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#Company News

Sophie Longford

How Rooflights can save you energy and money!

Rooflights add a host of benefits to your home: they can be installed in tight spaces where traditional windows cannot, they come in a multitude of designs, rarely need planning permission, drench rooms with natural light and can be tailored to fit in to any home.

… And, did you know that rooflights can have a positive impact on your home, carbon footprint and reduce your energy bills?

Solar heat gain will reduce the need for as much artificial heating, and by installing high quality glass rooflights which retain the heat and still allow optimum natural light, perfect for during the winter months.

Many rooflights allow for ventilation and open outward, naturally releasing hot air that accumulates in your room. This allows fresh air into your home, which in turn is healthier than using energy consuming purifiers and air conditioning units.

Increasing your natural light means less need for conventional lighting dramatically reducing the amount of Co2 emissions your home produces and lowering your electricity bills.

The amount of daylight is dependent on building type, size and the positioning of the rooflight, but are efficient, nonetheless.

Speak to us today about how a rooflight can save you money!

Sophie Longford

Brighten up your home this winter with a Rooflight

As the clocks have gone back and darkness falls into our homes seemingly earlier than ever, it’s a fantastic opportunity to make the most of the natural light we do have.  Increasing daylight into your home brightens rooms and allows the space to open, therefore considered bigger and more welcoming. Time consuming renovations and extensions are simply not practical in the lead up to Christmas. So, this winter, if you’re looking for a more cost-effective way to make the most of natural daylight, look no further.

There is an easier way to create a light-filled home, add a rooflight!

Rooflights can effortlessly and swiftly be installed in both flat and pitched roofs, and usually require no planning permission. They allow vast amounts of light to flood into rooms throughout the day, more so than traditional vertical windows. ‘Top light’, 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!

Rooflights work well in windowless rooms, and smaller designs still allow a lot of light, perfect for hallways where the natural light can drench the entire space below.

Rooflights are inexpensive and an effective answer to renovating your home, without the pains that come with traditional extensions and conservatories.

For more information on how a rooflight can improve your home, contact us today!

Sophie Longford

How to choose Rooflights

Skylights

Rooflights can provide the perfect solution for bringing more light into a space. Whether installed into a converted loft or into the roof of a new extension, a rooflight can offer up to 40 per cent more natural light.

There’s plenty to consider when choosing the right one for you and with so many options out there, where do you start? We suggest here, with our comprehensive guide…

Where should rooflights be located?

One of the first things to consider, in order to get the most amount of daylight into the property, is where you will need to locate the windows. Maybe you are installing roof windows in a kitchen extension and you want to ensure there is plenty of light flooding in in the mornings. In which case you would be best installing east-facing windows if possible. Whereas, for creating greater light in a living room later in the day you might look to install in a more west-facing direction.

What size rooflight should you consider?

Obviously the bigger the window the more light. But consider balancing the size of your rooflights with other practicalities and the overall feel of your space. It might be tempting to opt for huge skylights, but this may result in a room becoming too bright or too warm.

Also, something to think about is the style of your property and interiors. If you live in a modern home or prefer a more modern look, choosing larger areas of glazing may work best. If you live in a listed building, then it is advisable to keep to smaller sizes.

How much do rooflights cost?

The cost of your rooflights depends on many different factors as listed above: the style you choose, the size, whether it’s double or triple glazed and other properties of the glass such as noise control or temperature control. At the basic end, our polycarbonate rooflights cost as little as £63.25 but for something more bespoke solutions start at around £600.

For more information on our products, please call 01670 821166 or email us at info@directrooflights.co.uk.

Sophie Longford

Unique Ideas for Rooflights in Your Home

Looking for some inspiration when it comes to rooflights? As we’ve grown as a company, our vast experience in designing and manufacturing rooflights has improved immensely. As a result, we have risen to become experts in our field and a driving force in setting the benchmark for premium quality rooflights.

In today’s post, we have covered three unique ideas for rooflights in your home, take a look:

Do you work from home and struggle to concentrate? One study found that people who work predominantly in artificial light are more likely to feel tired towards the end of the day. One way to diminish this factor would be to add our glass rooflights into your home office. Not only to make the space feel bigger and look brighter, but to enable you to continue working for longer.

