If a room in your house doesn't evoke the atmosphere you want it to have, you might consider updating some of the surfaces. Instead, you could bring in more daylight to transform the space from drab to appealing. You can do this with a skylight. Here are some considerations to think about when installing one of these in your home.

How Much Light Do You Want to Bring In?

Something you need to think about is how much light you want to bring inside with a skylight. If you have an open living area and want multiple skylights, they need to be spaced correctly to avoid being too glaring. A general formula is to create a space between each skylight that is 1.5 times the distance between the room's floor and ceiling. You can also control the light with a softening diffuser, tinted glass, and UV-blocking glass or acrylic. You can add a blind as well.

To deliver natural light to a small powder room or walk-in wardrobe, a tubular sun tunnel might be the best option. The small roof dome on these devices brings in less light than a large square skylight. Some models have a dimmer feature, which controls a shutter that closes off the light. The shutters can be adjusted with a switch to close completely or partially.

Do You Want Ventilation as Well?

When choosing a skylight, think about whether you want a fixed skylight or a ventilating model that allows the air to flow. A vented skylight will let humid air escape and reduce the buildup of mould. Rooms that suffer from this the most are bathrooms and kitchens, so you could put a skylight in those areas. Being ideally positioned on the ceiling, an openable skylight can help make your entire house comfortable and reduce air conditioning running costs. Hot air naturally rises, and it will thus flow outside to the cooler atmosphere outside.

How Energy-Efficient Is the Skylight?

A skylight is perfectly placed to brighten and ventilate a house. Unfortunately, it's also ideally positioned to bring in solar heat. Thus, the efficiency of your skylight is something you need to consider. To reduce heat gain, you can use an appropriate diffuser, install double glazing, or fit a remote-controlled blind. The design of the shaft that connects the ceiling to the roof also influences how much heat enters.

Another relevant factor is the material of the skylight frame. Timber, for example, is generally more insulating than metal, which conducts heat. Because the efficiency of a skylight depends on various factors, you should get expert advice from your installer, who will be familiar with the finer points.

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