The Shapes, Types and Materials of Rooflights and Skylights

Roofing Solutions

Rooflights or skylights come in many different shapes, types and materials and are very versatile for using in both commercial and residential spaces. It is a bit confusing to decide on which skylight is better suited for our purpose, that is, if we do not have a clear idea about the various types available in the market. But before we move on to categorising them, let us first look at the benefits they provide.

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Benefits of Rooflights:

  • The first obvious benefit is the use of natural lights. When installed in proper places, skylights can provide natural lights a lot longer than traditional windows. The more we can use natural lights, the less we need artificial electric lights.
  • In addition to letting in natural lights, skylights also allow heat to enter. Depending on their glazing type, skylights can very effectively trap heat from escaping. So not only they light up your place with natural lights, they also effectively add into the total insulation.
  • By reducing the use of electricity and temperature control system, skylights can very efficiently reduce monthly expenses. What is more, using artificial lights and temperature control systems emit almost 25% of the total greenhouse gases. So by reducing their usage, skylights make commercial and residential spaces more environmentally friendly.

Classifying Skylights

Now that we know about the benefits of installing a rooflight, let us move on to discussing the types based on various factors.

Functionality: Based on their functionalities, skylights are classified as fixed and opening. Opening skylights, as the name suggests, can be opened and closed based on requirement. This open/close function can be performed simply by pressing an electric switch installed into the system. However, since open skylights also allow in insects, it is best to also install an insect screen. Weather sensors can also be installed into the system for sensing changes in wind, temperature and humidity and close the flaps automatically whenever there is a sudden or sharp change. On the other hand, fixed skylights cannot be opened and cannot help in air circulation. Naturally, open skylights cost more than fixed ones.

Insulation: Skylights’ insulation rate is determined by their glazing. Usually, they come in either double glazing or triple glazing. In double glazing skylights or windows, there are two panels of glasses fitted together with some space between them. For triple glazing, there are three layers of glasses instead of two. Glazing system is designed to reduce heat loss and prevent noise from entering. So naturally, if preserving heat is your priority, choosing the higher glazing system is logical.

Material: Primarily, both plastic and glass were used for making skylights. However, plastic horizontal and vertical windows are more susceptible to scratch and wear. In addition, they are not very efficient at blocking out some harmful UV rays which can easily discolour furniture. To meet this and some other issues, glass rooflights have become more favourable. For residential purposes, tempered glass skylights are most popular because they are much tougher than other glasses and they shatter into many small and dull pieces if/when break. There are also skylights made from laminated glasses. Each of this glass panel is actually made of two glass sheets with a thin layer of plastic coating between them. That is why laminated glass skylights are very good at trapping heat. However, a combination of tempered and laminated glass is also often used for skylights.