Another room to consider is your hallway lighting. Remember, you are setting the tone for the rest of your house. Our rooflights can easily transform an otherwise dark hallway into a bright, welcoming walkway.

The best wakeup call you can get is natural sunlight. A skylight above your bed gives you the option to use the sun as your alarm clock – giving you a gentler wake up that prepares your body to wake up. Alternatively, imagine lying in bed and seeing a sky full of stars on a clear night. As with your normal windows, our skylights also allow you to easily add any blinds or fittings so you can fully control the amount of light your room gets.

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.

Sophie Longford

Understanding U-Values

If you are a first timer to buying a rooflight, you may be wondering what U-Values actually mean?

Quite simply this is the measure of heat that is transmitted through a building part – in the case of rooflights, through the glazing.

They are also known as the ‘overall heat transfer co-efficient’ and the higher the number value is signifies the more heat that is being lost, meaning it is less energy efficient.

A lower value means that insulating properties are greater and therefore ultimately more energy efficient and better for the environment.

How the U-Value is Calculated

The U-Value is determined by the material used, its depth and positioning. When we manufacture our rooflights they are made up of several components, each of which have different properties in relation to heat transference.

A number of factors need to be considered when identifying the U-Value, including:

  • How each property conducts heat
  • The external and internal resistance of each component material

An equation of these values is used to determine the overall U-Value.

Our Rooflights

Please see below the table which shows the technical information on the U-Values of each of the different skins of our range of rooflights:

SkinsU-Value
Double Skin2.6 W/m²KAs installed
Triple Skin1.8 W/m²KAs installed
Quad Skin1.4 W/m²KAs installed

 

Within the UKs building regulations, U-Values are covered by Part L and this sets out a maximum U-Value for modern building work.

If you have any further questions in relation to U-Values or our rooflights, please do not hesitate to get in touch either by calling 01670 821166 or email us directly at info@directrooflights.co.uk.

Sophie Longford

Simple Remodelling Ideas to Increase the Value of Your Property

When renovating your house, you want to not only make it a nicer place for you or the next people to live at the property, you also want to install measures that are going to see the biggest return on your investment.

As we head into Autumn, it’s a great time to get a few last minute, simple renovations done to your house before the winter kicks in. As such, we have put together a few renovation ideas for you:

  • Install rooflights

Natural light is a huge selling point for homebuyers and a simple way to achieve this is through installing a rooflight. Not only do they look great and brighten up the room, they also increase the home’s energy efficiency and reduce energy bill – another bonus point when it comes to selling the house.

Transform any gloomy room with a rooflight from Direct Rooflights, which start from as little as £63.25. View our range here.

  • Do up your door or invest in a new one

Your door is the first thing that people will see upon entering your house. A simple lick of paint can work wonders to spruce up a tired door, or if it has seen better days, it maybe worth investing in a new one. Making the right first impression is everything and it doesn’t cost a fortune to get this right.

  • Update your kitchen

With the kitchen said to be the heart of the home, it is important that a warm feeling is created in this room, whether it’s for yourself or future buyers to envisage themselves cooking in this space. Kitchens, often thought to cost the earth, don’t need to be expensive and there are some simple upgrades that you can make without breaking the bank.

Upgrade your worktop with a laminate faux marble effect that is very on trend at the minute or a faux wood traditional look that will never go out of style. This look is inexpensive with the finish illusion of a high cost design.

You can also very easily update the look of your kitchen with a new splashback. For tiles, we recommend that you find a low budget option of your favourite designer tiles – there are plenty of options available on the market.

Sophie Longford

The Benefits of Natural Sunlight in Your Home

UPVC Frame Rooflight

There are too many positives aspects of natural light to overlook. The physical and psychological benefits of appropriate amounts of natural sunlight are now undisputed. As such, we have put together several reasons why you should be maximising natural light throughout your home.

Reduced energy consumption

The lessened dependency on artificial lighting can help reduce the use of electricity by as much as 10%.

