Designing a mall can be a huge undertaking. There are so many design points that need attention and windows and lighting are only two. However, they do deserve due consideration. Why not kill two birds with one stone and take a look at skylights for your mall design? Let’s check out some of the benefits of including skylights in a mall.

Visual Appeal

The first thing that skylights do is add a significant increase in visual appeal. When the mall you’re designing is fully operational, skylights will become an attraction. Guests will be much more likely to return to your mall if they feel it’s high quality. Skylights virtually always make a building seem higher class than those without. Picking out what kind of skylights you put in your mall can be a matter of both functionality and aesthetic. 

Lighting

Here’s the thing about malls: they’re huge. Trying to light up an entire mall with electric lights is not only a difficult feat, but an expensive one. The amount of money that will be spent on electric if you don’t include skylights in your design will be astronomical. Including large skylights over the main hallways of a mall will keep it bright and easily traversable all through business hours. The addition of skylights pays for itself.

Safety

There is also a safety bonus to including skylights. In the event of a power outage, guests to the mall will be able to safely find their way to an exit. If there were no skylights, there would be no window close enough to make hallways traversable. The entire building would be pitch black. Skylights help you to avoid this kind of situation by providing light no matter what the situation. Even at night, should anyone be in the building, the moon would provide more light to the interior of the mall than would be available if the sky were completely closed off.

Property Value

And last, but certainly not least, skylights add significantly to the value of the property. You’re guaranteed to make more on your finished mall than you would without the addition of luxurious skylights. The entire mall takes on a more finished and worthwhile appearance, even from the outside, with some well-placed skylights. 

Choose Aluplex

Aluplex has been in the business of making and installing skylights for over 40 years. Our skylight designs have been said to be lightyears ahead of the competition. If you want quality skylights for your mall design, then you want Aluplex. We offer the highest quality in the Toronto area. Give us a call if you’re planning any kind of construction project involving skylights. We guarantee you’ll be happy you did.

The holiday of Sukkot is an exciting time for observant Jews. After all, who doesn’t want to get together with family and celebrate? The thing about Sukkot is that it means building your Sukkah. Aluplex makes building your Sukkah easier than ever. Read on to see how operable skylights can help make building a kosher Sukkah easier.

What is Sukkot?

For those who aren’t aware, Sukkot is a Jewish holiday. During the holiday, observant Jews put together a Sukkah. A Sukkah is an enclosure made of natural materials. It’s meant to represent the kind of fragile dwelling the Israelites dwelt in during their 40 years of desert traveling. During Sukkot, Jews will eat, and sometimes sleep, in their Sukkah. The Sukkah must be taken down and rebuilt each year.

Operable Sukkah Skylights

Aluplex has a fantastic solution for building your yearly Sukkah. Instead of having to build an entire structure from scratch, we’ve come up with a kosher alternative. By adding an enclosed porch to your home, this alternative becomes possible. All you have to do is have our kosher Sukkah skylights installed in the roof of your porch.

Build On Top

When it comes time for Sukkot, you can simply open up the skylights and build your sh’chach over top of the uncovered porch. These kosher skylights can be opened manually or pneumatically, since observant Jews are not permitted to operate electric switches during Sukkot and Shabbat.

Once the skylights are opened, you are free to build your sh’chach however you like. Your porch will then become your Sukkah, allowing you to eat and sleep in a somewhat more comfortable environment while remaining kosher.

Post Sukkot

One Sukkot is over, your sh’chach can be removed and the skylights can be closed. Your porch is then returned to normal and can be used however you like throughout the rest of the year. You can keep plants inside where they won’t be harmed by the harsh, Canadian winter. Maybe even a porch swing would go nicely inside. With the wonderful addition of skylights, your porch will be full of sunshine year round. These skylights are a worthy investment for any observant Jew.

If you’re interested in buying some of Aluplex’s kosher skylights, we’re only a call away. Contact us to learn more about our skylights and what other products we have to offer that may aid in the construction of your enclosed porch. We’re more than happy to answer any questions you have.

Do you have any doors or windows in your house that could use some help? People underestimate just how much money is wasted by aging or broken doors and windows. That’s why Aluplex is here to replace and repair your doors and windows to save you money.

