Hingham: Upgrades for your Skylight
By: Gabriel Fiorini
Velux Skylight Blinds
Velux offers several optional upgrades for its skylights including blinds and Neat glass. In a previous post I mentioned blinds, which fit into the frame of the skylight and allow the owner more control over the amount of light that passes through. Velux blinds are available in a wide variety of colors and patterns, in both light-diffusing and light-blocking styles.
Light-diffusing blinds allow much of the light to pass through, but soften and diffuse it. They are useful in situations where natural light is always welcome but where direct sunlight may at times cause excessive glare or unwanted room-heating—for instance in a kitchen or an entry hall.
Light-blocking blinds block most of the light that would otherwise come through the skylight, and are useful in rooms such as bedrooms where at times one may desire to darken the room for sleeping. Velux light-blocking blinds also have a layer of aluminum in them, which acts as a radiant barrier and improves the skylight’s insulation value.
Velux also offers an advanced glass option called Neat® glass. This is a laminated glass product (laminated glass, as opposed to tempered glass, is required by code for out-of-reach
applications) which is stronger and safer than tempered glass and in this case also has several very useful features.
Neat® glass has a permanent silicon dioxide coating which makes it much smoother at the molecular level than traditional glass, causing water to sheet off more completely and greatly reducing water spotting. It also has a permanent titanium dioxide coating which helps to break down organic matter, allowing it to rinse off in the rain. Together, these features mean that Neat® glass requires much less cleaning than traditional glass. Neat® glass is also significantly better at blocking noise than traditional double-pane tempered glass. Both tempered and laminated glass is available in Low-E versions, which reduce solar heating by blocking infrared light (thermal radiation) while still allowing visible light to pass through.
It might be good to note that as with any window, installing skylights involves a trade-off between insulation and natural light. No skylight or window will insulate as well as a properly-insulated ceiling or wall, though modern products are much better than older ones and if care is given to the location of skylights with respect to the sun, they can even be a useful part of a home’s overall climate control system. The relative merits of this trade off are up to the homeowner.
And hopefully answer all the questions that have about through-roof natural lighting products, but if not please feel free to reach out to our team here at Almar Building & Remodeling to discuss how we can help you with your home remodeling needs.
Our team has been working with families like yours for over 57 years. And it is important to us that everyone works together to create the best possible experience. If you have questions about your home improvement project please let us know. https://www.almarbuilding.com (781-826-2577) and watch our videos at http://www.youtube.com/almarbuilding.com
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Almar Building & Remodeling Co (Hanover Ma). As a third generation family owned and operated company for over 50 years Almar Building has all the benefits of a small company with the options of a larger company. From Additions, Kitchens, Bathroom, Basement Renovations, Siding, Windows, to Doors Almar services the entire South Shore of Massachusetts including: Hanover, Hingham, Pembroke, Norwell, Scituate, Cohasset, Duxbury, Hanson, Abington, Rockland, Holbrook, Braintree, Weymouth, Milton, and many more towns. Upgrades for your Skylight