Vitamin D

Ample amount of sunlight can prevent vitamin D and B1 deficiencies that may cause relates diseases like rickets and beriberi.

Reduction of mildew or mold built-up

Most diseases, especially chronic respiratory problems are often associated with bacterial and fungal built up in damp areas such as basements and bathrooms. Natural lighting can decrease the production of harmful organisms as sunlight is considered to be one of the best natural disinfectants.

Increased visual appeal in interiors

Natural illumination is still the best type of lighting system used in interior design and can be a challenging yet rewarding task to successfully incorporate it into a structure or building.

To conclude, natural lighting offers an array of long-term benefits that affect the overall health of our living world.

Considering a natural light solution? Visit our product page for competitively priced rooflights with no compromise on quality.

Sophie Longford

Let the Light in with Our Duraglaze Range

Our Duraglaze glass rooflights are a simple yet effective way to brighten any room and make it look more spacious in a way artificial light can’t achieve. In this blog, we explore the several aspects you should be considering when choosing a rooflight:

  1. Which rooms will Duraglaze work best in?

Glass rooflights can be used in any room that isn’t built on top of. We find them to be most popular for sky rooms, lofts and dining rooms.

  1. Are they easy to maintain?

Following our stress-free installation, the windows are very easy to maintain with nothing needed other than occasional cleaning. With this in mind, we offer rooflights with features such as self-cleaning and solar control. The external part of the rooflight offers an integrated water management system that’s sheds water.

  1. Should I choose fixed or opening?

It is important to consider how you want your rooflight to look. Most of our Duraglaze rooflights are available as fixed with no ventilation. However – upon request- we are able to offer hinged products that can be opened to provide ventilation to the room.

  1. For opening rooflights, should I choose manual or electric?

Our manually operated units are supplied with a brass telescopic mechanism and are operated by a winding rod to add as much or as little ventilation as you would like. Whereas our electric hinged rooflights are easier to open with a wall mounted button. However, it can be harder to control how much ventilation you require.

  1. Will they fit my roof?

Here at Direct Rooflights, we understand that no two requirements are the same and pride ourselves on our ability to offer a bespoke range that can, within reason, be altered in order to suit your individual needs. Click here to view our full range of sizes.

If you are still unsure on which glass rooflight will work best for you, call our experienced team who are on hand to help 01670 821166 or email us at info@directrooflights.co.uk.

Sophie Longford

Our Durable Access Hatches

polycarbonate 168mm splay

The purpose of a roof access hatch is to provide you with a permanent, safe and convenient access to and from the roof of a property. Fitted with galvanized steel bars, and internal gas rams, as well as an international closing mechanism, they are incredibly safe. In fact, research has shown that they are much safer to use when compared with conventional ladders, to ensure all roof-related tasks can be accomplished quickly and easily. In addition to this, they also offer brilliant ventilation options for your property and can be manufactured to a variety of sizes and offered with various features depending upon your request.

Here at Direct Rooflights, we have been manufacturing and supplying these hatches for several decades. Our range of access hatches are crafted by us to offer a brilliant quality product, alongside great value for money. When manufacturing them, we use only top-quality uPVC to provide strength and durability. Supplied with single, double, triple and quadruple skin options, they can be customised to enhance their durability to ensure that your hatch will continue to operate long after you’ve bought it.

Our products are tested by the British Research Establishment for non-fragility and prove to be the best value for money with their ability to stand up to the most conflicting conditions. As we supply you with the products that we supply and manufacture, our range is delivered directly to you, with a twelve-month warranty and already assembled to eliminate hassle-free installation.

Our team are available on hand to take any queries about our bespoke range so please call us on 01679 821166, or reach us via email at info@directrooflights.co.uk.

Sophie Longford

Where’s best to install your Rooflight?

Having an idea of what rooflight you want is good, but knowing the exact measurements, materials and placement of it can be quite the task. In this blog, we have put together a number of considerations that you need to take into account if you wish to get the best from your investment.

What

Firstly, the type of rooflight you select will depend on where you would like it installed. Our products range from flat to fixed and vented so it is important to know which rooflight will suit all your requirements. Begin by browsing through our products here to get more of an idea of the types that we offer.

