Dormer vs Skylight: The Best Loft Conversion Windows

Loft conversions give you and your family more valuable space by letting you put wasted space to good use, enhancing the value of your home. Today, you can choose from a wide variety of attractive, versatile dormer windows and skylights for your loft conversion.

Dormer windows project out from the main roof under a small shelter, unlike skylights which are embedded flat into the roof. Here are some of the main pros and cons of dormer windows versus skylights.

Save money and the environment through natural lighting

Dormer windows and skylights can save your hard-earned money, since they let natural light (which is free) flow into your home. This decreases your need for artificial light and warmth, thus reducing your electricity and heating bills. This helps you to play your part in protecting the environment, since electricity generates considerable amounts of pollution.

Sunlight for better health

Natural lighting can also help you improve your health. Sunlight makes it hard for harmful organisms (like mould and bacteria) to thrive, since it is an excellent natural disinfectant. Sunlight also helps prevent certain vitamin deficiencies which are responsible for some illnesses.

Natural lighting can also improve performance and moods, catalyse recuperation from sickness and reduce blood pressure. Inadequate natural lighting can cause depression, headaches and drowsiness and can even have a negative impact on immunity.

The entire surface of skylight windows faces the sky directly. Therefore, skylights have the advantage of letting more light into the home than dormer windows, which cause shaded areas because of their roofs.

You will have to take into account the ease of opening the windows. Depending on your roof height you may need window openers for skylight windows if your roof is exceptionally heigh.

Space, functionality and beauty

Dormer windows and skylights add space, functionality and beauty to your home by letting natural light flow to your loft conversion. They both also allow much-needed ventilation.

However, dormer windows have the advantage of increasing useable head space more than skylights, therefore making a larger area more functional. Well-designed dormer windows can add character to your interior and when looking from the outside they can beautify your roof. Rain makes less noise on dormer windows than skylights and the glass gets less dirty.

Cost

Considerable skill and knowledge are needed to construct and install dormer windows correctly. As a result, dormer windows have the disadvantage of generally being more costly than skylights.

In balance

Dormer windows and skylights have advantages and disadvantages when it comes to space, lighting, functionality, price and aesthetics. However, they both allow you to enhance the healthiness, beauty and value of your home by converting your loft to functional space.

Dormer windows

Dormer windows are extremely complex to construct and install since you are altering the very roof of your house. You’ll need experienced and qualified roofing specialists to provide you with the high quality professional service that you deserve.