LETTING IN A PIECE OF THE SKY
Skylights have long been used in residential and commercial structures to bring more of the outside in. Depending on the size and where they are located, they can offer much wider vantage points and as much as 30 per cent more natural sunlight than windows. Not only will it help you save on lighting and heating costs, but with a vented skylight, you can also save on cooling your home.
“Skylights are wonderful for the added light, for the well-being of plants, to reduce stress during the colder months, and to help warm up the house in general,” said Michel Sosnovski of Skylights Montreal.
Among the things to consider when investing in a skylight: Do you opt for fixed or vented?
These are the two main types of skylights. If you’re going with a vented model, make sure it’s within reach; experts say homeowners rarely use the rod that is provided with vented skylights which are too high to manually open. You could, of course, opt for motorized control — and some installers offer a solar panel that powers the source which opens and closes the window. Sosnovski, however, isn’t a fan of this type of automation. “You have to control it yourself,” he said. “Otherwise, if you open it and forget to close it — which is easy to do when you’re not doing it yourself — rain will come inside your home and can damage your floors.”
A cost-efficient alternative: those that are controlled with a wall switch. These open in two or three positions, you don’t have to worry about looking for a remote, and they can cost significantly less to install.
Overall, vented skylights tend to be more expensive than fixed. The benefit, however, is that they will help you save on your energy bills.
Glass — There are different options when it comes to the glass in a skylight.
“When you get down to -20 (Celsius) outside and 20 inside, you’ll get condensation on the glass, so it’s important to ensure you have a skylight that properly deals with this,” said Michael Williams, president of Columbia Manufacturing Co. Ltd., a leading manufacturer of skylights in Canada.
A properly designed skylight, he explained, will have an adequate condensation gutter on all four sides and weep holes leading to the outside of the frame.
“Insulated glass has come a long way, as we have the demands of the Energy Star programs — and for the Quebec climate, if the customer wants to do it right, they should get a triple glaze with a low-E coating and argon filled units.”
Placement — Depending on the path of the sun over your house, you’ll need to choose the optimal place for your skylight from both the exterior and interior of your home. “Skylights are not for the bedroom,” Michel Sosnovski said. “There’s too much sun and it’s not comfortable in the morning, unless you like to wake up with direct sun at 4 a.m.”
The more popular areas in which to install a skylight include spaces like the hallway, dining and living rooms, the bathroom, and darker areas such as entryways or the tops of staircases.
Size and shape — Don’t know what size skylight you should incorporate into your home? When in doubt, go bigger. In the end, you would rather have a skylight that is more spacious than one which is too small.
The features — Make sure you work with a reputable, reliable company that is able to offer a warranty on the work and/or products. They should also be able to advise you on water tightness, sound reduction, load capability, wind resistance, and energy efficiency, depending on the type of skylight you choose.
Ventilation — Ventilation needs to be properly evaluated if you are installing a skylight in a space such as the bathroom or kitchen.