Residential Skylights – Understanding the Different Varieties

Even the most monotonous or dreary room can look bright and attractive with skylight installations in Melbourne. Besides providing you with 30 percent more natural light than standard windows, they provide you with starlit scenery from the bedroom. This extra amount of light transforms an entire room – giving it an airy, fresh feeling. Similar to windows, skylights are also available in fixed or flexible variety. Fixed skylights come in different varieties – flat as well as domed; however, they provide only light. On the other hand, skylights that offer light as well as ventilation can be closed or opened using a remote control, hand crank, an automated temperature sensor or even a wall switch. When kept open, a skylight forms an updraft, bringing in a lot of hot air in the room. This way, you save a lot on your energy bills during winter.

Thanks to energy-efficient skylights in Melbourne, you can solve a lot of household problems. For example, in a small lavatory with limited space, the skylight could be the lone way to let in natural light in your house. The clear glass variety directs the natural light to specific areas alone. On the other hand, the ones with obscure or acrylic light will spread the light over a bigger area. So, depending upon your needs and overall home plan choose the one that suits the best. As for the installation, consider taking help of seasoned professionals.

Although, these days, the skylights come with an additional installation kit, treading the DIY way isn’t really advisable. Only trained and experienced people can do the skylight installation job to perfection. Today, a lot of agencies that specialize in building maintenance services in Melbourne also specialize in skylight installation. All you need to do is some research and verification. Else, you might end up losing your valuable money and energy.

Waterproofing is an Important Part of Skylight Installations in Melbourne

People hate to drill holes in the wall for any reason. Not only it makes a mess, you feel that you are somehow weakening the structure. Cutting a hole in the roof thus feels even more stupid. But you need to cut a hole in the roof if you want to install skylights in your Melbourne home. If you are wondering whether the effort is worth it, it is safe to say that it is. Would you not put up windows in fear of cutting holes in the wall? Skylights are an excellent way to let in natural light into the room and even help in ventilation. As you know, hot air rises upwards so when room gets too hot, a skylight might be the quickest way to release the stuffiness and bring in some freshness into the room. However, one thing you need to be extra careful about is waterproofing.

Since skylight installations in Melbourne and elsewhere are done directly on the roof. That makes them more vulnerable to the weather, especially rain and moisture. That is why you need to install special waterproofing called flashings. The origin of the word flashing is unknown, but some believe that it has something to do with the words splashing. These are thin strips of impervious material, usually metal, that are applied on the corners, joints and any exposed areas to ensure that no water gets through. Usually when skylights are installed, the frame of the skylight is mounted on waterproofing underlayment. Then the border of the frame is covered with flashings with top, bottom and steps flashings.

When you are doing some kind of building maintenance in Melbourne, for example, changing the shingles of the roof, you can check how your waterproofing system is working. Since most residential skylights are installed on raised curbs, if they are removed carefully, they can be reused. However, if they are damaged in any way, do not try to get away with the old flashings; you will ultimately have to replace them later.

Waterproofing is absolutely important if you want to really enjoy your skylights, so make sure you take proper care of them.