Skylights - Creating space and light
By HOUSPECT Building and Pest Inspections|November 20, 2017
Most people see sky lights as feature pieces or the answer to better lighting in awkwardly designed rooms. However, sky lights provide solutions to two other problems that are common in New South Wales homes. They can significantly improve ventilation and change the perception of a room’s size.
Keeping your home open and airy will make the New South Wales summer much more tolerable. Smaller rooms also benefit from sky lights as they make the room appear larger and much more spacious. If you build an extension onto your home and feel that the upstairs rooms may not receive enough natural sunlight in the winter months, a sky light may solve the problem.
Added Style
Before getting into the practical benefits of sky lights, it is worth considering that they can add style to your home. In the past the design options for affordable sky lights were fairly limited, as the typical homeowner was focused on function over style. However, modern technologies in design and production have really opened up the market for more sophisticated designs that are affordable to most homeowners.
As renovations go, sky lights that are stylish and professionally installed can add value to your home. When you consider that much of that value is added based solely on the aesthetic enhancements you have made to your home, it becomes clearer why sky lights that provide practical solutions to lighting and ventilation are an even better investment.
Energy Savings
There are two ways that functional sky lights can provide energy savings. Whether you choose fixed ones or those that are operable, you can vastly improve the ventilation in your home. Heat is most often trapped in the upper floors of a home. Sky lights are a simple solution for allowing hot air to exit the home either through the use of vents or sky lights that you can open.
In the winter, sky lights allow more natural light to enter the home during the day. If you are planning on building an extension to your home to create additional living spaces, we highly recommend choosing sky lights in place of a completely closed roof. You also have the option of adding tinting to compensate for the amount of sunlight a room is likely to receive.
Manual Vs Automatic Sky Lights
The height of a room should not present a barrier to having sky lights installed. While a fixed or manual unit is the most affordable, it won’t cost you much more to incorporate automation to help you manage your sky lights. If you are physically unable to reach your sky lights, there are a number of options available to ensure you can improve the ventilation in your home.
The simplest solution is to install sky lights with built in vents. You won’t have to worry about opening them to allow heat to escape and will still benefit from increased natural sunlight. However, if you would prefer windows that open, remote control will solve all your problems. You can either opt for manually operated remote control or pay extra for a system that automates the opening and closing of your sky lights according to the temperature and humidity in the room.
Important Considerations
It is important to understand the angle and intensity of the sun as it moves through the day when installing sky lights. Hiring an experienced installer is worth the money to ensure that your sky lights enhance the look of your home and provide a practical solution to lighting and ventilation. It is also essential that all sky lights are properly installed and meet applicable New South Wales standards. If you are purchasing a property and have any doubts, contact Houspect for all your pre-purchase inspection needs.
Keeping your home open and airy will make the New South Wales summer much more tolerable. Smaller rooms also benefit from sky lights as they make the room appear larger and much more spacious. If you build an extension onto your home and feel that the upstairs rooms may not receive enough natural sunlight in the winter months, a sky light may solve the problem.
Added Style
Before getting into the practical benefits of sky lights, it is worth considering that they can add style to your home. In the past the design options for affordable sky lights were fairly limited, as the typical homeowner was focused on function over style. However, modern technologies in design and production have really opened up the market for more sophisticated designs that are affordable to most homeowners.
As renovations go, sky lights that are stylish and professionally installed can add value to your home. When you consider that much of that value is added based solely on the aesthetic enhancements you have made to your home, it becomes clearer why sky lights that provide practical solutions to lighting and ventilation are an even better investment.
Energy Savings
There are two ways that functional sky lights can provide energy savings. Whether you choose fixed ones or those that are operable, you can vastly improve the ventilation in your home. Heat is most often trapped in the upper floors of a home. Sky lights are a simple solution for allowing hot air to exit the home either through the use of vents or sky lights that you can open.
In the winter, sky lights allow more natural light to enter the home during the day. If you are planning on building an extension to your home to create additional living spaces, we highly recommend choosing sky lights in place of a completely closed roof. You also have the option of adding tinting to compensate for the amount of sunlight a room is likely to receive.
Manual Vs Automatic Sky Lights
The height of a room should not present a barrier to having sky lights installed. While a fixed or manual unit is the most affordable, it won’t cost you much more to incorporate automation to help you manage your sky lights. If you are physically unable to reach your sky lights, there are a number of options available to ensure you can improve the ventilation in your home.
The simplest solution is to install sky lights with built in vents. You won’t have to worry about opening them to allow heat to escape and will still benefit from increased natural sunlight. However, if you would prefer windows that open, remote control will solve all your problems. You can either opt for manually operated remote control or pay extra for a system that automates the opening and closing of your sky lights according to the temperature and humidity in the room.
Important Considerations
It is important to understand the angle and intensity of the sun as it moves through the day when installing sky lights. Hiring an experienced installer is worth the money to ensure that your sky lights enhance the look of your home and provide a practical solution to lighting and ventilation. It is also essential that all sky lights are properly installed and meet applicable New South Wales standards. If you are purchasing a property and have any doubts, contact Houspect for all your pre-purchase inspection needs.
