Answers
Skylight and Rooflight Answers
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How Often Should a Skylight Be Replaced?GeneralThere is no fixed replacement date for a skylight. Replace it when it fails, not when a calendar says so, and here are the signs.
Roof Lantern or VELUX Windows: Which Is Better?Roof lanternsA roof lantern or VELUX roof windows, compared by roof type, light, ventilation, headroom and the work involved.
Can You Add a Rooflight to an Existing Flat Roof?Flat roof rooflightsYes, a rooflight can be added to a finished flat roof; here is what the opening, the kerb and the covering involve.
Are Roof Windows a Good Idea?Roof windowsAn honest look at the pros and cons of roof windows, and the rooms and roofs where they earn their place.
Are There Cheaper Alternatives to VELUX?VELUX windowsYes, other roof windows and rooflight types exist, and what each saves or gives up depends on the spot being lit.
Does an Electric Rooflight Need an Electrician?Electric opening rooflightsWhy electric rooflight wiring needs a competent electrician, what the supply involves, and how to plan the cable route.
Skylights and rooflights in general
- How Often Should a Skylight Be Replaced?There is no fixed replacement date for a skylight. Replace it when it fails, not when a calendar says so, and here are the signs.
- Can a Skylight Go Into Any Roof?A rooflight can go into most roof types, but the build-up, structure and covering decide the method. Here is what to check.
- Do Roofers Fit Skylights, or Do You Need a Specialist?Some roofers fit skylights, but it is a specialist job joining glazing, roof and ceiling. Here is how to choose who does it.
Roof lanterns
- Roof Lantern or VELUX Windows: Which Is Better?A roof lantern or VELUX roof windows, compared by roof type, light, ventilation, headroom and the work involved.
- Do Roof Lanterns Make a Room Too Hot?Whether a roof lantern overheats a room, what causes it, and the glass, vents and shading that keep it comfortable.
- Can a Roof Lantern Go on an Orangery Roof?Whether a roof lantern can go on an orangery roof, how the roof and parapet are built around it, and what to check.
Flat roof rooflights
- Can You Add a Rooflight to an Existing Flat Roof?Yes, a rooflight can be added to a finished flat roof; here is what the opening, the kerb and the covering involve.
- Polycarbonate or Glass for a Flat Rooflight?Polycarbonate or glass for a flat rooflight: how they differ in clarity, weight, heat, ageing and which suits which room.
- Does a Flat Rooflight Need a Fall?A flat roof needs a fall to drain, and a flat rooflight needs its own slope for water to run off the glass.
Roof windows
- Are Roof Windows a Good Idea?An honest look at the pros and cons of roof windows, and the rooms and roofs where they earn their place.
- What Are the Windows in a Roof Called?The names for windows in a roof, from roof window and skylight to rooflight, dormer and sun tunnel, and how they differ.
- Which Roof Window Brands Are Worth Considering?Which roof window makers are worth considering, what to compare between them, and why fit matters as much as the name.
VELUX windows
- Are There Cheaper Alternatives to VELUX?Yes, other roof windows and rooflight types exist, and what each saves or gives up depends on the spot being lit.
- Why Do VELUX Windows Leak?The usual reasons a roof window lets water in, from flashing and condensation to failed seals, and when a unit needs replacing.
- Is It Worth Fitting Several VELUX Windows at Once?When fitting or replacing several roof windows in one visit makes sense, and how the spots in each room decide the layout.
Electric opening rooflights
- Does an Electric Rooflight Need an Electrician?Why electric rooflight wiring needs a competent electrician, what the supply involves, and how to plan the cable route.
- Are Solar-Powered Opening Rooflights Any Good?What a solar powered rooflight is, where it works well, and the trade-offs against a mains-wired electric unit.
- What Happens to an Electric Rooflight in a Power Cut?What an electric rooflight does when the power fails, and the backup and manual options worth asking about.
Energy efficient rooflights
- Do Skylights Lose a Lot of Heat?Whether skylights lose a lot of heat, where the loss happens, and what keeps it small on a modern unit.
- What Are the Best Skylights for a Pitched Roof?The best skylight for a pitched roof, and how pitch, spot and use decide between roof windows and other units.
- How Do You Stop Condensation on a Skylight?Why condensation forms on a skylight, how to tell damp air from a failed seal, and what actually stops it.
Misted rooflights
- Why Has My Skylight Gone Cloudy Between the Panes?A skylight that clouds between the panes has a failed edge seal. What that means, why it happens and what to do next.
- Can Misted Skylight Glass Be Cleared?Can misted skylight glass be cleared? Why the haze lives inside a sealed unit, and what replacing it involves.
- Is a Misted Rooflight Urgent?A misted rooflight is rarely an emergency, but it will not improve. What to watch for and when to book a survey.
Walk-on rooflights
- Are Walk-On Rooflights Slippery?Plain glass can be slippery, but walk-on rooflights are given a grip finish that changes how they feel underfoot.
- Can a Walk-On Rooflight Light a Basement?A walk-on rooflight can bring daylight into a basement from a patio, garden or pavement, if the details are right.
- What About Privacy With a Walk-On Rooflight?Clear walk-on glass shows what is above and below, so privacy is planned in with obscured glass or careful placement.
Conservation rooflights
- What Is a Conservation Rooflight?A conservation rooflight is a slim, low-profile roof glazing unit made to sit close to slate or tile on an older roof.
- Conservation Rooflight or Standard Roof Window?How to choose between a conservation rooflight and a standard roof window by roof age, visibility, glass and rules.
- Do Conservation Rooflights Suit Slate Roofs?Conservation rooflights are made for slate roofs: how they sit, how the slates are handled and what to check first.
Sun tunnels
- Are Sun Tunnels a Good Idea?A balanced answer on whether a sun tunnel is worth fitting, with the pros and cons and the rooms where it earns its place.
- Sun Tunnel or Skylight: Which Suits the Space?How to choose between a sun tunnel and a skylight by the size of the room, the view you want and the loft above it.
- How Much Light Does a Sun Tunnel Give?What decides how much daylight a sun tunnel delivers, from dome size and tube length to bends, weather and the room below.
Cannot see your question here? Our longer guides go into more detail, and the service pages cover each type of rooflight. You can also book a free survey and ask us at the roof, where the answer is easiest to give.
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