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16.09.22

Guide To Adding A Skylight To Your Kitchen

Are you thinking about adding a skylight to your kitchen?

We understand why. There are lots of reasons why you might consider making this addition to such an important room in your home, and this is why the popularity of skylights has increased so much in recent years.

However, this can be quite an undertaking; you need to select the right fitting and go through the disruption of having it fitted. Therefore, this should not be a snap decision.

If you’re on the fence about a skylight, or perhaps you’re just unsure where to start, we can help.

We have created this guide to adding a skylight to your kitchen to showcase some of the key benefits, as well as the key considerations you need to make before committing to this renovation.

So, if you’d like to know more about the benefits and the process of fitting a skylight, check out our full tips and advice below.

6 benefits of having a skylight in the kitchen

As we said, there are several reasons you might think about incorporating a skylight into your kitchen. Understanding the benefits of having a skylight can help you to decide whether this is the right decision for your home. Some of the key benefits include:

  • Making your kitchen more stylish and aesthetically pleasing
  • Allowing in lots more natural light which can be a huge mood booster
  • Reducing your energy bills, as more natural light coming through the windows can keep the room warmer and means you don’t need the lights on as often
  • Making your kitchen feel bigger
  • Offering better ventilation throughout the room, especially when cooking
  • Adding value to your property

How to choose the right skylight for your home

If you’ve decided that a skylight is a perfect addition to your kitchen, you need to make sure you choose the right one. There are several things you should consider at this point, the first being using a quality brand.

Although the budget will come into it if you choose a very cheap low quality product, you might find that you have issues with unnecessary leaks. This could mean moisture coming in but could also mean energy leaks that make your heating and cooling systems have to work harder.

As such, you need to get the balance right between choosing a quality skylight and one that is within your budget. Do some research and weigh up the costs. You should also look out for providers that are doing flash or seasonal sales that can see quality brands slash their prices for a short time only.

Essentially, you need to take your time, make some comparisons and make sure you choose the right skylight for your home.

Who will fit your skylight?

Choosing the right person to fit your skylight is just as important as choosing a good quality product. Should you opt for a cheaper contractor, you might find that your skylight isn’t installed correctly or to the highest possible standard. The same applies if you have a friend or family member that says they are able to fit this for you.

Realistically you need to choose the most accomplished contractor to install your skylight. Look for those in your local area and make sure they have got good reviews or testimonials, as well as the right certificates to back it up.

The last thing you want to do is buy a great quality skylight only to have it fitted wrong or poorly, meaning it doesn’t do its job as effectively.

Where you should put your skylight

It might seem a smaller consideration, but getting the position and direction of your skylight right is also crucial. Most obviously, you want a skylight that guarantees both warmth and sunlight, and if not positioned correctly, you might find that you don’t get enough of either of these.

You might also want to determine at what point during the day you want the most light coming in. This will, of course, be affected by the seasons, so keep this in mind.

If you’re unsure where it’s going to be the most effective place in your kitchen for a skylight, you can always ask the experts. They’ll be able to advise you on which direction is going to be most beneficial for you and your needs.

Think about fading

Another important consideration when choosing whether to get a skylight and where to position it is your kitchen countertops. If you have materials such as granite or marble, you know these need to be sealed to keep them shiny new.

However, glare from the sun coming through the skylight can quickly cause the surfaces to fade over time. It can also have a damaging impact on fabrics, such as sofas, rugs and carpets that are in your kitchen, so you need to keep all of this in mind when choosing your skylight.

If you’re concerned, you could opt to have a tint put on your skylights with UV protection film. This isn’t very expensive but can be a great way to protect other materials and objects within your kitchen.

Do you need to replace your skylight regularly?

Finally, you might be wondering about the longevity of your skylight, particularly if you spent a lot of money on choosing a quality brand and having it installed. The good news is skylights will only really need to be replaced if they are physically broken.

However, if you have any work done on your roof, it is advisable that you change or have the frame resealed, as the work on the roof can agitate both the frame and the seal, making your skylight less efficient.

But for the most part, skylights are not something you would regularly have to change, particularly if you keep on top of these and maintain them well. In fact, the life expectancy of a good quality kitchen skylight could be anywhere from 20 to 40 years with proper maintenance.

This maintenance will involve cleaning your skylight properly on a regular basis. If you can’t do this yourself, there are window cleaning service providers out there that can do this for you.