lighting; the actual lights themselves and the bulbs (which need replacing) can cost a considerable amount in a large commercial property. And then there can be electrical issues that need repairing (not free either!). The light that filters through commercial skylights and into your property’s interior is not only free but it’s also uncomplicated and doesn’t need any other form of technology to work.

If you’re thinking of having one or more commercial skylights installed, contact the team at Aluplex for further help and information.

If you’ve decided to invest in octagon skylights for your property, whether it be a commercial or residential setting, you have almost certainly made that decision to capitalise on the wide range of practical benefits that such a feature can offer. However, should you make poor decisions that lead to a decrease in the energy efficiency and performance of your new skylight, the benefits of having it installed might be somewhat neutralised. It’s therefore important to be aware of the design considerations that can have an effect upon energy efficiency and performance before you start.

Maximise the Performance of Octagon Skylights: Design Considerations

As one of the leading companies for skylights installation in Toronto, we make it our business to be aware of all of the possible factors that can influence the performance of our products. When having octagon skylights (or any other type of skylights for that matter) installed, here are some of the main design factors that must be considered:

• Size of Skylights – How big are the octagon skylights that you’re planning to have installed? It goes without saying that the physical size of the skylight affects how much light is able to filter into your property (level of illumination), as well as the temperature of the air directly below the skylight. If it is installed in a room that already contains a lot of windows, it is recommended that the skylight occupy no more than five percent of the total floor area of the room. This can be increased to fifteen percent in rooms that don’t feature many windows.
• The Position of the Skylights – Octagon skylights that are positioned on roofs that point towards the north receive a fairly constant supply of sunlight, while those facing the east are known to harvest the most amount of light overall. However, octagon skylights that are installed on south facing roofs will often cause overheating inside the property during the warm summer months in Toronto, but are effective at providing solar heating in the cool winter months.
• The Type of Glazing – One of the other main factors affecting the performance of residential and commercial skylights is the type of glazing that is used. Plastic glazing doesn’t generally do an effective job of filtering out harmful UV rays, which are known to cause fading of interior decor items. However, it is possible to select glazing (both glass and plastic glazing options) that feature special types of films that control the amount of sunlight that is able to enter the property, thus helping to manage the interior temperature and deal with issues such as fading.
• The Quality of Installation – Performance isn’t just down to the quality of the product itself; poor skylights installation can have serious consequences in terms of energy efficiency and performance too. The skylight needs to be properly sealed and installed flush to other architectural element of your house, otherwise air leakage could become a problem, allowing heat energy to escape. Always select a reputable contractor to install your skylights. Paying a little more upfront can often result in savings that run into the hundreds or even thousands over the course of the skylight’s lifespan.

Aluplex is proud to offer a wide range of different skylights, including octagon skylights and pyramid skylights, and would be glad to assist you should you need any further help.

The concept of allowing natural light to enter a space from a window in the ceiling goes back at least as far as the Roman Empire. The 2,000 year old Pantheon (still standing in central Rome) is one of the earliest examples of this. It wasn’t until high quality glass became available during the industrial revolution however, that skylights became a common feature in people’s homes. Today, while nearly everyone agrees that residential skylights look great there is still something of a debate going on regarding whether they’re worth the investment.

The Many Benefits of Residential Skylights

Here’s our list of 6 reasons we believe residential skylights are worth every penny you’re willing to invest in them.

1. Skylights Bring on the Light – A home with skylights is one flooded with natural light. So much so that during the day artificial light may almost never be necessary. Over the course of several years the savings on your electric bill alone will justify installing skylights.
2. Skylights Bring in the Warmth – During the winter months in Toronto anything that can introduce more heat into a home without adding to the energy bill is welcome. During the middle part of the day when the sun is most intense having windows in your ceiling can help keep your house warm and cozy and help you keep the thermostat set nice and low.
3. Skylights Add Resale Value – Whether used as part of a sunroom or scattered about the house to open things up and bring in light and heat, skylights add real bottom line value to a home, especially in a cold weather market like the GTA.
4. Skylights Add Light While Retaining Privacy – In crowded urban areas privacy is an important concern for many people and residential skylights offer the perfect alternative to having a dark house in the middle of the day. If necessary you can pull the curtains and still enjoy beautiful sunlight flooding into your home.
5. Skylights are a Plant’s Best Friend – There are plenty of places you’d like to have plants in your house but can’t because of the lack of natural light. Any room with skylights automatically becomes plant friendly and helps to make your entire home more beautiful and welcoming.
6. Skylights Have Come a Long Way Since the Pantheon – Today’s residential skylights can be opened and closed by remote control and, if you like, come equipped with blinds that can be controlled the same way. Skylights are even available today that will close themselves if they sense rain or snow. Imagine if your garage door could do that!

