Aluplex, as a glass specialist company, has decided to take on some of the most frequent concerns about skylights. In our first article, we covered temperature changes and safety. Today, we have a couple more concerns that need to be addressed. 

Will skylights ever leak?

Good quality skylights do not leak unless they’ve sustained some kind of damage. If you’re having skylights installed by a reputable company, it will take pretty significant impact – like from a tree branch falling – to damage your skylight. If your skylight is leaking, it needs to be serviced.

Aluplex offers skylight maintenance and repairs in the GTA. If you find your skylight leaking at all, give us a call and we’ll come out and see if we can find the source of the problem. From there, we’ll fix your skylight, because having a leaky, damaged skylight is both inconvenient and a safety risk.

What happens if leaves or other debris land on my skylight?

Because skylights face upward on a house, they will be rained on and have leaves fall on them. That’s just in the nature of being on the roof. Leaves may end up being washed away by further raining, but some may seem to stick. It’s unavoidable that your skylight will get some natural debris on it.

However, your skylight doesn’t have to stay dirty forever. If you or someone else in your family gets up on the roof each winter or fall to put up holiday lights or clean out gutters, this is a great time to wipe down skylights. Like any other window, skylights benefit from being cleaned once in a while. Plus, if you’re doing this cleaning near the end of fall or in the beginning of winter, all of the leaves should be finished falling. You’ll be free to wipe up any dirt or debris and your skylight should stay fairly clean until the following fall. You can even hire a professional to do this for you if you’re not comfortable or able to get up on the roof.

Do skylights have a problem with becoming moldy?

Skylights come in all shapes, sizes, and qualities. Some skylights, especially clusters of domes or pyramids, have framework between each dome. These types of skylights do have the potential to gather debris and, consequently, grow some mold. That’s why they need to be cleaned somewhat annually. Fortunately, these skylights are typically only used on large, commercial buildings.

For single-window skylights that are usually used on houses, you’re unlikely to have a problem with mold in the short-term. Potential debris will usually get washed away before it has a chance to cause any problems. Over the course of many years, however, you may see your skylight getting dingy from pollen, algae, etc. There’s no real way to prevent that from happening if you’re leaving your skylight to its own devices for a number of years. Therefore, we recommend having your skylights cleaned at least every five years. If you’re able to get on the roof, you can complete this task yourself. If you’re not comfortable or able to get on the roof, there are professionals who can clean your skylights for you. As mentioned above, an annual wipe-down of your skylights is even better and will keep them looking great no matter how long you have them.

If our articles on frequent concerns about skylights didn’t answer your question, give us a call.

While most people are in agreement that skylights look great, there are still some frequent concerns about them. Aluplex is a specialist glass company and we’re here today to address some of these concerns. Any uncertainties you have about skylights should be cleared up once you’ve read through these articles. Without further ado, here are some frequent concerns about skylights.

Will having a skylight raise or lower the temperature of my home?

Having a skylight does come with the potential for affecting the temperature of your home. However, this is something that comes with any new window. The addition of a regular window also carries that risk just because it lets in more sunlight and isn’t as insulated as a wall. 

The good news is, you can combat changes in temperature in a number of ways. 

• Getting skylights that are thermally broken will help insulate them. “Thermally broken” means that none of the parts making up your skylight are both outside and inside. Having connecting parts between the exterior and interior pieces keeps a single piece’s temperature from directly affecting your interior. Thus, it takes longer for heat or cold to get in.
• Installing insulating blinds or shades with your skylight will allow you to have a little more control over the affect it has on temperature. 
• You can insulate even better, without blocking out sun, by using insulating window films such as Window Armour. This is a clear coating that goes over windows and strengthens and insulates them. This company is also based out of Toronto.

Are skylights dangerous or at high risk of breaking?

Like any glass, skylights are not impervious to damage. Fortunately, ordering skylights from a reputable company usually means your skylights are high quality. Getting laminated glass skylights makes them pose no more risk than any other window.

To be extra cautious, you can choose not to install skylights underneath trees. Ensuring large branches won’t be able to fall against your skylight will make breaking the glass far less likely, regardless of how strong it is. In the case that your skylight does have something fall on it, have it checked by a professional. Aluplex has skylight servicing and we’ll be glad to come and look over your skylight for you. Checking for any damage after any kind of impact, even when not visibly broken, is important. That way, invisible damage won’t build up, leading to a bigger break. 

Aluplex also offers emergency skylight maintenance because we know skylight safety is so important. Even in the middle of a storm, we’re prepared to help. Keeping your home impervious to rain and keeping your skylight in one piece is our priority.

