Skylight is not the "must-have item" for your house to function well but if possible, there is no reason why you should reject having one installed in your house. The article below would explain better the topic of skylights for households, especially how to choose your skylight size. Other factors such as designs and ratings are also mentioned in this post.
What Is A Skylight?
If going from its name, we would see two keywords - sky and light. From this division, you can vaguely guess the function - allowing the natural light. That is a simple way of clarification if you are new to the concept of skylights.
In other and more proper words, skylight refers to a window-constructed form, permitting your house to receive natural light during the day. Skylights are normally inserted up the ceiling, in different sizes, depending on how much light the house owner wants to have in the daylight. There are several types of skylights with fluctuating price ranges.
What Is The Purpose Of Skylight?
Skylights sometimes can be exaggeratingly promoted, compared to what they are really capable of. From our perspective, there are two major functions of a skylight only. The first one is evidently letting your house receive a certain amount of natural light.
The next function of skylights, which is minor, compared to the first one, is ventilation. This results from the fact that skylights are considered a form of the passive roof vent, along with their roof installation.
Pros and cons of skylights
Like any other item, benefits and drawbacks are existent for skylights. They are no doubt one of the most "should-buy" products, but if chosen improperly, they can cause your house a great deal of damage. However, we would go through what advantages you can gain from purchasing a skylight for your living space.
Pros
- It helps with the ventilation, although the ventilation effects from your skylights are not too significant. If you desire a better sense of ventilation, a combination of skylights and other vents for roofs or exterior walls is not a bad idea at all.
- Skylights can increase the value of your house. A fully equipped house with additionals in most cases are more valuable, in terms of money, as well as other aspects. If you decide to sell your house later, considering having a skylight installation is recommended.
- If you are searching for ways to make your house look bigger, installing a skylight on your roof is definitely something you put on the to-do list. The open space always looks larger than dark and closed spaces. Also, installing a skylight on your roof and exterior wall can add up a sense of aesthetics to your house.
- Natural light is a great source of energy renewing and refreshing. There is scientific proof that natural light helps you work more productively, as well as lifts up your mood during the day.
Cons
- Leaking is a common issue for skylights of all types if they are not properly sealed. This matter comes from the quality control of the makers. That's why you should consider the producer carefully before making your purchase decision.
- Heat gain and loss are problems occurring in summer and winter, and it is not something strange for households with skylights. Under extreme weather conditions, you may need a separation layer for your skylight, preventing them from creating heat gain and loss.
- Too much light is not really a "popular" downside for many shoppers of this section, but it does happen. The "too much light" can be happening for people who install skylights that are too big or too many for their current space, especially in the bedroom.
How To Choose Your Skylight Size?
Choosing the right size of skylights is not that difficult. All you would need is knowledge about the industrial standards for skylights and appropriate measurement of your floor area. For the first hand, if your house or apartment has multiple windows, it is best to have a skylight of no more than 5 percent of the total floor area. For instance, if your floor area is 50 square meters, you should have a skylight of no more than 2.5 square meters.
On the other hand, if your house has few or no windows at all, you can exceed the level mentioned by 5 percent. Should you be in the second case, you can have a skylight of 15 percent of your total floor area, which triples the first situation.
Some people prefer large skylights because they adore natural light in their living space. It is an effective way to brighten up your space if compulsory. But too much lighting in the bedroom is not advisable. However, in the kitchen or living room, that won't be a problem.
Further About Choosing Skylights For Your Home
Your skylight size is only one of the elements that need to be taken into consideration before you make a purchase for this item. There are more to consider, and in these lines below, we would be informing you of the necessary details about skylights.
What Are The Types Of Skylight?
- Flat glass skylights: these are the most common type of skylights used nowadays. They are the most affordable among the three types, but they are well-blending into the surroundings, making them the easiest to feature. There are fixed and opening flat glass skylights. The fixed cannot help with ventilation but prevents leaking better. The case is vice versa for the opening flat glass type. However, if we get to choose, we would go for the opening because we prefer something with greater flexibility. Also, if you pick the right one, the leaking issue is the least likely to happen.
- Domed skylights: contrary to the flat ones, these skylights are curved enough to prevent any rain from leaking into your house. They are all designed for purpose. They also have two options of fixed or opening. For this type, we would prefer a fixed, instead of an opening skylight.
- Roof lanterns and pyramids skylights: skylights in this section are perfect for contemporary and modern homes. They are stunning and sophisticated to look at. They are non-opening, and we would prefer them that way. These skylights are also effective in terms of leakage prevention.
Ratings
Ratings of skylights may be an odd concept to shoppers. However, the ratings are crucial factors to consider if you want to choose an ideal item for your house. There are 5 ratings in total:
- R-Value: R-value focuses on the glazing as it measures the insulation values of your skylights. In more comprehensible terms, the R-value stands for levels of your skylight material resistance to heat flow.
- U-Value: the U-value is quite similar to the R-value but it is for the frame material resistance against heat flow.
- VLT: VLT is a short version of visible light transmittance. The higher the VLT is, the greater light amount your skylight would allow getting in during the daylight.
- UV Blockage: UV blockage rating is now available for most skylights as makers keep up their innovations as USPs.
- Shading Coefficient: shading coefficient figures are compulsory if you want to discover the solar energy gained through your skylight. However, skylights with this rating must be upgraded by professionals from the original ones.
Verdict
Our topic on how to choose skylight size has ended. We believe that you have gathered some other useful information if you are in the search for an ideal skylight. Besides sizes and designs, pay close attention to R-value, U-value, VLT, UV blockage, and shading coefficient.