Today’s residential skylights are marvels of engineering with a slew of practical applications that also just happen to make your home look like a million bucks. The days of single, fragile panes of glass sitting uneasily in slowly rotting wooden casements are long gone and today’s skylights will give you years of low maintenance joy, while adding real value to your home in the process. Call us toll free at 1-877-ALUPLEX (258-7539) to find out more about skylights installation in Toronto or emergency skylights repair.

Skylights are an amazingly simple way to bring the interior of your home to life, reduce your electric and heating bills and add resale value to your home. Unfortunately they can sometimes develop leaks that should be fixed as soon as they are discovered. This is especially true of older skylights. Some folks will take a laid-back approach and not want to call for skylights repair. Toronto weather however, isn’t going to wait for you to take action and before you know it you’ll have a cascade of other issues that will make you wish you’d done something when the leaks first appeared.

The Downside of Delaying Skylights Repair in Toronto

Skylights are ideally situated to make the most of available sunlight. However, they’re also ideally situated to create maximum havoc with other elements of your home should something go wrong with them. Here are several problems caused by chronically leaky residential skylights you won’t have if you call Aluplex skylights repair Toronto.

• Damage to Your Walls – You may know there’s a slow leak around one of your skylights but decide it’s no big deal because it’s not dripping on you while you watch football. But the fact you don’t need an umbrella to watch TV doesn’t mean you’re in the clear. Water can seep from your roof into your walls where it can damage drywall, wood paneling, wainscoting and a host of other things that will require expensive repairs.
• Damaged Furniture – Sometimes a slow leak, if ignored, will suddenly become a fast leak that rains down upon your expensive furniture, wood flooring and oriental rugs. If this happens while you’re out of the house one night or away on vacation… ouch!
• Mold – Leaky skylights create perpetually damp areas in the ceiling and walls allowing mold to take hold and spread. Mold is a powerful allergen that can have a long term detrimental effect on everyone in the home if not rooted out and the source of the moisture repaired.
• Damaged Flooring – A leaky skylight in the attic can cause damage to the floor that slowly spreads and becomes damage to the ceiling below which may result in damage to any wiring in the floor/ceiling and, well, you get the idea.
• Widespread Damage to Your Roof – A slow leak around the margins of your residential skylights can allow enough water into the roof structure to cause widespread damage and require major repair and replacement work.

While a few drops of water may not seem like anything major it could be that the actual leaking has been going on for some time and is only now making itself known. Call Aluplex the minute you discover you have a problem for the best skylights repair in Toronto. We’ll be there regardless of the weather because we know that prompt, effective action is the key to staving off other issues down the road. Don’t wait for the problem to take you by the collar. Call Aluplex skylights repair Toronto today and save yourself time, money and major headaches tomorrow.

Skylight. The name alone evokes images of lazy, golden rays of sunlight streaming into cozy, attic bedrooms full of plush quilts and throw rugs. Maybe no other single architectural element gets the level of good press and goodwill skylights do. They evoke sophistication and openness, good times and heavenly views. But what about skylights installation in Toronto? Do they have a place in such an unforgiving climate?

Skylights Installation in Toronto: The Right Move?

Residential skylights get no shortage of love, it’s true. But not everyone thinks skylights installation in Toronto is such a great idea. Some complain that they’re energy inefficient, others maintain they’re prone to leaks and can be hard to repair and others will pan them for being difficult to keep clean. So who’s right? First we’ll look at some of the pros of skylights.

