In recent years, the installation of skylights has been one of the most common choices for providing natural light to a part of the home. Skylights allow homeowners to enjoy a beautiful view of the sky (day or night) while reducing the need for more traditional lighting during the day. To bring natural light into a blind room, there is a solution: the skylight. How does this system work? What are the disadvantages and advantages? Here are some answers:

What is a skylight?

A skylight brings natural light to places where it is impossible to create a window. The technique is quite simple:

An opening in the roof catches the outside light. This opening is topped by a dome (like a bubble) that concentrates the light inside a rigid pipe.

The light is then transported inside the pipe, which is lined with reflective mirrors. The reflective pipe can be bent to bring the light to a specific area of the house.

An acrylic or polycarbonate diffuser is then used to redistribute the light into blind rooms.

As windows and doors, this type of device is part of the family of interior joinery elements. The craftsmen in charge of its installation must take into account the waterproofing and thermal insulation.

Do skylights have only good qualities?

When skylights were first introduced as a source of natural light for the home, many people saw them as a way to save on energy costs. And while there are some that save you energy, that doesn't mean that all skylights save you money. In fact, some may cost you more for a variety of reasons!

So, if you are considering installing skylights in your home, take a moment to consider the various advantages and disadvantages of skylights.

The advantages of a skylight

The main advantage of a skylight is that it brings natural light to places where it is lacking, i.e. blind rooms (dressing rooms, stairwells, corridors, etc.).

The fact that the light is concentrated means that the light at the end of the shaft is as bright as daylight, which saves energy, thus skylights are the perfect solution to saving electricity. Even at night, the prism of the dome captures the light of the moon and stars!

Its installation is affordable. It provides real comfort in everyday life for years to come.

Skylights make sense if you want to improve the aesthetics of your home. They will provide an impressive amount of natural light while giving you an opening to the sky. And like many other architectural improvements, skylights can add value in the event of a resale of your home. Skylights can also provide natural ventilation, provided you have an articulated model. You can then open the window to let the air in. 

Skylights controlled by remote control are the most comfortable because it is easy to close the window quickly if something unpleasant from outside disturbs you (smell, rain or even noise). Did you know? With smart windows, you can even get skylights equipped with rain sensors that will close automatically in case of bad weather.

Disadvantages of a skylight

If installed incorrectly, as with a conventional roof window, the skylight can cause water leakage. The skylight must be completely watertight on the roof, otherwise, it can damage the roof and the ceilings through which it passes.

Similarly, a faulty installation can lead to heating losses. As heat naturally flows upwards, the losses can be significant, not to mention the possible formation of unpleasant draughts.

Finally, when a living floor is above the room to be lit, the rigid skylight pipe cannot always be concealed.

One of the best-kept secrets in the world of skylights is that they save almost no energy. And there is a simple explanation for this. A skylight in the roof of a traditional house loses 35-45% more heat in cold weather than the same window on the side of the house. In addition, when the heat reaches a colder window, condensation forms, and you will see a few drops of water form. 

Another disadvantage of skylights is leakage. They are responsible for a large number of leaks in the roof. Even if you are very rigorous about renovating and maintaining your roof, homeowners with skylights find that roofing problems such as leaks, seepage or other damage are more likely to occur around skylights. So the question is: are they a good idea for your home? The answer is yes, absolutely! But are they ideal for all situations? Not necessarily.