Skylight Installation – The Key Issues

Irrespective of whether you are an excellent home handyman or prefer calling in professionals to do the job, knowing the critical issues in skylight installation is essential. This can save you from making costly and often dangerous mistakes if doing the job yourself. If you are hiring someone else, it gives you the ability to give correct instructions to those you are hiring. Here are a few of the things you need to know.

•    Not all roofs are suitable for skylights. Roofs are of two types, stick-framed, and truss-framed. Stick-framed roofs have individual rafters spaced as much as 4 feet apart, leaving adequate room for the skylight to be installed between the rafters. Truss-framed roofs are not designed for cutting or modification after installation, so installing a skylight could affect the roof's structural integrity. Additionally, the space between the beams that make up the truss is usually limited, affecting the size of the skylight.

•    Glass glazing is heavier than plastic and costs more. However, it is clearer and more resistant to impact and scratches. It is also more resistant to discoloration and may help block the entry of UV rays into the home. The amount of heat lost through glass is usually lesser than with plastic. On the other hand, plastic is cheaper, lighter, and less prone to breakage than glass.

•    Controlling the amount of light and heat that enters through a skylight is very difficult. The most practical solution is to use tinted glass or apply a film. However, this means that the amount of light is permanently reduced – you cannot remove the movie when you want more light. A motorized skylight that can be opened and closed remotely to allow air and extra light to enter when required is the best solution, but installation may be more difficult.

•    A skylight will provide additional light only to the room directly below it, so the location must be carefully thought out. Additionally, manufacturers have minimum slope requirements for skylight installation that have to be met.

Other factors need to be kept in mind when planning a skylight installation.

Skylight installation is not a simple job. Even if you are a good home handyman, risking doing the job yourself is not worth it. There are too many things that could go wrong, and the risk of injury is ever-present. When it comes to a project with such major benefits for your home and where the problems, if things go wrong, are potentially so big, it makes sense to have the job done by professionals. You need to search for "skylight installation near me." Look for the dealer of the brand leader in skylights and daylighting systems and contact them to discuss your requirements and get a free consultation, so you have all the information you need before the installation begins.