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#Company News

Sophie Longford

Why Polycarbonate is Right for You

For energy efficient buildings it is required to use rooflights with high U-value. In this case our Polycarbonate products are the superior choice for your skylight material, here’s why:

Durability

Our polycarbonate roof lights are robust yet minimalistic, offering a smart solution that allows natural light to fill a room. This product is extremely resilient – being one of its main selling points – it is able to withstand impact and is virtually shatter-proof. Polycarbonate rooflights are also extremely long lasting when handled and maintained correctly. Despite this longevity, polycarbonate is also unique because, as long as it has a tint or filter applied, it does not discolour over time meaning the light clarity will last much longer.

Environment-friendly

Polycarbonate has the edge when it comes to other green issues: it takes less energy to produce than competing products and, unlike fibreglass/other glass alternatives, it is easily recyclable.

Insulation

Polycarbonate has very low thermal conductivity which makes it a good insulator. Whilst not as naturally thermal as glass, polycarbonate can be made to increase thermal performance. Plus, all of our roof lights meet Building Regulations in regard to fire-resistant properties, but polycarbonate is a naturally fire-resistant material, accepting a lot of heat exposure.

Our rooflights are extremely eco-friendly and will continue to support sustainable housing. So, when you’re next working on a renovation project consider how you can recycle your old windows and replace them with new modern eco-friendly ones here at Direct Rooflights.

Sophie Longford

Benefits of Purchasing Direct from the Manufacturer

In general, it’s a good choice to buy directly from a manufacturer. An important point to start with is that here at Direct Rooflights we are experts in our own products. We know and understand every detail and feature because our team see them through every stage of design and production, so we are in a prime position to provide the best advice to our customer’s wanting to make a purchase.

Here are a few other benefits one can enjoy when ordering products direct from our warehouse.

Lower Costs

Simply put, costs are inflated when distributors are part of the supply chain. These costs are associated with personnel, storage and transportation. Buying direct from us means the intermediary is not involved, completely eliminating the costs within this middle step.

Custom Design

One of the main benefits of buying your rooflight direct from the manufacturer is the ability to create your own custom-made dimensions. With our knowledgeable and skilled team, we are able to guide customers and help them to create the best size required for their roof and design goals. All homes are different, and people require different things from their rooflight whether it is natural light or ventilation.  By offering our custom-made sizing options we can help you create a rooflight that best meets your interior needs.

Direct line of Communication

When you buy direct you have a specific point of contact that is accountable to you. This direct line of communication provides many advantages. First, with fewer individuals involved, it is safe to say there will be fewer miscommunications and confusion – additionally, there will be no other party to potentially misinterpret the information being relayed. Last, but not least, buying direct allows the manufacturer and customer to build a long-term relationship.

Reliable Lead Times

Once we have received your order, we can dispatch your rooflight from our warehouse within 48 hours – Monday to Friday – and we provide free delivery throughout Britain. Since all our products are developed directly from us in Northumberland, you can be assured that your rooflight will meet and often exceed British industry standards.

If you would like to discuss more about your options or start creating your perfect roof light, please get in touch with us on 01670 821166 or send us an email at info@directrooflights.co.uk.

Vicky

As We Head Back to A New Work Normal, Making the Workplace Brighter Saves Money on Energy Costs and Boosts Staff Morale

After months of working from home, the easing of lockdown means many of us will be returning to the workplace.

For employers this is a strange time. How to keep your staff safe, how to incorporate the new normal into the working environment, not to mention how you can save costs whilst still boosting staff morale.

Consider a rooflight.

As one of the UK’s largest distributors of rooflights in the UK, Direct Rooflights can reduce your energy costs – through the introduction of more natural light –whilst also boosting the mental wellbeing of your team through the feeling of more daylight and space in the workplace.

And by ordering from us you’re guaranteed:

  • A supply direct from the manufacturer at trade prices
  • All rooflights made in the UK and to exacting standards
  • Delivery direct to your door
  • The availability of bespoke sizes and dimensions
  •  Ready assembly and easy fitting
  •  A 12-month warranty.

Our online services have operated as normal throughout Covid – whilst making sure we keep everyone safe – so, as you prepare to bring your staff back to work safely and reassured, talk to our experienced team on how the installation of a rooflight will reduce your energy costs and support your staff’s wellbeing.

Stay safe, reduce costs and boost staff morale in the workplace with Direct Rooflights.

