Skylights can be a real boon to a dark house, letting in light where lack of windows or shading structures and trees block it out. But the benefits of skylights are sometimes accompanied by drawbacks.
Here’s a comparison of the benefits and drawbacks of skylights.
Benefits
- The most obvious benefit of a skylight is extra light, especially in wintertime when SAD occurs.
- Skylights help keep the home warmer in winter so you don’t have to turn the heat up as much.
Drawbacks
- Anytime you cut a hole in your roof you run the risk of letting moisture enter. No matter how good the installation of a skylight, over time, things can shift around, creating a leak. If you have a skylight, it needs to be checked occasionally and perhaps caulked to prevent leaking.
- Heat loss can also occur through the skylight as heat rises and the skylight develops minute cracks and air leaks.
- Skylights can sometimes let in too much light, so that homeowners find the rooms too bright or too warm.
- Skylights require some maintenance; in addition to checking the caulk and sealing, you may need to clean away dirt and leaves.
Choosing a Skylight
Look for a skylight with insulated glazing, a low-emissivity coating or a heat-absorbing tint to reduce the negative impacts. Some types even have an aerogel translucent insulation layer for greater thermal efficiency.
If you’d like to know more about skylights and energy efficiency, contact Ace Hardware Home Services of Dayton. We can also help with HVAC repairs, maintenance and upgrades.
Our goal is to help educate our customers in Dayton, Ohio about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).
