Skylights - There's More to Them than Meets the Eye

Have you have changed your loft into a bedroom, playroom or study/office? And then realised that there is just not enough natural light in the room? Of course, most lofts don't have any windows to start with so here you are at a real disadvantage in making the most of any natural light, unless of course you fit a roof window or skylight.

In other cases even "normal" the rooms you have upstairs don't feel bright enough and thus you would like to have more natural light. The skylight (or roof window) is one answer, but there you will need to consider what type of skylight you might like. The pitch of the roof and the shape of the ceiling in the room determines the type and shape of the skylights which can be used, and remember, putting in skylights is not just about making a hole in the roof and sticking a window or dome into it. Great care must be taken in what shape and size your skylight will be and then in fitting it. After all, you don't want it in the wrong place or leaking all over your room every time it rains.

The loft space skylight dictates how much and what sort of light you will receive. You will also need to be aware of the direction your skylight will face, if you have a traditional style skylight fitted flush to an east facing roof, you will get a lot of early morning light which may cause a problem in the bedroom of a light sleeper. You may also want to consider whether you want your skylight to open as good ventilation is important to your well being as well.

There are many styles and shapes of skylight to choose from. For instance, tubular skylights are placed on your roof in a vertical position. Light is then channelled down a reflective tube into a diffuser where it creates light in the room. This light has no UV rays (as it is reflected), so does not cause fading or other damage to furnishings or carpets. Some tubular skylights also allow you to adjust the amount of light entering the room, making them ideal for very bright days when you might want to limit the amount of light. These skylights are therefore particularly useful for rooms where a standard skylight is simply unsuitable.

Light can also be controlled in fixed or ventilating skylights by using blinds or rollers as there will be times when you want more or less light in the room.

Loft Conversions in London

If you are frustrated with the lack of available space in your home then you are not alone. In order to solve this problem many people in the UK have turned to loft conversions as they are a quicker, easier and cheaper way of gaining extra space without moving home.

There are two main types of conversions that tend to be the most popular. Dormer conversions are seen when you do not have quite enough space for headroom and to complete the conversion. Additional space must be made by construction of the dormer area, thus the name.

A roof light or Velux conversion is usually seen when there is sufficient room available for the conversion. This is one of the most commonly seen and often the least expensive style of loft conversion.

If you were to take a look around London you would find countless examples of conversions. A very popular style of loft conversion in the London area is the dormer style. Often, with terraced homes a slight variation on the dormer conversion is chosen to be employed, termed the Mansard loft conversion.