For more information on adding a rooflight to your premises, call us on 01679 821166 or email at info@directrooflights.co.uk.

DirectRooflights Manager

Thinking about a Conservatory? Add a Rooflight Instead!

 

As the renovation season is fast approaching and dreams of adding to your property are not in the too-distant future, are you currently wavering the idea of adding a conservatory to your home? Before you make such a costly decision, and as previously mentioned in our blog, a rooflight can bring multiple benefits and might in fact be the right option for you and your home.

One of the main attractions for our customers – other than additional natural light – has been that rarely with rooflights do homeowners need to acquire planning permission. It’s always advisable to check with your local planning council, but as it is usually an addition to an existing roof, and with the amount of options in our product ranges, providing features such as: trapezium, pyramid, hinged, ventilated or fixed rooflights and those that open to provide roof access, it is unlikely to be an issue as you are able to choose which is the best for your property.

A conservatory build must be planning approved, can be time consuming, problematic, expensive, and although adding space to your home, as standard they are not energy efficient and are hard in regulating temperature.

There are various options of rooflights for flat and pitched roofs, and with more people living sustainably – making better use and wanting to renovate what they already have – rooflights are an extremely low cost, more efficient alternative in comparison to building a conservatory.

 

For more information on adding a rooflight to your property, call us on 01679 821166 or email at info@directrooflights.co.uk.

DirectRooflights Manager

Health and Safety – Roof Access Hatches on Commercial Properties

 

The last few years has seen a vast increase in the installation of Roof Access Hatches as stricter guidelines are put in place over health and safety issues concerning the maintenance and access of roofs.

Roof access and maintenance – more so on commercial and non-residential buildings – is almost a daily demand with modern plant treatment systems, air treatment systems, electrical installations and communication equipment being installed and maintained on roofs. More often it is impractical and unsafe to access a roof via outside ‘propped-up’ or caged ladders and may require expensive access equipment and barrier protection to secure your workforce’s safety, and this not being practical for the building’s accessibility or everyday use.

Our Roof Access Hatches are glazed with either glass or polycarbonate, allowing natural light into the building below, can be operated either manually or electronically and can be provided with handles and locks to allow for outdoor and indoor secure accessibility.
The insulation on our Roof Access Hatches is of the highest quality and no heat is lost when closed, making it perfect for new-build projects such as business centres, hospitals, schools, and apartment complexes.

With the installation of a Roof Access Hatch, your workforce is no longer expected to embark on long vertical climbs from the ground to the roof with limited access or having to make multiple return trips carrying equipment – resulting in a number of risks.

One of the main advantages of a Roof Access Hatch is that the roof’s access has moved to inside the building eliminating any risks caused by weather or terrain, and usually is bridged by the one, top floor – generally two to three metres – which can be safely reached by a fixed staircase or internal ladder, reducing daily potential health and safety violations.

For more information or to speak to our expert team on how to add a Roof Access Hatch to your building, call us on 01679 821166 or email at info@directrooflights.co.uk.

DirectRooflights Manager

Top Tips: How to Make a Small Space Look Bigger

brighter home

The smaller ‘spare’ rooms in your home don’t have to be dark, dull and restrictive. When reworked these small spaces can be transformed into beautiful rooms that you suddenly have a yearning to spend all your time in.

Older properties especially, are potentially full of smaller rooms with perfect opportunities to renovate and modernise. With property prices continuing to rise, more and more homeowners are looking to invest into their current properties and work with what they have rather than paying the price tag of what they ideally want.

 

Here’s some of how top tips to make your small space look bigger:

Light
By increasing the natural light into a room with a rooflight, you’re not interrupting any much-needed wall space and as the light entering is dispersed, it enters from all angles providing more light than a standard window. Dispersed light is also likely to eliminate shadows, which can cause a room to appear smaller and unwelcoming. Mirrors placed on an empty wall helps the room appear bigger and will throw the light around the room throughout the day. As well as reducing the need for artificial light, adding a rooflight will improve your room’s airflow.

Colour
Although dark wallpaper or painted walls can look great for a contemporary feel or can create a feature, in a smaller space, they can ‘bring the walls in’ and create a submerged feeling. Support the room’s natural light with soft tones and natural hues, keeping the atmosphere bright. Add colour to the room with a colourful painting and accessories. In small bathrooms and kitchens, keep tiles, fixtures and cabinets light in colour, and add plants to help ventilate and to give a clean and open feel.

