Skylights are windows installed in the roof of your home. They provide lots of additional natural light that would otherwise be lacking because of the direction the room faces or because the room is in the center of the house. But, are skylights passe now, or are they better than ever? You decide.

Old Skylights Leaked and Had to Be Installed in Unusual Ways

Old skylights had to be built into a roof space in such a way that the light would travel through a sort of "light box." A special box was formed in the attic or roofing structure so that the light from above could pass through the roofing structure and head straight down through a second window below. This awkward structure often made the skylights leak, requiring frequent residential window services to prevent water damage.

Modern Skylights Are Like Glass Ceilings

Modern skylights do not have to do that anymore. The "attic" space is removed entirely, the ceiling lifted to the heights of the peaks of the roof, and then the windows are installed directly into the roof. The windows lay with the direction of the roof itself, in either a wooden or steel frame for support. Leaking is almost unheard of with modern skylights because the panes of glass are tightly fitted into the frames and because the rain travels down over the glass and roof into the gutters.

Entirely Glass and Steel Roofs Are the Ultimate in Natural Lighting

If you wanted to, you could rip the entire roof off of your house and install nothing but glass windows and steel framing. The effect is quite a modern-looking one, but there is endless sunlight in the day, and nothing but stars when you go to bed at night. Some people really love this. Others, like those who tend to sleep during the day and work all night, do not.

Better Than Dormer Windows

Dormer windows are those gabled windows that jut out from the roof of your house. They are difficult to clean and even more difficult to repair if they, or their rooftops, start to leak water. If they do leak, consider ripping out the dormers and putting skylights instead. You will get more light in the room and have far fewer problems with leaking windows. Additionally, the conversion from dormer window to skylight is an incredibly easy one, since you will already have an open roof hole after removing the dormer window.

For more information, contact a company like Valley Glass Utility.