Do you have a small room in your home and wonder what you can do to liven it up a bit? Small rooms shouldn’t be neglected. In fact, many great design schemes that work perfectly for small rooms, and help make them feel a bit bigger.

When it comes to a small room, you do have to get creative with your design plan. However, that is also the fun part about it. That little room could be your new favourite quiet space, or maybe an epic theatre room.

If you walk into your small room and feel bored and confined, it’s time to liven it up. Try out some of the following tips to help make that room the favourite spot in the whole house.

Install a Skylight

Small rooms need something to help make them feel bigger. Windows are one of the best ways to achieve this. However, not every room is fit for a window. That is when a skylight comes in handy.

There are many different types of skylights that you can install into the roof of the room. They help bring in natural light, which is essential for brightening up a small room. Plus, by having a skylight in the ceiling, it gives the illusion that the roof is higher than what it actually is.

Utilize Colours

Typically, many people think you should only have white walls in a small room to help it feel bigger. However, too much white isn’t’ always appealing to everyone. When properly planned, you can bring in some colours that will go beautifully with a small room.

Some colours, like loud and bright colours, actually can work better in a smaller space. Having a bright purple or fluorescent orange all over a large room can be overwhelming. But if you paint one of the walls in the small room with these colours, you’ll get that much-needed pop of colour without going crazy.

Use Mirrors

Mirrors can also help give the illusion that a room is bigger than what it is. Having a wall of mirrors will visually double the space. They will also reflect the light from the windows, which will help keep the small room nicely lit to make it feel bigger.

Declutter the Room

One of the quickest ways for a room to feel small is by having too much clutter. When you have clothes, and personal belongs laying around everywhere, it starts to take up a lot of space. So, keeping the room tidy and putting everything away will keep the small room more open.

Creatively Rearrange the Room

How you lay out the room can also make a small space feel bigger. Keeping things tucked into the corners of the room or against the wall will open up more floor space in the centre. If it’s a small bedroom, lose one side of the bed and keep it pushed against the wall.

When planning out everything, thinking vertically will give you more options rather than spreading everything out. Basically, the more open space you can keep in the centre of the room, the more it will make the small room feel bigger.

After making the decision to install a skylight, one of the important considerations to make is just what size skylight will work for your home. Read on to learn about sizing mistakes and how to plan for the perfect skylight.

Too Small

Cutting a hole in your roof can be overwhelming, which is why a lot of homeowners opt for a smaller size skylight. Small seems manageable, and less intrusive. But before choosing a too small size skylight, be sure to remember the reason for installing a skylight in the first place.

Skylights let in sunlight. This adds a welcoming, natural source of light that can act as a substitute for lamps. Not only is natural light more pleasing to the eye, it is also a lot less expensive than using electricity.

Skylights can also act to warm the house in the winter. This cuts down on heating costs and again, provides a comforting atmosphere to the home.

If you have a too small size skylight, then you won’t be able to benefit from either natural light or natural heat. Instead, you will have a hole in your roof that you may end up regretting.

Too big

Opposite to a too small skylight is a too big size skylight. The phrase ‘go big or go home’ doesn’t necessarily apply when looking to install a skylight.

With regards to light, too much is not always a good thing. If your skylight is in the bedroom, think about if you like waking up in with the sunrise or not. This is especially important to consider during the summer months, when it can become light out by 5 am. A too big size skylight will let more light in, which may disrupt your sleeping patterns.

As for heat, a skylight that is too big may allow too much heat in the summer, and could even let too much heat out in the winter. If one of your reasons for installing a skylight is temperature control, then be sure to pay attention to the size of it.

Just right

Before any installation happens, be sure to talk to a skylight expert. It’s ok, and even encouraged, to come into a meeting with your own thoughts and plans. This is your house, and you know your needs better than anyone else. But an expert can guide you through a sizing chart. They can talk to you about lighting and temperature.

Most importantly, a skylight expert can talk about the mechanics around the installation. Not every roof can be cut through. And not every roof can hold the weight attached to a skylight. An expert will talk to you, look at your plans, and come to your house before any demolition happens. Often you will need to go through a few draft ideas until everyone is comfortable with the end result. Your home is precious to you, and it pays to take a bit of extra time to ensure that everything is done right.

So, you’ve decided to install a skylight in your home or business. This is great! You are ready to enjoy all of the benefits that come with a skylight- natural light, boosted moods, and lower energy costs. Now that you have decided to install a skylight, you’re ready to move on to the next step in the process, picking a style.

There are so many styles to choose from. Flat, domed, pyramid, single panel, and so on, are all possible options for your home or business. Two popular choices among consumers are flat and dome skylights. We went ahead and broke down the highlights for both types!

Dome

Dome skylights are an eye-catching way to incorporate natural light in a room. These curved skylights were a huge trend back in the day, and are still fairly popular today.

More Light

The main reason people invest in skylights is to add more natural light to their home or business. Dome skylights typically add more light to a room compared to flat skylights. The curvature in the dome’s design allows it to bend the light from the sun and add just a little extra light to the room.

Weather-Durable

One thing that can put a damper on your mood is to watch your skylight fill up with rain or snow. Dome skylights don’t have this issue. The curve of the design allows for rain and snow to easily slide off of your skylight. This ensures that, no matter the weather outside, you can enjoy clarity through your skylight.

Extra Options for Efficiency

One of the great things about dome skylights is the option to make them even more energy efficient. Typically, dome skylights are made from acrylic. Acrylic is long-lasting and durable, but also more lightweight than glass.

If you choose an acrylic skylight, you have the option to have it ‘double’ or ‘triple’ layered. The layers refer to how many layers of acrylic you want on your dome skylight. A double layer is typical, but a third layer adds extra insulation, making it more energy efficient.

Flat

While dome skylights were a big hit about twenty years ago, flat skylights have become increasingly popular in recent times. The design of a flat skylight allows it to easily align with your roof, giving it a seamless flow. Flat skylights add more of a modern feel to a home or business, all while offering practically the same benefits of a dome skylight.

Choices of Material

One of the biggest advantages of a flat skylight is having the option between glass or acrylic as your material. While acrylic is extremely durable, and has the option for additional layering, glass is extremely energy efficient. Unlike acrylic, glass units can be completely sealed, and are therefore more effective at keeping the heat in during the winter, and keeping the heat out during the summer.

It is important to speak with a professional before deciding on the type of skylight you would like. There are many other factors that play into your skylight options, like the type of roof you have. The pros at Aluplex can help guide you through your questions and lead you to the perfect skylight!

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.