When you’re looking for the best location for a skylight, it’s often the case that you won’t have a lot of choices. However, in the event that you do, you’ll want to consider the kind of light that you’ll be letting in, since that is one of the primary concerns behind a skylight. Consider especially the location on the roof since with a roof slope that faces east or west, you will be necessarily letting in a lot of sunlight. Remember that a quantity of direct summer sun can increase a room’s temperature and fade rugs and furniture. Placing a skylight on the east or north slope will give you just as much light but less direct sun. If you really need to place the skylight in an area where it will get a lot of direct sunlight, it’s possible to get one that is tinted so that the light will be diffused.
There are some general sizes for skylights but of course depending on the manufacturer that you choose you’ll be able to get a variety of sizes to choose from. Typically, they range in size from 16 inches to 4 feet. The smaller ones that are usually around two feet wide and will fit between rafters are common as well. Buying a variety of skylights that has been fitted to the pre-existing models of home construction simplifies the installation process dramatically. You can also increase the amount of light that you get through the skylight by adopting what the experts call a light well that angles that shaft of the skylight thereby directing the sunlight toward a specific area.
Another consideration is the type of skylight that you want to have and here it’s important to take some time and ask yourself what it is that you want the skylight to accomplish. Remember that there is a tremendous variety on the market today and one kind that might be right for one situation might not be right for something else. It’s best to check with the experts either online or at the local renovation store to make sure that you get the product that will best suit your needs. As an example, there are skylights that have a tinted bubble to reduce the light that you let in and others have frosted glass that will diffuse the light. Other have the more popular clear plastic or glass.
There are even more choices that need to be made as there are single wall or double wall bubbles and the latter has a dead air space for insulation—that’s considered a good choice for colder climates where there’s a need to keep the heat inside the home.
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