Skylights can completely transform the ambiance of a room, flooding it with natural light and creating a beautiful connection between your home and the outdoors. Whether you're looking to brighten a dark space or add a unique design feature, the location of your skylight is one of the most important decisions you’ll make in the process.

In this guide, we’ll cover all the factors you need to consider when choosing where to install your new skylight, from assessing the roof structure to understanding sunlight patterns.

Assess Your Roof Structure

Before getting too excited about installing a skylight, the first step is to evaluate your roof's structure. Different types of roofs may require specific installation techniques, and the slope of your roof will play a critical role in determining the placement and angle of the skylight. The age, material, and strength of your roof are all factors that could affect installation.

Key Considerations for Roof Assessment:

Roof Pitch

Skylights are often designed to fit roofs with specific angles. For example, roof windows are best suited for pitched roofs with an angle of 15° to 90°. On the other hand, flat roofs require specialized flat roof skylights or roof lanterns.

Material

The roof material type— tiles, slate, or asphalt—can affect the installation process. Ensuring the material can accommodate a skylight without compromising the roof’s integrity is important.

Structural Integrity

Ensure your roof is in good condition and can bear the weight of the skylight. This is particularly important in older homes where the roof structure may have weakened over time.

If there are any concerns about your roof’s condition, it’s always best to consult a professional before moving forward with the installation.

Define the Purpose of the Skylight

Understanding your goals is crucial to deciding where to install your skylight. What purpose will the skylight serve?

Common Reasons for Installing Skylights:

Increase Natural Light

If your primary goal is to bring more light into a room, focus on darker areas of the home, such as hallways, bathrooms, or attic spaces.

Enhance Ventilation

Skylights can also serve as an effective way to improve airflow, especially in spaces like kitchens and bathrooms. For this purpose, you’ll need to choose an openable skylight.

Create a Design Feature

Skylights can act as a focal point in rooms that are frequently used, such as living rooms, dining areas, or master bedrooms, adding a modern and airy feel to the space.

By identifying your main objective, you can better determine where the skylight will have the most impact.

Understand Sunlight Patterns

One of the most important factors to consider when installing a skylight is the path of the sun throughout the day and year. You want to ensure the skylight is positioned to maximise natural light without causing excessive heat or glare.

Sunlight Directions to Consider:

  • South-Facing Skylights: These skylights receive the most direct sunlight throughout the day, making them perfect for rooms that need a lot of light, but they may also cause more heat during the summer months.

  • North-Facing Skylights: Ideal for soft, consistent lighting all day long without too much glare. This is great for home offices or studios where you want to avoid harsh, direct sunlight.

  • East-Facing Skylights: Best for capturing gentle morning sunlight, making them ideal for bedrooms or kitchens where you want to start the day with soft, natural light.

  • West-Facing Skylights: These bring in warmer afternoon sunlight and are a good option for living rooms or dining spaces, offering a cosy glow towards the end of the day.

It’s essential to evaluate how sunlight will affect the space during different seasons as well, since winter and summer sunlight can behave differently in terms of angle and intensity.

Privacy Considerations

While skylights are fantastic for letting in light, you’ll also need to think about privacy. If the skylight is installed in a bathroom or bedroom, you want to ensure that it’s not overlooked by neighbouring properties or buildings.

Tips for Maximising Privacy:

  • Strategic Placement: Install skylights on roof sections that aren’t directly visible from nearby homes or streets.

  • Use Blinds or Shades: Many skylights come with built-in options for blinds or automated shades, allowing you to control privacy when needed.

  • Natural Barriers: Take into account any natural features like trees or other buildings that could obstruct views into your home.

By considering these factors, you can install a skylight that enhances your living space without compromising privacy.

Consider Energy Efficiency and Insulation

The installation of a skylight can have a significant impact on your home’s energy efficiency. A well-placed skylight can reduce the need for artificial lighting, but you’ll also need to think about how it affects insulation.

Key Factors for Energy Efficiency:

  • Glazing Options: Modern skylights come with different glazing options such as double or triple glazing, which provide better insulation and reduce heat loss in the winter and overheating in the summer.

  • UV Protection: Consider skylights with low-emissivity (Low-E) glass, which helps block harmful UV rays while still allowing natural light in. This reduces the risk of furniture and flooring fading due to prolonged sun exposure.

  • Ventilation: For optimal energy efficiency, choose openable skylights that allow warm air to escape during hot summer months, reducing the need for air conditioning.