Installing a skylight in your home has multiple benefits, including enhancing the natural brightness of your house, boosting your overall health and saving you money and energy. Skylights are efficient in lighting up your office or home, as they may complement your windows and, in some cases, even replace them.  

However, it is interesting to note that skylights have existed for a long time. Open skylights were constructed in Ancient Rome, which changed into closed-glazed skylights during the Industrial Revolution. Keep reading to learn more about skylights.   

What is Skylight? 

Skylights are openings or windows installed on a building’s roof to allow natural light to enter its internal areas. They improve a building's energy efficiency and aesthetics and are made using translucent or transparent materials, such as acrylic or glass. Skylights are designed to provide daylight and, in some cases, even ventilation. 

Skylight frames come in different sizes and shapes and can even be customised to suit the design needs of a home or commercial building.  

Skylight - Types 

These are the common types of skylights available for your space: 

1. Tubular Skylights: These are also called sun tunnels and are small in size so that they can capture the sunlight on the rooftop, after which they funnel it via a reflective tube into the building’s interior space. These are perfect for small spaces or buildings. 

2. Fixed Skylights: These are fixed in place and serve as the most basic skylight variety. They can neither be closed nor opened. While these offer amazing natural lighting to the interior space, they do not provide ventilation.  

3. Ventilating Skylights: These skylights come with the option of opening so that air circulation can be provided along with natural light. They are either operated through a motor system or manually.  

4. Centre-pivot Skylights: These skylights offer fresh air as the window panel that rests on a central pivot can be swung open or shut at will. Areas that come with low ceilings, like attics and the space above the garage, are ideal for this type of skylight.  

5. Pyramid Skylights: As the name suggests, these are pyramid-shaped and are primarily used for aesthetic purposes apart from providing natural light to the interior space.  

6. Dome Skylights: These are dome-shaped skylights that are typically installed in industrial and commercial buildings. Such structures are generally made using polycarbonate or acrylic for robustness and to endure extreme weather conditions.  

7. Flat Glass Skylights: These are seamless, sleek and modern structures that blend with your roof. Made of tempered glass, these skylights add a touch of sophistication to your overall property.  

8. Custom Skylights: These skylights are architectural marvels created to be aesthetically unique. The materials, shapes and sizes are selected according to your taste and style requirements to enhance the look of your entire space. 

Skylight Direction for Maximum Entry of Light  

These structures primarily function to offer light into your internal space, which is why selecting the direction of the skylight is the key to maximising natural light entry into your house. How a skylight delivers natural lighting based on direction during different times of the year is listed below: 

• Facing North: Skylights facing this direction offer consistent illumination without either releasing or absorbing a lot of heat.  

• Facing South: Skylights facing this direction offer additional heat during the summer and winter months. 

• Facing East: Skylights facing this direction offer maximum heat and light in the mornings.  

• Facing West: Skylights facing this direction offer maximum heat and light during the afternoons.  

Skylight - Benefits 

These are the benefits of installing a skylight in your house/office: 

• Enhances ventilation 

• Increases natural light 

• Lowers energy expenditure 

• Offers an aesthetic view of the sky 

Summing Up 

These structural enhancements are worth every penny you invest, as they not only offer illumination and natural heat but also play a crucial role in increasing your overall home value.  

Reach out to AIS Glasxperts for customised skylights made of high-grade glass in elegant designs. We take full responsibility for installing a skylight right from scratch so that you can increase the property value of your home or office property while enjoying all the benefits of this structural enhancement.