Commercial
skylights can be a real benefit to most types of business premises, offering
not only aesthetic advantages but also practical ones.
They are also a
costly investment and one that should be considered carefully before taking the
plunge.
As important as the
windows themselves is how they are fitted, and who you work with to do the
installation. An experienced provider will mean that your commercial skylight
project goes off without a hitch.
Positioning
When considering
putting in a skylight the first point that most people think is that they need
to put in as many as possible, to let in as much light as possible. It will be
lovely for everyone to get the benefit of the warmth and light of the sun while
they are working, right?
Yes, to a point. But
if you position your skylight in a place where it gets the sun all day, this
can actually mean that the room ends up heating up too much and you create a
sort of greenhouse effect. This will leave your employees hot and
uncomfortable.
Not only this, but
it is actually possible for the sun to damage your skin through the
glass. Most types of
glass block out the rays that cause you to get a suntan or a sunburn, but they
don’t block out the rays, which cause premature ageing of the skin and some
forms of cancer.
When positioning
your skylight it’s good to bear this in mind, and try to put it somewhere that
it will let in a lot of light but won’t be directly under the intensity of the
sun.
Aesthetic
appeal
The next point to consider
is the aesthetic appeal. Installing skylights is a great
opportunity to give your business premises a modern look and change the feel of
the room.
You can use an
octagonal roof lantern if you want to bring sunlight into the center of the
room and create an effect comparable to a chandelier hanging from the ceiling.
Alternatively, a flat-roof skylight will leave dappled sunny reflections all
over your room, which will move throughout the day as the sun does.
What
functionality do they need?
With commercial skylights it's not all
about looks. They
serve a number of practical functions too. For example, skylights might be used
to provide access to the roof in case maintenance is needed.
They can also be a
great way to get some extra ventilation in your building—allowing more airflow
without having to have side windows open, which can cause disruptive gusts of
air.
Some skylights are
also specifically designed with fire safety in mind—allowing smoke to escape
through the roof in case of a fire. You can even get skylights that have
photovoltaic cells incorporated so that you can use your skylight to generate
energy.
Durability
You don’t want to
end up replacing your skylights too often, because not only is that expensive,
it’s a disruption to your business and it will take up your time on each
occasion that it needs to be done.
When you’re
shopping around for skylights be sure to check on the expected lifespan of the product.
In general, you can expect commercial skylights to last between eight and
fifteen years.
Your skylight
provider should be able to offer you some kind of guarantee.
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