Where

The orientation of your window is also essential to ensure that it doesn’t become the source of future problems. Research has shown that south-facing rooflights work to reduce winter heating and summer lighting costs in cooler climates. Whilst, north-facing rooflights help to cool a room down.

Why

As well as considering structural matters, it’s important to think about why you want your rooflight and how you use the room you’re installing it in as they can’t be easily moved or removed if and when you please. Make sure you are certain about the rooflight before committing.

Who

DIY rooflight installation is possible, but mistakes are easily made, consequences can be dangerous and often expensive to correct. We can make sure that you get a long lasting, high quality rooflight that will fulfil all of your requirements. We also provide practical advice so give us a call on 01670 821166, or email info@directrooflights.co.uk and you’ll know you’re in safe hands!

Sophie Longford

Improving Worker Productivity with Our Rooflights

We spend most of our time inside, which has been proven to take its toll on our bodies. Research shows that providing workers with access to lots of natural light has a huge impact on their productivity levels.

In this blog, we discuss the varying ways that daylight contributes to our physical and mental health, and how these affects can be minimised with our rooflights.

The Impact of Natural Light on Physical Health

A damaging side effect of not having the sufficient access to natural light is Vitamin D deficiency, which is essential for a number of our core bodily functions.

Artificial light can also contribute to several eye problems and migraines. LED lights in particular force the eye to work much harder in order to see, resulting in headaches and eye strain.

If you are looking for a robust yet minimalistic rooflight, offering a smart solution that allows natural light to fill the office, we recommend installing our polycarbonate roof lights.

The Impact of Natural Light on Mental Health

Working for lengthy periods of time without access to daylight increases the risk of developing mental health issues such as depression and bi polar. These disorders are linked to the disruption to our circadian rhythm. Recently, research has shown that natural light helps people to be generally happier, calmer and less susceptible to the impact of stress.

In order to ensure your workers are receiving optimum exposure to natural light, we offer a range of glass rooflights, perfect for any business looking for their space to feel bigger and look brighter whilst still achieving maximum access to natural light. Our rooflights – in comparison to a traditional window – are much more effective and can be fitted in listed buildings where new window openings in walls are not allowed. This is because they do not impact the look of the building from the outside but allow maximum light exposure on the inside.

If you would like to know more information on our rooflights range, please call our experienced team on 01670 821166. Alternatively, please email us at info@directrooflights.co.uk.

Sophie Longford

Maintaining Your Rooflights the Right Way

We are proud that the rooflights we design, manufacture and supply have a guaranteed lifespan of over 20 years if maintained correctly.

In order to ensure the maximum lifespan – as with any fittings – we would recommend that you carry out regular maintenance, and with summer just around the corner, there’s no better time to complete this task.

As such, we advise you carry out the following:

Regular Cleaning

Typically, and in comparison to standard windows, rooflights are more prone to getting dirtier in a shorter period of time as they are exposed to elements such as air pollution, rainwater and bird dropping. Unfortunately, this cannot be avoided but they can be easily cleaned both on the interior and exterior using any standard glass cleaning solutions like warm water mixed with a mild detergent. We recommend doing this every six-months using a soft cloth or sponge.

Hard brushes accompanied with harsh cleaning solutions should never be used to clean your rooflight. If in doubt, always check the label of any solution you are using for further advice.

Alternatively, we offer glazing solutions with self-cleaning glass options within our bespoke range of duraglaze glass rooflights, click here for more info.

Avoid Condensation

Condensation generally occurs in the atmosphere when warm air rises, cools and loses its capacity to hold water vapor. To avoid this happening, we recommend that you purchase/use an extractor fan in the kitchen or bathroom and, try drying your clothes outside whenever possible. Circulating the air regularly will also help to reduce condensation, this can be done by opening your windows to release some of the warm, moist air that is trapped in the house.

Any further questions?

If you have any questions or require any further advice on maintaining your rooflights, please call our office on 01670 821166. Or drop us your enquiry at info@directorooflights.co.uk.