Does your house feel a little bit dim?
We don’t blame you for wanting to add a little sun to your living room or hallways. A good amount of natural light can make your home feel warmer, bigger and more inviting! Sunlight has even been linked to mental health and wellbeing.
Here’s an idea: have you thought about installing a skylight in your home along with your new metal roof?
The benefits of skylights
How much time to do you think you spend indoors? 70% of your day? More?
Whatever the exact percentage, it’s a lot. And while some of that can’t be avoided if you work indoors, there’s no excuse for not getting your daily dose of vitamin D when you’re at home!
And that’s where skylights come into the picture.
Because sometimes you just want to bring some natural light into your home without going outside.
Adding skylights does more for your home than making it look prettier and bringing in some nature, however. In fact, there is a whole slew of other reasons why installing skylights can be one of the best decisions you can make for your home!
Lifetime energy saver
Instead of using electricity to keep dark spaces lit up, get the sun to do it for you! A strategically placed skylight can bring light into your home 100% energy-free.
Give yourself some space
Here’s a not-so-secret secret: even if your home isn’t that big, you can make it feel larger with natural light!
But of course, not all of us have large windows in our homes – so why not take advantage of that vast ceiling space with a skylight?
Just like adding mirrors to smaller rooms can make them feel larger, skylights have the exact same effect on a space.
Ventilation
Believe it or not, skylights do a lot more than just let light in… in fact, skylights are also a great way of ventilating your home.
Consider installing skylight windows (or “opening model” skylights). That way, you can open your home to the sky and let out any dust and humidity while also letting clean and fresh air in.
Better yet, improved air quality and natural light makes it harder for mould to develop.
Increase your home value
“Natural light” is a huge selling point for potential buyers. Large, open, bright spaces will never go out of style, which is why skylight installation is often listed as one of the remodelling ideas that can boost a home’s value.
Spaces are lighter and brighter, and energy bills can be reduced. Win-win.
Skylight installation in the home
Installing skylights is a lot more intricate than you might think: we have to cut through insulation and sarking boards, install the tube and dome, waterproof… the list goes on.
Location, location, location: where should you install a skylight?
Depending on its location, you need to think about how much direct sunlight a skylight will receive, as well as which rooms require natural light the most.
For example, rooms like offices as well as common spaces like entryways and landings can benefit from a lot of natural light, while a vented skylight can keep wet rooms like the bathroom well-ventilated and free from mould.
One thing to keep in mind is whether your house is facing north or south. The direction your skylight faces will determine how much brightness you can expect in a particular area of your home:
- West-facing skylights get a lot of strong afternoon sun
- East-facing skylights bring a lot of light in the morning
- North-facing skylights get sun all day (and year) round
- South-facing skylights bring in moderate amounts of light all year
Size matters: how big should a skylight be?
Contrary to popular belief, bigger is not always better. In fact, with the blistering Aussie sun, a smaller skylight might actually be a better call!
One factor that comes into play is your budget – naturally, but orientation is another factor to consider. Since we’re in the southern hemisphere, any south-facing skylights will be angled away from most of the sun’s rays.
Type of skylight material
Another factor that you need to consider in skylight installation is the type of glass material for your skylight.
Tempered glass has the strength to withstand any impact from outdoor objects that can cause damage, and offers great UV protection.
Another common material is plastic. Like glass, plastic is quite durable and can be more cost-effective.
Call Watermaster Roofing for all your metal roofing needs – including skylight installation!
A skylight may look fairly basic, but it’s actually a lot more complicated than a lot of people give it credit for. There is a lot of thought that goes into getting a skylight – both on the installer’s side and yours.
To find out more about the potential for a skylight within your new metal roofing, chat to the team at Watermaster Roofing.
Book an inspection today or give our team a call on 1300 576 075.