Call Ken now on westcoastskylights.com.au. Skylight Must Knows

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1 Call Ken now on westcoastskylights.com.au Skylight Must Knows Hi, My name is Ken Miller and I run West Coast Skylights out of Rockingham Western Australia. We do service the Perth metropolitan area and beyond. Thanks for taking the time to download and read this short information sheet on skylights which will hopefully answer some of your questions. I m happy to answer calls for any questions you may have. Regards, Ken. Page 1 of 7

2 Benefits Skylights have many benefits including, but not limited: o Natural light transforms the look and feel of any room. o Sunlight lifts one s mood and enhances positive feelings. o Skylights are an excellent option when windows are just not enough. o Skylights can allow about 30 percent more sunlight into a room than windows. o Skylights reduce the time needed for artificial / electrical lighting particularly at dawn and dusk, in turn reducing your electricity bill. The benefits are clear. But there are still a few things you should consider before taking the plunge and putting the time and money into an installation. Disadvantages: For the higher end skylights, cost. Potential for leaks and damage through improper installation. Page 2 of 7

3 Types of Skylights There are many types and styles of skylights however, the three main types used in housing are: Window Type Skylights, Window type skylights are comprised of a glass panel on the roof, a framed and drywalled light well and no diffuser at ceiling level. Window types include models that can be opened either manually or electrically. These vary from $1100. to $2500. plus installation. Dome and Diffuser Skylights Dome and diffuser type skylights are comprised of an opaque plastic dome on the roof, a medium destiny fibreboard (MDF) or lightweight steel sheet light well and a plastic diffuser at ceiling level. Decent quality models start at around the $600. Mark plus installation. Page 3 of 7

4 Tube type skylights Tube type skylights are comprised of a small plastic dome or sometimes a glass window on the roof, generally a flexible reflective tunnel although there are highly reflective lightweight steel tubes available and a plastic diffuser at ceiling level plus installation. Styles Getting the right skylight type to suit it s proposed position is all important. Window type skylights and dome and diffuser skylights are great in most cases for large living areas. Tube type skylights are better suited to small rooms such as pantries, closets, toilets and bathrooms etc. Some larger tube types can look good and work well in living areas as well. Page 4 of 7

5 Prices For the handy person a do it yourself, skylight can fairly inexpensive. A quality tube type skylights from Velux will cost from $330. for a flexi tunnel model. Fixed Window type and dome and diffuser types are priced similarly starting at about $400. To $1000. Openable window type skylights vary between $1100. To $2500. Access Access is a major factor in putting your choice of skylight in the location you want. Except in the case of cathedral or vaulted roofs we ll need access to the roof, roof space and the ceiling. Occasionally, during a quotation inspection we ll find things that make it prohibitively expensive to install a skylight. Structural steel beams, Airconditioning, Solar panels, Plumbing, & Wiring. All of these are relatively easy to overcome, albeit some can be expensive. For some installations we don t need to get onto the roof as we can do the whole job through the opening we make. Page 5 of 7

6 Structural considerations - Trusses Skylight manufacturers size their products to fit within the commonly used truss spacings. Trusses can be cut and reinforced once signed off by a structural engineer. Light Well This is essentially a framed box or tunnel that conducts sunlight from your skylight, through the attic space and into your room. Factors that affect the light well include your roof construction type which can be either a prefabricated engineered truss system or a built on site stick roof. Any work performed must add to the structural integrity of the building. The light well framing is seperate, but, connected to your roof framing and your ceiling framing. A light well is an average house is usually around the $1500. mark. Cathedral and vaulted ceilings are cheaper as there is minimal framing required. Installer or DIY? Anyone can pop into Bunnings and buy a cheap skylight and DIY. With skylights you generally get what you pay for and a cheap skylight usually ends up being a false economy. Whilst any skylight installation is not rocket science there are many considerations that can overwhelm first timers. We get at least one call a month to finish a DIY job usually resulting in us just giving a few tips and some confidence to get the DIYer back on track. Whilst installing Velux Sun Tunnels is a bread & butter part of my life, I regularly suggest that some clients install tube type skylights themselves. Roof Window type skylights are a different matter though and even the occasional builder has troubles that we sort out. So, my tips here are: Tube type skylights: Window type skylight: Fine for most DIYers. Get quotes from several installers. Warranties Page 6 of 7

7 Good products have good warranties backed by great service. 10 years is a good warranty period. When we swap out an old unit for a new unit they have usually seen more than twenty years service. Your installation should have a warranty as well. At West Coast Skylights we match the manufacturer warranties. Installation Times Skylights can be installed all year round, weather permitting of course. A tube type skylight can usually be installed within 4 hours given good access etc. Dome and diffuser skylights take a full day. Window type with a drywalled light well may take 2-4 days. Call Ken now on westcoastskylights.com.au Page 7 of 7