Ceiling mounted windows are a great way of getting more light into a dark corner of the home. Skylights are frequently used in places where conventional windows simply won’t fit in. However, it is well worth considering the exact position of any new skylight since they tend to allow too much light in if they are located in a southerly part of the residence. If you want to improve the light in a room by installing a skylight, opt for the north or east side of the room. This will allow light to flow in, but mean that you are not overwhelmed with heat in the summer months.

Skylight designs offer plenty of flexibility for different rooms and decorating styles. Nevertheless, you should bear in mind that most skylights are not energy efficient and will allow heat loss from a home. Of course, double and treble glazed skylights help to minimize this problem. So, if you want to brighten your home, why not look upwards?

Bathroom Skylights.

Bathrooms tend to be rooms that are poorly served by natural light. Few people design a bathroom with large windows or with an airy open plan feel. After all, a bathroom is somewhere where you want to be afforded some privacy. If your bathroom has a couple of frosted windows and always seems a little dark, consider a skylight to improve the light flow. So long as your bathroom is not overlooked by an adjoining property, skylights allow more brightness without compromising your privacy. A skylight, over a bath tub or a shower cubicle, can feel really liberating and help you to relax.

Shallow Pitch Glass Roofs.

Skylights need not be small windows fitted only over a relatively dark corner of a room, though they are often used in this way. If you have a room which has a relatively low pitched roof line, replacing part or all of it with glazing can give the space an entirely different feel. A kitchen, for instance, with a strip of glazing above it can make the room seem as if it is part of the exterior inside your home. The shallow pitch of the roof allows some of the sun’s heat to be reflected away and permits rainfall to run-off efficiently. Single glazed sections create an impressive look, particularly in long, thin spaces, so try to avoid too many cross braces.

Opaque Style.

The advantages of skylights are clear. However, they don’t need to be transparent. Opaque and translucent skylights, in a single color, will create a distinctive mood in a room under various light conditions. Stained glass skylights create a distinctive feature and can even be the defining design element in a space.

Contemporary Skylights.

Modern roof glazing can come in a wide variety of forms. Conventional skylights tend to be made with regular dimensions. Nevertheless, don’t hold back with your design ideas as most glaziers can fabricate a skylight to match your ideas. Skylights of circular design are certainly possible, but why not go for an irregular curve or an oval?

Porch Windows.

Porches should have plenty of natural light. If yours does not face south, it can feel a bit dark in anything other than high summer. The perfect solution for a dim porch is to install a skylight or two. This is a very good idea if the porch’s roof cast shadow into the adjoining room of the home and will help sunlight penetrate further into your house.

Door Skylight Hybrids.

If you have a steeply pitched roof, you might be tempted to install dormer style windows. However, a good alternative is to go for skylights that can double as doors. This way you can gain access to a roof terrace or a balcony without interrupting the roof line, when the skylight is closed shut. These hybrid systems really offer the best of both worlds – maximum light and ease of access – in one product.

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