Height
In cramped rooms, any free-standing cabinets or wardrobes that do not extend to the ceiling are clunky, cluttering and using space that could be better managed. Create a feature wall of shelving that can reach the entire height of the room and make a focal point out of all knick-knacks, ornaments, photos and decorations. If you would rather close the door on your mess or want to keep your belongings private, installing fitted wardrobes utilises the whole height of the room whilst keeping objects out of sight or locked away from little fingers!

Space
A lot of older properties’ hallways, smaller bedrooms or utility rooms have built-in, under stairway or corner cupboards, with potential to open up – adding some extra space- or use it to expand into another room. When executed properly, taking space from a hallway or a cupboard under-the-stairs, can add some much-needed room and possibly value to your home.

 

For more information or to speak to our expert team on how to add a rooflight to your home, call us on 01679 821166 or email at info@directrooflights.co.uk.

DirectRooflights Manager

Great Reasons to Add a Rooflight to Your Garage

 

With better weather finally on the horizon, the desire for a new ‘house project’ continues to niggle at the back of your mind. So, before starting any major restoration project including a garage renovation, consider whether it will add convenience, function, and value.

Great renovations incorporate all three and by adding a rooflight to your garage will add a natural source of light, is easy to do, and could potentially increase your property’s value.

Garages are mostly damp and dark – a perfect breeding ground for mould and mildew – and can create and cause a number of health issues, especially if your garage doubles up as a workshop, laundry room or even a gym or home-office. Adding a natural source of light can prevent respiratory problems and other health issues caused by spaces affected by mould as sunlight is a natural disinfectant and helps destroy toxins and spores produced.
With natural exposure to light with a rooflight installation, this also avoids using harmful artificial light bulbs and provides a source of vitamin D- reducing eye strain and helping improve your mood and lower blood pressure.

Reasonably easy and cost-effective to install, an addition of a rooflight to your garage will add appeal, versatility to your garage becoming a resourceful additional space, and thus increasing the potential market value of your property.
To find out more information or for any questions about rooflights, call on 01679 821166 or email at info@directrooflights.co.uk.

Sophie Longford

What is the difference between a skylight, a rooflight and a roof window?

Rooflights

Due to manufacturers and suppliers referring to them differently, many people are under the impression that a skylight and a rooflight are two separate products, when they are in fact the same.

Whether you choose to call it a skylight or rooflight, it is ultimately designed to achieve one objective: increase the amount of natural light into a space – and to ventilate if it is a rooflight that opens.

However, a roof window is a completely different product entirely and there is a big difference when it comes to form and function – so before you decide, make sure you know which is which!

Roof windows fall under a British Standards regulation, which specifies that all roof windows must be fitted ‘in plane’ with the surrounding roof and to the same orientation. They must also be CE marked by manufacturers, meaning they need to provide a declaration of performance (DOP) to customers outlining unit performance under rigorous test conditions. Additionally, roof windows tend to be ‘off-the-shelf’ as opposed to bespoke rooflights, and are usually only available in standardised shapes, sizes and specifications.

If you’re looking to add an architectural showstopper to your home however, then our Pyramid and Trapezium rooflights are ideal. With their 3D design, they allow a substantial amount of natural light into a property, are designed to be installed in flat roofs and are the modern alternative to conventional conservatories.

Due to their design, our Pyramid and Trapezium rooflights add height to your room making it appear bigger and allow a considerable amount of natural light -from all different angles- to beam into the space below.

At Direct Rooflights, we have an array of products designed to meet any needs, requirements and budgets.

Contact us today on 01670 821166 to discuss any requirements.

Sophie Longford

The Perfect Spring Renovation with Direct Rooflights

With the winter months dragging and January (especially if ‘dry’) feeling like it is lasting forever, we are all dreaming of clear skies and longer days!

Spring also brings warmer weather – making renovation projects and rooflight installation so much easier. With spring being one of the most popular times for home renovations (ready for summer months) now is the time to start preparing and to establish which rooflight is the perfect addition to your home.

Rooflights add plenty of natural light into previously dark spaces and are proven to be more effective – and the quality of light is much higher – than that from vertical windows.

Eradicate claustrophobic rooms with winter shadows and create a brighter, more open and welcoming living space. And once winter does roll around again, you will certainly appreciate the additional light in your home as daylight becomes scarcer. From show-stopping Trapezium to our Glass Rooflights Plus, our wide range of rooflights will eliminate dull spaces and let the sunshine flood in.

