The pros and cons of skylight windows: Shedding light on a bright idea

Life is hard. You deserve a little more sunshine to brighten up your life.

In a fast-paced world, bringing a little light into your home can change your mood and improve your health.

Skylight windows bring light into a room and transform it into a luxurious space.

They energize a dark room and bring life into any space.

The extra light you receive from skylights will impact your space and your life.

Benefits of Adding a Skylight to Your Space

A skylight will influence your mood, health, budget, and safety in several ways:

1. Efficiency

The extra light will help you save on your energy bills.

You can enjoy a well-lit space on cloudy days.

In the summer, you can keep your lights off for longer.

It also saves you from having to spend money on extra lighting solutions in darker rooms.

A well-placed skylight can replace multiple light fixtures.

2. Your Health

Natural light improves your mood and can help ward off depression.

The brain responds to natural light by producing more serotonin and less melatonin. The extra serotonin helps you deal with depression and dysphoric disorders.

3. Property Value

Adding a skylight increases the value of your property.

A skylight makes a space feel warm and airy. This can entice a buyer to choose your home over another.

4. Add Ambience

A skylight will help you set the mood in your home. You can make the space feel warm, romantic, cozy or minimalistic.

Your tradie can help you choose the right skylight material and design for the ambience you want to create.

5. Enhance Your Home

Skylights turn a dark, grey room into a brightly lit and welcoming room.

Installing skylights can help you cut dark zones and prevent shadows.

You can create an inviting space that you and your loved ones will enjoy.

Skylights allow you to turn your house into a home that evokes fun times and good memories.

Types of Skylights

The Australian market offers a wide range of skylights.

You can choose your skylight by:

• Type and strength of glass.
• Its size.
• The shape of the skylight.
• The presence or absence of an opening mechanism.

A tradie will offer you four basic options you can customise to suit your house. The options are:

Fixed

With fixed skylights, the framing is permanent. You cannot open or close the skylight.

You can choose a fixed skylight with or without ventilation.

Manual Vented

Manually vented skylights offer a hand-operated opening and closing mechanism.

The opening and closing functions allow you to control the air coming into your space.

The only disadvantage is that you have to climb the roof every time you need to open or close the skylight.

Electrical Vented

A difference between electric-vented and manually vented skylights is the operation of the opening and closing mechanism.

Electric vented skylights have an electric motor system you can control with a remote control or a wall-mounted switch.

Advanced versions of the electric vented skylight have weather sensors. They close automatically when it rains or snows.

Tubular

Tubular skylights help you light up small rooms.

The skylight on the roof brings light to the ceiling through a built-in tunnel. The tunnel connects the roof to the ceiling. It can also help introduce lighting into a lower-level room.

The tunnel connects to a diffuser on the ceiling that distributes light into the entire room.

The Cost of Installing Skylight Windows

The total cost of installing skylight windows will depend on some factors:

1. The Cost of the Skylight

The materials, shape and size of the skylight you choose will affect your costs.

For example, an electric vented skylight will cost more than a fixed skylight.

2. Labour Costs

The tradies you contact will offer you different quotes.

The tradie’s labour costs will vary based on:

• The estimated duration of the installation.
• The tradie’s experience.
• The travelling time to your location.

3. Your Roof

All roofs are not created equal. Some roofs will need more time and work cutting through.

Your tradie will examine your roof before preparing a quote.

4. Your Location

The living and labour costs in some states are higher than in other states. This might influence the hourly rate from your tradie.

5. Finishing Tasks

After installation, the tradie might need to work on the roof or ceiling.

The quote will often include related tasks, such as repainting the area around the skylight.

Extra work, such as repainting the entire ceiling to match the skylight, will come at an extra cost.

Are Skylights Energy-Efficient?

Most skylights provide enough natural light to keep the room bright. You will need little to no extra light after installation.

Vented skylights also help keep your space cool in the summer. They allow hot air to leave the room as it rises.

These two properties can help reduce your lighting and air conditioning bills.

On the flip side, the glass on skylights can help heat escape.

If you are trying to heat up a room, you can end up spending more on your heating bill.

You can reduce heat loss on skylights by using insulated glass instead of conventional Low-E glass.

What Are the Pros and Cons of Skylights?

The Pros

Aesthetics: Skylights make a room look good and feel luxurious. The extra light also helps highlight your home’s best features.

Ventilation: The right skylight can bring fresh air into your space. You can use them when the temperature rises to cool a room.

Lighting: Skylights introduce natural light into a room. If you lack wall space for more windows, they can help you brighten your space. They also help bring light into spaces that do not have access to external-facing walls.

The Cons:

Roof Damage: A poorly installed skylight will damage your roof. Poor installation will leave you with more problems.

How Do You Install a Skylight?

There are two main ways for you to install a skylight:

1. DIY Installation

There are a lot of resources online to help you with the skylight installation.

If you have the right tools and carpentry or roofing skills, you can manage the installation yourself.

Nonetheless, a skylight DIY presents some risks:

• The position of the skylight. You need a ladder as tall or taller than your roof.
• The roof. The installation requires you to cut a hole through the roof. A small mistake can create dangerous and expensive problems.
• The skills. The installation of skylights requires a combination of several skills. You need to know how to work the roof, the framing, the glass, basic carpentry, and painting.

The combination of these factors makes it difficult for you to DIY the installation.

In this case, you are better off consulting a professional.

2. Professional Installation

Australia offers a wide variety of tradies who can help you with the installation.

Working with a tradie ensures that you get the installation right the first time.

There are several advantages of working with a tradie:

• Experience. Tradies have the right experience. They know what to do and how to protect the integrity of your roof.
• Tools. Tradies invest in the right tools. They have everything they need to ensure the installation runs smoothly.
• Skills. Tradies work in teams of people with different skills. There is a skilled individual handling every aspect of the installation. This reduces the likelihood of mistakes during the installation.
• Insurance. Many tradies have an insurance policy that covers their work and the people they work with. In case of any accidents or incidents, the insurance can pay for damages.

How Do You Maintain a Skylight?

Skylights, unlike windows, need little cleaning and maintenance. You can clean it as often as you clean your roof.

Simply examine the skylight windows for cracks and debris on a regular basis.

The frequency will depend on:

• The risks of falling objects.
• The severity of the weather.
• Recent work on the roof.

How Do You Find the Right Tradie for Your House

Now that you’re ready to enjoy having a skylight, you need to find the right tradie for the installation.

The tradie you choose can make a difference between enjoying a skylight and counting your losses.

Start by looking at reviews for different tradies in your area. Service Seeking offers a wide range of services or tradies you can contact from your phone. Once you find a few you like, request quotes.

With the quotes, choose the tradie you like and that is within your budget. You are now ready to get your skylight installed.