SKYLIGHTS 101

Welcome to our overview of residential skylights.  This web page was written to provide a basic understanding of skylights, their applications, common terminology and basic features.  Please move on to FAQ’s or the specific product pages for more detailed information and specifications.

You may know that skylights were first used in Europe (invented by VELUX) over sixty-five years ago.  In Europe then and now it is very rare to see a non-venting skylight.  The very name VELUX is derived from VE -- ventilation and LUX – light.  The concept of allowing fresh air and sunlight into a building proved to be very popular, thus the skylight industry was born.

Fixed Skylights Verses Venting Skylights

Skylights come in two types; Fixed and Venting.  There is absolutely no correlation for one type leaking more than the other…in fact some test data supports a superior rating for venting units over the fixed skylights.  VELUX manufactures two models of venting skylights; one that features a manual operation and another that operates electrically.  Both carry the VELUX 10 year guarantee and both have benefits the other does not.  For instance, the manually operated units are great in low-ceiling applications like bonus rooms over a garage or where the skylight is within easy reach.  They cost much less than their electrical counterpart and are very simple to open and close.  The electrically venting units are operated by a hand-held wireless remote that can control as many as ten skylights simultaneously.  They can be set to close with a built-in timer and will automatically shut if the weather changes and rain comes in.  Our customers who have replaced manual skylights with electrical units tell us they use their electrically venting units much more than they used the manually venting skylights.  Older individuals or people with balance problems also enjoy the electrical operation.

Curb-mounted verses Deck-mounted Skylights

Skylights are installed on a house in one of two ways.  Deck-mounted units are preferred for new installations on pitched or sloped roofs.  They install through the roof deck, have a slightly lower profile and trim out beautifully inside the light shaft or on a cathedral ceiling.  Curb-mounted units are actually installed on a wooden curb (usually 2 X 4 or 2 X 6 frames) on the roof of your house.  They are the only skylight used on flat or low-sloped roofs but can also be used on long, steep roofs where heavy rain could cascade over a deck-mounted unit and potentially cause leaking.  Curb-mounts can be installed vertically or horizontally and are often used to fit over openings from odd-sized skylights on flat or pitched roofs.  Both deck and curb-mounted skylights come in fixed, manual and electrically venting models.

Self-Flashing Skylights

Just when you thought you had it figured out we offer a third option, the “Self-Flashing” skylight.  While we do use these skylights in our area, they really were designed to be sold in more moderate climates than the Midwest.  These skylights come with their own flashing system and do not require the EDL or ECL flashing kits necessary for deck and curb mounted skylights.  Often used by do-it-yourselfers on asphalt shingled roofs, the self-flashing units attach direct to the roof deck using a watertight EPDM flashing membrane.

The Glass

VELUX manufactures skylights with a number of glazing options.  All VELUX glazings are built using energy efficient, low-E3, Argon gas injected dual tempered glass panes.  Most residential applications in our area required either the standard tempered Comfort Glass or the laminated/tempered Comfort Plus Glass.  Comfort Plus adds a laminated safety glass pane to the tempered glass making it safer in locations where heavy objects might fall.  They are also used where building code requires laminated glass on venting units over a certain size.  The Comfort Plus also increases the Ultra-Violet (UV) light protection.  High Impact, Miami-Dade, White laminated and Heavy snow-load glazings are all special-order options available on specific models.

ELECTRIC VENTING SKYLIGHTS Skylights that open at the touch of a button         MANUAL VENTING SKYLIGHTS Skylights that operate with manual controls       FIXED SKYLIGHTS Skylights that provide an outside view, but no fresh air VELUX skylights are designed for overhead, out-of-reach applications or for in-reach applications that do not require egress emergency escape capabilities. They come in a wide range of sizes and features with a full assortment of blinds available