Brightening Home With a Skylight

A skylight can open your home to five times as much light as a sidewall window of the same size, and it won’t present you with a bad view or sacrifice privacy. If you’re shopping for a skylight, consider these points:

* Location. Place the skylight on the north side for even lighting. For heat gain and maximum light, install a skylight on the roof’s south side. If you want energy efficiency, mount the skylight at an angle that gives the most solar gain in winter and the least in summer. For maximum gain, don’t let your roof’s slope determine the skylight’s angle. Instead, install the skylight in an angled box attached to the roof’s surface.

* Size. Skylights come in multiples of 16 or 24 inches--the standard spacing between the centers of rafters. The skylight dimensions should be between 5% and 10% of the total square footage of the area it lights. The exact percentage depends on the colors of the interior space and number of windows.

* Tints. Any tint reduces the amount of light and heat passing through the pane. Room colors appear most natural with a clear or gray skylight. Translucent white panes give a bluish-white cast to colors. Bronze panes warm up a setting.

* Glazing. Glass works well for flat skylights; select acrylics or polycarbonates for shaped or domed models. For energy efficiency and ultraviolet light control, look for tinted, insulated, or coated, low-emissivity glazings.

* Fixed or operable? A skylight that opens (sometimes called a roof window) will help cool your house naturally by venting hot air and humidity.

* Accessories. Sometimes you’ll want to reduce the light coming from above. Most manufacturers offer optional screens, shades or blinds that can be operated by pole or remote control.