Speak to Direct Rooflights today to see which rooflight is best for you and will make all the difference to your home.

Sophie Longford

Planning your Home Renovations for the Year Ahead

New Year, New Home.

The key to renovating your house is primarily to plan the entire process effectively and in advance. Maybe you’ve got some home improvement projects that have never gone further than the idea stage. But with the start of a new decade, what better way to finally make those improvement dreams a reality.

Perhaps you don’t yet have a list of improvements you’d like to make around your home yet? But need some ideas for how to modernise your home? Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered!

Replace your windows

The problem with old, draughty windows is that they not only negatively impact the overall look and feel of your home, they also impact your energy bills.

If you’ve got old windows that have definitely seen better days, and you’re constantly having to turn up your heating to compensate for the cold draught coming in, why not make 2020 the year in which you replace your windows for more modern alternatives.

Hang up new striking curtains or blinds

Spruce up any room with new curtains, blinds, or an on-trend combination of both. Unlined curtain panels are easier to make than traditional curtains and, with no pleats to increase the amount of fabric you’ll need, you can go for more luxurious options.

Add a rooflight

When it comes to home improvements, any changes you make to your house should be focussed on affording you an improved quality of life. Whether that’s fixing an existing problem or adding a new feature, the goal should always be to benefit you and add some decent value to your property.

One such home improvement that many homeowners are choosing to make nowadays is installing  rooflights to allow more natural light and air into their homes. It’s an option that is usually much more cost effective and doesn’t involve major surgery on your house.

Whether you’re looking to brighten up a room that doesn’t see much daylight, or improve your home’s ventilation, a rooflight will do the trick.

Not sure on your options? View our extensive range here or contact us with any queries. We’re happy to help.

Sophie Longford

Top 5 benefits of adding a rooflight to your home

1). Naturally better
The primary purpose and benefit of adding a rooflight to your home is of course to let more natural light into your home or business. Homes with more natural light – not artificial, fluorescent or yellow light – are healthier, more enjoyable and more attractive spaces to live and/or work in.

2). More light
Unlike traditional vertical windows, rooflights allow more light in throughout the day, and can be placed in tight spaces, and flat and pitched roofs. Light from the ceiling is more than three times brighter than light that enters through vertical windows*, so if you have a room that has potential to add a rooflight, it’s definitely worth doing!

3). Energy efficient
Surprisingly, rooflights are most beneficial during colder climates. As well as increasing natural light into your home they balance the heat within the room. They’ll decrease your need for artificial light thus reducing your lighting costs during the day and will significantly reduce your heating bills during colder months. To find out more on how rooflights are low cost and energy efficient CLICK HERE

4). Add value to your home
Rooflights automatically create a sense of modernism and luxury with minimum cost. By creating more natural light and ‘opening up’ the space, your home will appear bigger, lighter and more welcoming – perfect for eagerly awaiting buyers.

5). A better state of mind
Natural sunlight increases quality of life and comfort to your living environment. Exposure to natural light is proven to promote good mental health by nourishing your psyche and reduce anxiety and stress.

 

*Source: NARM Technical Document NTD12 2018

Sophie Longford

Has your rooflight got condensation? Don’t panic!

Now that we are well into the winter months, there’s nothing better than getting snug in your lovely warm home, however you may start noticing condensation on your windows. This is caused when there is moisture in the air indoors and there is a significant difference in temperature between outdoors and inside your home. Everyday activities such as cooking, doing laundry and showering adds to moisture inside your home.

Condensation on your rooflight happens because warm air holding moisture, will rise and then turns to water when it cools (comes into contact with the glass). If this happens, it’s worth checking it has been installed correctly. Direct Rooflights can guarantee no condensation because during installation, felt is added between the frame and opening so no moist air comes into contact with your walls or cladding.

The best way to prevent condensation in your home is to circulate the air and make sure it is properly ventilated. You can help do this by taking the following steps:

  • Open windows for an hour or so every day
  • Use thick curtains to keep warm air in
  • Use extractor fans in the kitchen and bathroom
  • Install double glazing
  • Use a dehumidifier
  • Ensure moist air is vented properly from appliances such as washing machines and tumble dryers
  • Avoid hanging clothes to dry indoors.

Direct Rooflights construct all our rooflights to the highest standard and ensure all are insulated, preventing condensation.

For more information or advice on rooflights, contact us at info@directrooflights.co.uk