If you have a skylight in your home, business or office in Wisconsin, you may consider updating it to a newer model or types. Companies who handle the task of skylight replacement can offer you options. Depending upon the location, structure and condition of your current skylight, these services will discuss with you your options including the different types of skylights available on the market today.
Basic Types of Skylights
Skylight windows usually fall into one of three major categories. These are:
- Roof windows (Ventilating)
- Tubular daylighting devices (TDDs)
- Fixed skylights
While other types do exist e.g. sloped glazing and custom skylights, the majority are the above three.
Roof Windows
Roof windows are also called ventilating or operable in Wisconsin. This is indicates they can be opened to allow in air. This is accomplished through the application of a hinged sash. This is attached to the window frame. This feature is operated by the occupants and, therefore must be within reach or remotely controlled to do so.
Tubular Daylighting Devices (TDDS)
TDDS are for those who do not have a large enough roof, cannot directly access the roof or want light to travel into a room far below. To accomplish this, an installer, repair or skylight replacement service, will use a tube on the roof to capture the light, redirect it and bring it down to spread its light into the designated space. This is the result of a combination of skylight construction and optics.
Fixed Unit Skylight
A fixed skylight, as the name suggests, is stuck in a single position. It is not operable. You cannot open it up to let in air. It consists of two main components:
- The Frame: This supplies the boundaries of the skylight. It is the support for the second primary part
- The Infill: This is the glass, plastic or other material that allows the light to enter the room. It can be plain, colored, glazed and even stained. In general, older models were single paned glass while current models are double-pane
Skylight Replacement
Skylights come in several different types, including the major ones of roof, tubular and fixed. They are also available in a wide range of materials and shapes. They may be domed, flat or even pyramidal. Yet, no matter what they may look like, or whether they are in California, Maine or Wisconsin, they all have one major thing in common. Over time, as time and the elements affect them, first a repair than even a skylight replacement will become essential if this device is to continue to provide light and/or air for the dwelling it occupies.