Check out our next article, part 2, to see some more concerns we’ve addressed. Give us a call if you have questions about Alplex products specifically and we’ll be more than happy to help.

If you’re in the business of designing commercial buildings, we have some good news for you. Including skylights in your design is always a good choice. That’s because, not only are skylights beautiful, attracting the attention and approval of clients, skylights in commercial buildings pay for themselves. Here’s how.

Green Lighting

One of the biggest benefits to having skylights in any building design is the opportunity for green lighting. Letting in ample amounts of sunlight during business hours means you don’t have to install as many electric lights. The lower demand for electric lighting saves money on electricity and is more green. Having a building design that has less impact on the environment is a huge deal these days. Clients are much more likely to find your design appealing if they know they’ll save money on lighting and help the environment.

Curb Appeal

If you’re building first and selling later, you don’t have to rely entirely on facts to sell your design. Curb appeal has a lot of sway with buyers. One look at a commercial building with a skylight will have buyers smitten with your design. Once they’ve had a chance to go in and look around the building that could be the future of their business, they’ll fall in love. Everyone has a weakness for skylights and you can use that to your advantage when selling.

Customer Appeal

If you’re commissioning someone to build one or more commercial buildings, there are a lot of reasons to request skylights in the design. For one thing, just as those buying a commercial building may be weak to the charm of skylights, customers are too. If you’re working out of a beautiful building, your customers will remember.

Part of what draws clients in to a business is how they feel about its status. Walking into a building that feels luxurious, open, and well-lit will leave them feeling better about your business. They’ll be happy to return and more patient with any minor flaws in service. The power of visual appeal is strong in the business world.

Worth the Investment

Because of all of these things, skylights pay for themselves. The assistance they give to lighting, the appeal they have to buyers, and the draw they have to clients makes them well worth the cost to install them. Not to mention, if you’re building your commercial buildings in Toronto, you have the convenience of ordering from Aluplex. Aluplex is a leading Toronto glass company that specializes in windows and skylights. You can get your money’s worth when ordering from us. Plus, we’ll have your skylights installed by our installation professionals. 

If you’d like to order Aluplex skylights or inquire about the process, contact us! We look forward to hearing from you. If you’re still not sure about whether our skylights are right for you, consider our quality windows and glass doors. No matter what kind of glass you’re after, Aluplex is a designer’s best friend.

Skylights add so much to appeal to whatever building they’re in. The beautiful designs and the wonderful sunlight they let in are priceless. Office buildings, malls, and other large buildings benefit greatly from these architectural pieces. However, what happens when one of them breaks? Having a broken skylight is a disaster. That’s why Aluplex is here to help with skylight repairs.

Broken Skylight

Broken skylights are an architectural disaster. Should it rain, the exposed area of your building is now subject to water damage and flooding. Not to mention, if the break is in the frame, there’s a risk of more of the skylight falling. That’s a massive safety risk. The weight of different parts of a skylight is enough to cause serious injury or even death from the height it would fall from. That’s why it’s so important to get immediate servicing of a broken skylight. 

Skylight Repairs

Aluplex is the leading glass sales and repair company in Toronto. If you have a broken skylight in need of repair, you can count on us to fix it up for you. Our services extend throughout the GTA. Just give us a call and we can arrange for a time when it’s convenient for both of us. Then, we’ll come out and get your skylight back into working order.

Emergency Repairs

We at Aluplex don’t take skylight repairs lightly. Because these windows are the only thing between your interior and the weather outside, we offer emergency repairs. Should your skylight get damaged during a storm or other such event, our emergency crew can fix it as soon as possible. Our repair crew is prepared to get to work even in harsh conditions to get your skylight fixed. After all, waiting until the bad weather has passed can lead to irreparable damage to your possessions or business.

Leak Repairs

Some breaks in skylights are small enough to be fixed easily. If the frame has only taken a small amount of damage, you might end up with a leak. Aluplex’s repair crew can get straight to the source of any skylight leak quickly. Our efficient repairs will leave you with a fully resealed skylight once more.

Skylight Replacements

If your skylight is broken beyond fixing or looks like it may fall apart again even after repair, it’s time to replace it. Aluplex isn’t just for repairs. We offer a wide selection of beautiful skylights. If you need a replacement skylight, you can count on us to provide. Check out our selection of skylights and see for yourself what we have available.

No matter what you need from your local skylight specialists, Aluplex can help. If you need help, have questions, or would like to talk to a professional, give us a call. We look forward to hearing from you!