From increasing the ventilation in a windowless bathroom to putting the finishing touches on an attic extension, there are many reasons for adding skylights to your home.
While most people’s main concern is bringing more natural light into a space, skylights also make for a more sustainable home since you won’t need to rely on artificial lighting as much. What’s more, thanks to the way some types of skylights help heat and cool your home, you might see more energy cost savings than you anticipated.
Want to know more about the different skylight styles available? Keep reading to find out!
Fixed
Fixed flat skylights provide natural light and a beautiful view of the sky. But, since they don’t open, they’re not the best skylights to go for if you’re looking for adding ventilation as well as extra light.
In the past, fixed skylights were the smart option for hard-to-reach areas or very high ceilings. But now, smart home technology options such as solar-powered skylights mean that opening skylights out of your reach is no problem.
Ventilating
Ventilating skylights also give you a clear view of the sky and provide plenty of natural light. But, being able to open them means that they offer the added benefit of ventilation. This makes ventilating skylights ideal for bathrooms, washrooms, and kitchens, where unwanted moisture can accumulate.
Ventilating skylights can be great for creating a more eco-friendly home too. On warm nights, they can provide extra cooling, while the winter sun that shines through can help reduce your heating and lighting bills.
Tilting
These are similar to ventilating skylights, although they open in a different way. Whereas the top edge of a ventilating skylight connects the opening window to the frame, tilting skylights rest on a central pivot that allows the window to swing open to a 90-degree angle. For this reason, tilting skylights are popular for bedrooms as they offer a clear view of the night sky for a truly romantic setting.
Lantern
Roof lanterns or lantern skylights rise out from the roof into a three-dimensional lantern-like shape. This makes models such as the Korniche aluminium roof lantern much better at channeling light than their flat counterparts. Lantern skylights also make your room look bigger and can create an eye-catching architectural showpiece in your home.
Since lantern skylights don’t open, they are better suited to providing additional light to a room that already has windows for ventilation. Many people choose them for garage conversions and ground floor extensions for the extra dimension they add to simple room structures.
Tubular
Unlike all the other options, tubular skylights don’t offer a view of the sky. Instead, they capture sunlight and reflect it down into your home via a tube. Their small size makes it possible to increase the amount of natural light in smaller rooms with limited ceiling space. The effect is similar to a natural ceiling spotlight, offering a modern look for washrooms, halls, and pantries.
Your Guide to the Different Types of Skylights
As this guide shows, there are many more types of skylights than most people realize.
As such, whether your priority is adding natural light to a cramped space or bringing the night sky into your bedroom, you’re sure to find the perfect skylight for your home!
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