Winter Savings

Not only are drafty doors and windows a bother in winter due to the breeze they let in, they also cost you money. For all of the cold air that leaks in during winter, your heater has to do extra work. And, for all of that extra work, your electric bill gets bigger. 

Replacing or repairing drafty windows and doors means your heater is more effective. Without the heater having to turn on as often, you save money on your electric bill. The upgrade or repair pays for itself!

Summer Savings

Don’t settle for saving only in winter. Ensuring your doors and windows seal properly also saves you money in the hot months. During the summer, air conditioning runs to keep your home cool. Instead of cold air leaking in, this time it’s leaking out. If all of the cold air from your air conditioner is leaking out, it’s going to have to turn on more frequently. Just the same as the electric demand of the heater, your AC will raise your electric bill. By getting your windows and doors back in working order, your electric bill will lower.

Resale Value

It’s not just the temperature in your home that’s affected by your doors and windows. Did you know that having effective doors and windows are a huge selling point? If you have any plans to sell your house in the near future, you should have the doors and windows repaired or replaced. 

People are willing to pay significantly less for a home that has damage to the doors and windows. That’s because it’s not only a waste of money to make up for the temperature changes, it’s a security risk. Your door is only as strong as the frame it’s in.

Avoid Break-Ins

An indirect way of saving money with window and door repair is by avoiding break-ins. You’ll certainly save money by keeping burglars out of your home. Did you know that when someone breaks a door in, it’s not the lock that breaks? Kicking a door in is actually done by breaking the door frame. The lock on the door, whether it’s a slider or a deadbolt, is not the target here. An intruder is aiming to put enough force against the lock that the lock actually breaks through the weak, wooden frame.

Ensure the safety of your home and repair your doors and windows. You want your home to maintain secure and safe by making exterior entries their best. The same goes for windows. If a window is old or the frame is weak, it’s even easier to break in. Do yourself a favor and give us a call at Aluplex. We’re looking forward to keeping you and your wallet safe from outdated entries.

A skylight might seem like a luxury addition to a home or a superfluous choice for a commercial building. The truth is, skylights are more than that. Not only do they add a lot to any building’s design, they also help protect the environment. How can they help protect the environment? It’s simple. Let’s take a look!

Electrical Use

While electricity has the potential to be produced from a clean energy source, current production methods affect the environment. Power plants are often powered by fossil fuels which produce a lot of carbon dioxide. Carbon Dioxide causes things to heat up, affecting the climate in a negative way.

What does all of this have to do with skylights? Well, when a building uses a lot of electricity to light itself up, it can make an impact on the environment. That’s because it’s using power from a power plant that creates carbon dioxide. With houses, one or two doesn’t make a huge difference. But, how about when a whole neighborhood does?

Skylights Are Green

No, not green like the color. Skylights are green as in, they help the environment. When a building installs a skylight above a main room, it can make electric lights unnecessary. For that space. One kitchen’s overhead light might not seem like much. However, the massive amount of houses in Canada mean there are a lot more than one.

Adjusting

What happens fairly often is that people become accustomed to electric light and stop relying on natural light. The thing is, if you open up your curtains or blinds in a room, it’s usually light enough. Unless you have really small windows or a room that doesn’t allow much light flow, natural light can fill a space. This is even more true when using skylights, as the light comes in from above and floods a room.

The tricky thing is adjusting. Some people will turn on electric lights even when the window is open. But does it really make a noticeable difference? The truth is, the light being turned on doesn’t often make the room any brighter, it just changes the color of the light to something warmer. Even if it does make a small difference, it’s actually possible to let your eyes adjust. Try not using so much electric light and getting used to a slightly dimmer room. You may find that after a few days you aren’t having any trouble with it anymore. Your eyes just needed time to get used to their new normal.

Commercial Skylights

Now, getting a huge number of people to suddenly spring for skylights isn’t super likely. It’s hard to get that many individuals on board with a big change. That’s why commercial buildings that opt for skylights are so important. These buildings are run by one person with the power to make a large impact.

Commercial buildings use up a lot of energy lighting up large spaces. Public places like malls save money and help the environment by opting to light large spaces with skylights. So, next time you see a big skylight overhead, remember that it’s more than just a pretty design choice!

If you want to do your part in protecting the environment, contact us with any of your order inquiries!