In This Post:
– Pros and cons of installing skylights at home
– Advantages of installing skylights
– Disadvantages of installing skylights
Consider this scenario: You walk into a brightly-lit space and realise it is neither a sunroom nor a space with bulbs or other sources of electric light. Where, then, is the natural light streaming in from? The source of light is coming from an opening in the roof. As you look above, you see clear blue sky and dreamy white clouds floating away through a window in the roof. This is the effect created by a skylight; it is a window set in the roof of a house that disperses natural light into the room. Although installing a rooflight is a bright idea widely accepted by interior designers and architects, it comes with its own set of flaws and drawbacks. In this blog, we will be discussing both the pros and cons of installing skylights at home to help you decide.
So, without further ado, let’s get started.
Pros and Cons of Installing Skylights at Home
If you are weighing the options of installing rooflights at home, you have landed onto the right page. While you can experience the wide blue sky through the skylight, it can cause heat loss during the cold months if not properly installed. There are some good and bad points associated with skylight which we will highlight in this blog to help you make a better decision. First let us find out the benefits of having a skylight.
- Extra daylight
- Design options
- Cut in energy costs
- Dramatic lighting effect
Installing skylights has tremendous benefits, but you can not overlook the numerous drawbacks. Here is a list of some of the cons of having a skylight which you should consider before making a decision
- Over-lighting
- Heat loss
- Installation issues
- Cleaning troubles
Let us first discuss the pros of installing a skylight in the house in more detail.
Advantages of Installing Skylights at Home
There is no question about it: Rooflights are considered to be beneficial for a home because of their ability to draw in daylight, give a spacious outlook and dramatically enhance the design element of a space. That is why skylights are quite popular among new homeowners. There are plenty of other pros of having a skylight at home which are mentioned below:
Extra daylight
Who doesn’t like a bright sunny room? One of the best reasons for having a skylight is the abundance of natural light. You can’t deny the numerous health benefits of soaking up sunlight – increased bone health, mental and physical well-being being the top most. Homeowners also make use of skylights and place it at key areas to illuminate dark spaces. It helps a lot in the winter season when the days are shorter, which means less amount of sunlight hours. Skylights help make the most of the available sunlight.
Design options
Skylights come in various sizes and shapes. It depends on where you place them. If you are using a skylight to light up the staircase then a circular vent in the roof is perfect. Square or rectangle glass windows work best in open living spaces or in a reading room. You can use a shade, tinted or textured glass to control the amount of sunlight entering the room.
Cut in energy costs
A major positive aspect of having a skylight is reduction in electricity bills. You don’t need light bulbs to illuminate a space. The natural light makes the room appear bright and airy. The use of artificial lighting is greatly reduced. Rooflights can increase the temperature of a room and therefore you don’t need any other heating mechanism to keep the living space warm in the winter season. Tinted glass screens the sunlight making your home energy-efficient.
Dramatic lighting effect
Skylights can be the star feature of a living space. If you are ambitious enough to experiment with the design of your space, then use skylights to create a dramatic lighting effect. Use the vent in your roof as show lights which can create a spacious and airy feel.
Disadvantages of Installing Skylights at Home
The abundance of natural light can instantly brighten up any space but in some areas having a skylight is not suitable and can in fact cause overheating. There are numerous drawbacks of having a skylight at home, especially if you install it at the wrong place.
Over-lighting
A skylight allows plenty of daylight to enter a living space. This means if the vent in your roof is installed at a wrong spot, it can lead to potential problems such as bringing in heat and too much unwanted light. For instance, if you place a small circular skylight in the centre of a dreary-looking staircase, it highlights the staircase. The dark wooden stairwell and white walls on the sides distribute light evenly across the surface, spreading light at the right spot, without overdoing it.
Heat loss
In colder months, skylights can cause heat loss. Glass conducts heat better than concrete, allowing the heat inside the house or building to escape out. If the presence of a skylight causes problems in retaining heat inside the room, you will have to spend more on installing heating systems to control the temperature inside. A pro tip: homeowners should choose skylights that have insulated glass. Also, ensure that no piece of hardware connects the outside to the inside.
Installation issues
Even if you work on insulating the skylight, there are problems in sealing the shaft properly and thus the heat and cold air can escape taking a toll on the cooling and heating systems of your house. More often than not, a skylight is not properly installed causing moisture penetration and water seepage issues. An apparently small leak can cause a larger complex issue of roof leakage and seepage – affecting its durability.
Cleaning troubles
Skylights are a little tricky to clean. If you like to keep your house spic and span and are habitual of washing all windows, you will probably find cleaning the skylights a bit difficult. Moreover, when installing the skylights, make sure there are no tree branches falling over it or else you will have to keep cleaning the skylights more often.
So, these were some of the benefits and drawbacks of installing a skylight at home. If you are planning to buy property, then take a look at these blogs: Pros and cons of buying property near power lines, pros and cons of having a property with a garden and pros and cons of having a swimming pool in the house before taking the investment decision.
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