How to Choose the Right Rooflight for Your Space

A rooflight can transform your home through increasing the levels of natural daylight and ventilation. The options are endless from simple, fixed rooflights such as the Fixed Flushglaze Rooflight to complex, sliding rooflights for roof terrace access such as the FreeStanding Box Rooflight. 

Choosing the correct rooflight or roof window to suit your requirements is integral, and many factors can influence the product that you choose to purchase.

What To Consider

With so many glass rooflights on the market, it can be hard to know which product is able to meet your specific requirements; Whether they are increased levels of natural daylight,  enhanced ventilation or seamless access to your rooftop.

The Type of Rooflight

Rooflights come in many different styles and sizes, and the type of rooflight that you should purchase depends on your specific requirements.

Fixed rooflights can not be opened and therefore act as a permanent source of natural daylight, fixed rooflights such as the Glazing Vision Fixed Flushglaze provide ‘frameless’ internal views allowing building occupants to feel connected to the nature outside, they are a great solution if you live in an area of natural beauty and are not in the need of increased ventilation.

Opening rooflights are both a source of natural daylight and ventilation, opening rooflights can be either manually or electrically operated through the use of a remote control or a wall mounted switch depending on your requirements and placement of the rooflight.

If you require access to your roof terrace, you need to opt for a regular access rooflight such as the Glazing Vision FreeStanding Box Rooflight; This rooflight slides open as you ascend the stairs, to allow you to access your otherwise unused roof space.

Whilst most flat rooflights can be installed at pitches of up to 70 degrees, if your roof is at a pitch of 70 degrees or more, you need to opt for a roof window as opposed to a flat rooflight.

The Size & Shape

When you have considered and decided the type of rooflight that you are going to purchase, you need to ensure that you have the space on your roof for your desired product.

Most rooflights will be available in a variety of sizes, you should carefully consider the available space on your roof before purchasing your rooflight, particularly when you are opting for an opening rooflight as clearance room needs to be taken into consideration.

In addition to the size of the rooflight, the shape of your desired rooflight should be considered. The rooflight should complement the aesthetics of your building, and this may be achieved through Roof Lanterns, landscape oriented rooflights or pyramid rooflights.

The Glazing Material

A wide variety of rooflights will be manufactured with glass as the primary glazing material as they offer improved aesthetics and functionality – Glass rooflights offer clear views to the outside, allowing increased levels of natural daylight in the home. Glass rooflights can be manufactured to a range of specifications such as double/triple glazing, walk-on, obscured, and more, depending on your requirements.

Selected rooflights such as dome rooflights are typically manufactured using Polycarbonate as the primary glazing material. Polycarbonate rooflights act as a more cost effective option as the material is lightweight and less expensive than glass. Utilising Polycarbonate as the glazing material provides good thermal insulation, however options are limited in terms of different specifications.

If you are looking to purchase a walk-on rooflight or a rooflight for a private area, you will need to specify a glass rooflight as they can be specially manufactured with walk-on or obscured glass.

When deciding between a glass or Polycarbonate rooflight, you should consider factors such as solar heat gain and U-factor values to ensure good thermal performance in addition to the aesthetic differences. 

Installation Requirements

Different types and sizes of rooflights will require different installation methods and preparations – Prior to purchasing your rooflight, you will need to ensure that there is adequate access to your rooftop to allow the rooflight to be installed safely. If there is not adequate access to your chosen area, consider installing the rooflight on a more accessible area of the roof, if this is not feasible, contact experienced contractors who will have the necessary equipment (such as scaffolding or cherry-pickers) to access the difficult to reach area.

We work closely with our sister company, Glazing Renovations, to undertake our rooflight installations, they are well versed in working in various conditions – Your Glazing Vision rooflight should always be installed by a Glazing Vision Approved Installer as they have the required knowledge and skills to undertake the installation.

In addition to ensuring suitable access, you should assess if the area of the roof is suitable for your desired rooflight – some roofs may require structural modifications to accommodate the additional weight of the rooflight.

Regulations and Standards

Before purchasing your rooflight, it is crucial to ensure that your new addition will comply with Building Regulations in your local area. For example, if you live in a conservation area, you will be limited in the modifications which you are allowed to make to your home.

The majority of buildings will be able to have rooflight installed without the need to seek planning permission, through permitted development rights. Though certain parameters need to be adhered to to ensure that the rooflight and development meets building regulations for safety, thermal performance and structural integrity.

To comply with the UK Building Regulations, you need to ensure that the roof will be able to support the additional weight of the rooflight post-installation. Adhering to Approved Document K, you should also ensure that the rooflight is proved to be energy efficient.

Not adhering to local and national building regulations will lead to legal issues or mandatory modifications having to be made further down the line, which could be costly.

Budget

The final factor to consider when looking to purchase a rooflight is your budget, as this could constrain you in the types and sizes of rooflights that you should look at.

Prior to looking at the various rooflight options available on the market, you should set a budget and explore the options that offer the best value for money without compromising on quality and performance.

If you are proceeding with a lower budget, you may wish to opt for a stock rooflight as they typically are less expensive as they are not made to order. A range of Glazing Vision rooflights are available to purchase from rooflights.com.

Made to order and bespoke rooflights come with a higher price tag as they require more labour, however the benefit of proceeding with a made to order or bespoke unit is that it can be fully customised to your requirements, and your property architecture. 

How To Proceed

Now that you have chosen your desired rooflight, you are one step closer to unlocking the true potential of your home.

There are a final few factors to consider before ordering your rooflight. Firstly, you should proceed with a manufacturer who offers a warranty period, therefore you can purchase your rooflight with peace of mind that if there are faults or damage to the product, it will be covered by the manufacturer. A manufacturer who offers a warranty is often more trustworthy than those who do not. Glazing Vision rooflights come with a warranty period of 10 years when installed by a Glazing Vision Approved Installer. 

Secondly, you should consider the maintenance requirements of having a rooflight, some rooflights will need cleaning regularly to allow a clean and seamless view to the outside.

You can opt for your Glazing Vision Rooflight to be coated with a specialist coating, EnduroShield, which is an invisible treatment that repels water, soap scum and grime, allowing less time to be spent cleaning the rooflight.

Lastly, you should opt for a manufacturer that is a member of The Rooflight Association as they are held to higher standards which means you will get a high quality rooflight that you can love for years to come.

Glazing Vision is a proud member of The Rooflight Association, in addition to board presence at The Rooflight Association and Eurolux.

To discover your perfect rooflight for your unique requirements, reach out to your local Technical Specification Manager today.