Adding a skylight is one of the best ways to bring more light into your home — making the space feel more spacious and open. Even a small skylight can make a huge difference to the feel of a room.

A skylight is a great addition to a small bathroom, dark living room or hallway, an attic that has been converted into an extra bedroom, home office or play area.

Generally speaking, a skylight is basically a window in a roof and can be installed in any room of a single-storey home, or in the upper rooms of a multi-storey home.

Although older skylights were notorious for leaking and condensation, today’s products benefit from a far superior design. Not only are today’s skylights leakproof and easier to install than older models, they can boost your home’s overall energy efficiency. There are many different styles available, as well as innovative new products such as the tubular units, which can be installed in as little as two hours at a fraction of the cost of installing a traditional skylight.

Before installing a skylight take the time to look at the various options available and determine what will work best for your home. Do you want a unit that opens or a fixed unit? If you are looking for a skylight that opens, consider one that can do so via remote control, as digging out the long pole to open and close the window can be a hassle – one that many homeowners would rather do without.

Skylights come in a variety of models and sizes. For a conventional roof the size of the skylight is not too much of an issue. A trussed roof, however, is a different matter as the trusses carry the roof load and should not be altered. If you have a truss roof then, it’s best to opt for a unit that will fit between the roof members.

As you begin to shop around for skylights you will find that, just like today’s windows, they are now rated according to their thermal efficiency and have low-E coatings to control heat transfer and UV radiation.

Most manufacturers also offer sunscreening accessories, such as blinds and shades, to help offset any uncomfortable heat build-up.

Although the plastic units are lightweight and cost significantly less than the glass models, the glass units insulate better and are, generally speaking, much more durable. If you are installing the skylight in an area where it runs a higher risk of being broken, however, opting for a plastic version may be your best bet. In that case, just make sure to buy one that is insulated for better results.

Insulation is also key for any shaft or sidewalls between the roof and the ceiling. Without proper insulation this area can suffer considerable heat loss in the winter and heat gain in the summer.

If you are installing a skylight in a bathroom, make sure you have adequate ventilation or condensation may become an issue. A good, well-sized vent fan should be able to take care of this.

A relatively new product on the market, but one that is quickly gaining in popularity, are the tubular skylights, such as ODL’s Solar Flair Skylight. The installation time is unbelievably quick and doesn’t require any framing, drywalling or painting. The kit comes with everything you need to complete up to a 48” installation: roof flashing, roof dome, a 20” long straight tube and two adjustable angle tubes to maneuver around any obstacles in the attic. And it costs a fraction of what a regular skylight does. No wonder so many homeowners are checking it out!

For more info:
www.homedepot.com
www.solarflairskylights.com