It may seem obvious, but the larger the Skylight the greater the amount of light transferred into your home. The direction your skylight faces will also affect the amount of light you receive.
There are many options when choosing the size and location of your skylight. It is important to consider the following things:
- Pitch of roof
- The room you're trying to brighten
- The Sunrise and Sunset
- The type of skylight i.e, tube type or open shaft window type
Location does play a big part in your skylight's performance, both in the desired room and on the roof. For example, tube skylights are positioned directly above the darker space to add brightness, whereas open shaft window skylights are positioned according to factors such as roof type, roof pitch, sun exposure and ceiling depth to add brightness.
A Tubular Skylight is generally made up of a circular or square dome or a flat glass window on the roof, with a rigid or flexi-tube light shaft and a diffuser in the ceiling. The rigid tube is likely to be more effective because its sides are smooth and will reflect light into your home more efficiently.
These skylights are generally ranged from 250mm to 550mm in diameter. Squares are also available, and range from 400mm2 up to 600mm2. The flexi-tube skylights come in 250mm or 350mm diameter sizes.
Generally speaking, the larger the tube the greater the amount of light received. Tube skylights are a great option when the roof-space is obstructed with roof timbers, electrical cables and/or plumbing, making it difficult to fit open-shaft skylights.
The Light Shaft is the most important element in a skylight to efficiently introduce light into your dark space. This is the space between the ceiling and the roof.
In a nutshell, the further light has to travel, the less light you will receive.
Short and direct light shafts allow the maximum amount of light through from your roof to the ceiling. Other factors such as heat insulation, aesthetics, cost, existing roof structure and personal tastes need to be considered.
There are a number of factors that could contribute to your skylight leaking. While we at Skylight Installations pride ourselves on our professionalism and attention to detail, we stand behind our installation services. So, if anything does go wrong, we will sort it in an instant.
In our 15+ years of experience, we have found that there is a number of causes to leaky skylights. The biggest contributor is old age. We also find that in the last five years, skylights that are incorrectly installed have presented more and more. Often we find that the leak is not associated with the skylight, but is coming from a roofing issue nearby. Due to the skylight being a penetration in the ceiling, the leak will present itself there.
There are a variety of other reasons as to why your skylight is leaking. Some of these include:
- Flashing issues,
- Corrosion,
- Seals, and
- Weather.
If your skylight leaks, it is advised that you call Skylight Installations before applying silicone.