Let there be light! Adding skylight windows to your home is an excellent choice for many home and business owners. Skylights allow beautiful natural light to fill your room, and, with some options, the rocky mountain fresh air can breeze into your home. Not only will a new skylight window let in more natural light, but it can also lower your energy costs!
As a top-rated roofer in Colorado, PRQ Exteriors can help answer any questions you have about skylights for your home or business. Read on to learn more!
What are Skylights?
In the simplest possible terms, a skylight is a window on your roof. A new skylight window can transform your home and a particular room by letting natural light into your home from your roof. Skylights serve as an excellent source of light and heat and have been around for centuries!
While the average skylight installation cost might dissuade you from installing a skylight, they bring many benefits to the properties that have them.
What are the Benefits of Skylights?
Skylight installation brings several advantages for Colorado residents. Skylights offer benefits such as added natural light, letting in the fresh air, energy cost savings, added curb appeal, and having natural views of the great outdoors that Colorado offers.
Added Natural Light
The most significant benefit of a skylight is the added natural light they let into your space. Whether that be your home or your commercial space, natural light is known to improve mood and can even help with performance in workplaces!
Boost Your Curb Appeal
Skylights have come a long way from the days of the big plastic bubbles that were obtrusive additions to your roof. New skylights come in several sizes and designs with many advantages. You can install a curb-mounted or flush-mounted skylight. Flush-mounted skylights can blend right in with your roof, but curb-mount skylights are easier to weatherproof. Curb-mount skylights can also be slanted to face the sun more directly, which will allow more natural light and solar heat to come into the space.
Important Considerations Before Installing a Skylight
Skylights create luxurious impressions in a home or commercial building. A roof window or skylight is an excellent option for several reasons, but with that comes some considerations you will want to make before installing a skylight! At PRQ Exteriors, we want to ensure you have all the facts before taking on a project like this.
Skylights Won’t Work for Every Roof
When considering larger skylights, you must consider the construction of your roof. Your roof must be able to support the skylight. Skylights are installed at the roofline beneath roof shingles and sheathing.
To start, consider the framing for your home or business. If you have a truss-framed roof (prefabricated triangular units that make up the roof) it is not an ideal roof for a skylight. The trusses are not designed to be cut after installation because cutting into them can compromise the roof's structural integrity.
Make sure to consult with a professional roofer to see if your type of roof and materials can support a skylight before diving into installation.
The Location of Your Skylights Matter
The location of your skylight certainly matters. Remember that you are usually using a skylight to brighten up a dark room that has little to no natural light.
When considering the location of your skylight, you will also want to take into consideration the slope and what direction the skylight will face. For example, in Colorado, if your skylight faces west or southwest, you will see a lot more sunlight in the afternoon. These are all considerations a professional skylight installer, like PRQ Exteriors, can discuss with you!
Light and Heat Gain
If we know anything about Colorado's sunlight, it's how powerful the sun can be! With over 300 days of sunshine annually, we should take full advantage of the natural light and the solar heat it can create, which in turn will result in a lower cost for your energy bills and improved energy efficiency.
Roof windows and skylights can reduce your heating costs because the sunlight will warm your space free of charge! These savings are especially important in chilly seasons when you have to spend more on heating costs.
Protective Films for Glass Can Regulate Heat/Light
As a Colorado resident, you may worry about regulating heat and light from your skylight. Thankfully there are protective films for skylight windows that help regulate both the heat and light that the roof window lets in! By installing a protective window film to the outside of your roof window, you can reject up to 99% of UV rays. Additionally, solar window film can significantly reduce glare to provide you with more visual comfort.
Regular Skylight Maintenance is Important
Skylights can add beauty and value to your home or business, but like any other window, a skylight needs regular care and maintenance. Maintenance for your skylight can include but is not limited to the following:
"¢ Surface cleaning and stain removal
"¢ Proper drying to eliminate streaking
"¢ Complete surface check for cracks, holes, scratches, and etching
"¢ Water leak check at all contact points, flashing check
You may be wondering, "how do I clean my skylights?" Fortunately, many new skylights are designed with high-quality glass that doesn't have to be cleaned as often. But they are still very easy to clean both inside and outside. If you don't want to attempt to clean them yourself because of the accessibility, many window cleaning companies have the tools to do the cleaning without even having to get on the roof!
Opt for Professional Installation
There are some excellent choices for DIY home projects but installing a skylight should not be one of them. With skylight installation, it is well worth the cost of hiring an experienced professional, like PRQ Exteriors. Beyond the obvious risks like the location and accessibility, cutting a hole in your roof requires proper care and is best left to the professionals. Otherwise, you could be left with a big mess!
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PRQ Exteriors is a Top-Rated Roofer in Colorado
PRQ Exteriors is a top-rated Colorado roofing contractor that strives to provide the best customer service for all your residential and commercial roofing needs. Our team of experts are locals and understand Colorado's weather and its effect on your home's exterior. Reach out today for our trusted roofing services, including roof repair, replacement, and more!
If you need residential or commercial roofing work, professional skylight installation, or maintenance, be sure to reach out today!
Contact us via the form below to set up a complimentary estimate.
Denver, CO
Call or Text: (303) 214-0703
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