• Skylights Add Sex Appeal to a Home – Due to whatever particular magic they possess skylights make nearly any type of space more interesting (even hallways!). They open things up, create new focal points and make any room plant friendly.
• Skylights Add Value to a Home – Not only do they make your home more physically attractive they can also help reduce your heating, lighting and air conditioning costs. No less an authority than the US department of Energy says so. As such, homes with skylights are a particular favourite of buyers looking to embrace green living.
• Skylights Create a Healthier Environment – Potentially dangerous molds grow in dark, damp areas of the home like the basement and attic. Toronto homeowners know this perhaps as well as anyone. By opening up your attic to the light of the sun you give these potential allergens nowhere to take root.

Okay so what about those potential “cons” we mentioned above? Is there anything to them or is it just sour grapes emanating from grumpy Gus who like the dark? Let’s look at those cons one at a time.

• Skylights are Energy Inefficient – See above.
• Leaks are a Major Problem – There was something to this in the days of wooden casements that would rot after being subjected to months of the brutal Toronto winters. Today’s vinyl skylights though, have all of their ancestor’s appeal and none of their structural weakness.
• Skylights are Difficult to Clean – Of the three cons mentioned above this is the only one that has legs. Residential skylights will of course be more difficult to access and therefore clean than their right-there-on-the-wall cousins. It’s the one trade-off you’ll make in order to enjoy their many advantages.

If you’re considering skylights installation, Toronto is perhaps the perfect place for it. The additional natural light they’ll allow into your home will be much-appreciated during the long, dark months of December and January as will the relief they provide on your heating bill. People spend more time in their GTA homes than most due to the weather and skylights can help make that experience seem less confining and more inviting. Call Aluplex today at (416) 665-4482 to find out more about skylights installation in Toronto.

If water has begun to drip from around your skylights there are plenty of folks who will say you need to replace them, you need a new roof or any number of other doomsday scenarios. If you find yourself putting out buckets to catch water leaking from around your skylights the most important thing NOT to do is… panic. Just take a breath and try to figure out what’s going on in a calm, rational manner before calling out for emergency skylights repair you may or may not need.

What Causes a Skylight to Leak?

Your beautiful skylights are supposed to let in the light, not the water but the fact that there’s water seeping in around your skylights isn’t cause for panicked calls to a roofer or general contractor or anyone else. The following list may help simplify the emergency skylights repair process (if repair is needed) by giving you some idea of what may have caused the leak.

1. Your Skylights aren’t Actually Leaking– Huh? Leaking implies something is structurally wrong. Sometimes though, water is coming in because the skylights simply weren’t closed fully or properly. The more people in your home the better the chance someone left the skylight slightly ajar and that’s the reason for the dripping water.
2. They’re Not Actually Leaking II – Sometimes a few drips is not indicative of anything other than condensation on the inside of the pane. Make sure that’s not the case before calling for emergency skylights repair.
3. Faulty Installation – If you’ve just had your skylights installed and you notice dripping water your first call (after checking that the skylights are closed and the drips are not condensation) should be to the company that installed them. Get them back to your house, show them the problem and let them fix it.
4. Faulty Flashing – Anything that penetrates your roof is surrounded by flashing to prevent water leaking in around the margins, that includes residential skylights. Poorly installed, old or damaged flashing is a common cause for water leaking in around a skylight.
5. Cracked Panes – Storms, ice or heavy wet snow can send tree branches crashing down onto your roof. If your area was recently subjected to a violent storm or heavy snowfall your skylight may have been compromised by falling debris.
6. Recent Roof Work – If you recently had the roofer over to make repairs or re-shingle your roof a wayward nail or dropped piece of equipment may have caused damage to the window pane or flashing.

Aluplex: The Right Emergency Skylights Repair Service

Once you have a better idea of the nature of the problem, give us a call. Our emergency skylights repair technicians will listen to your input, quickly determine the exact cause of your leak then have it fixed in no time. We’ve been fixing residential skylights in the Toronto area for more than 3 decades and have seen it all. We’ll get right to the heart of the problem and quickly return your home to normal regardless of the time of day or weather conditions.