Will a Skylight Heat Up My Home?

According to one source, heat from a 24 foot single-paned skylight can lead your AC to spend 240 more kilowatt hours each year. That may seem like a lot of money, but at an annual rate of 8 cents per kWh, it only amounts to $19 more in cooling expenses. And, when you consider the advantages of skylights in your home, an extra $20 a year may not seem so bad.

A skylight is thought to enable more heat loss in the winter than a regular wall window. Using high-grade skylights and materials that are well above code, however, this problem can be solved.

The Dimensions of Your Residence

It’s also crucial to think about how big your house is and how many skylights you want. It is not only costly to maintain a pleasant temperature in your home through heating and cooling, but it is also necessary to keep your home well-lit. While skylights may add a few dollars to your monthly heating and cooling expenditures, they may also save you money on lighting and power. You may go for hours longer each day without turning on any indoor lights thanks to a well-placed skylight, which is both environmentally friendly and cost-effective.

How to Keep a Skylight from Overheating Your Home

The placement of your skylight during installation is crucial, and your contractor should place it in an area of your roof that receives plenty of summer shade. If you want to be able to open and close the skylight to let heat out, a vented skylight is a perfect solution. With good arrangement, avoiding direct sunlight going down the shaft will considerably limit heat gain.

Glazing And Protective Coating

To reduce heat gain and provide privacy, a competent installation crew will likely recommend that you purchase a skylight covering. To avoid heat gain, consider skylight coverings, UV protection coatings, and safety glazing. These are an excellent way to address this problem while still reaping the benefits of having more light in your house. The light that enters your home is diffused by several of these coatings. This creates a lovely soft light that will make your home feel warm and inviting.

Insulation

Ensure that your skylight is adequately insulated during installation so that you lose less heat. Moisture entering your home through the skylight can also be prevented with proper insulation and installation. For improved home climate control, ensure sure the skylight shaft is completely insulated.

Other Skylight Disadvantages to Consider

While a skylight can help to heat up your home in the summer, it’s a different story in the winter. You may notice heat leakage from your skylight during the fall and winter months. When you turn on your home’s heater to keep warm, the temperature will naturally rise. Because of the way your skylight is built, it becomes an area of your home where heat can readily escape. You’ll want to make sure that you maintain your skylight as it matures to avoid any loss.

They can also result in less-than-ideal insulation. The skylight shaft is usually not insulated. Insulation is one of the most critical temperature control measures you can take in your home. Insulation does make a difference in your energy expenditures and helps regulate indoor temperatures.

Depending on the height of your skylight, cleaning them can also be a problem. If your ceilings are really high, you’ll need a long ladder to clean the shaft and light. They may attract bugs, spiders, and other pests as a result of the increased light, and will need to be cleaned on a regular basis. You’ll also need to clean the light on the roof’s outside. It is not a problem inside your home if your roof is covered in leaves and debris. With a skylight, the leaves and debris will reduce the amount of light that comes in, so you’ll need to clean them from time to time.