Why invest in Roof Lanterns?

The Practical Benefits of Roof Lanterns

Roof lanterns aren’t just a pretty feature to look at, they serve architectural purposes and have economic effects on your household:

ENERGY SAVINGS

There are two deciding factors in how much energy you can save year-round using roof lanterns, where they’re situated, and what kind of glazing you choose to implement. First and foremost, depending on the glazing you implement in your roof lantern, the thermal efficiency could save you an astronomical amount of money as the years go by. A good unit of measurement to estimate a roof lantern’s thermal efficiency is its U-Values. This is a unit of measurement used when describing an item’s thermal conductivity. Meaning a Lower U-Value = Higher Insulation.

Atlas Roof Lanterns have consistently performed at double the energy efficiency of competitors.

Achieving Low U-Values can be achieved by strategic glazing and the technology surrounding it. For example, our units are able to achieve U-Values as low as 0.8 for our triple glazed lanterns and 1.2 for our double glazed units. This is thanks to a combination of our Low-Emissivity glass (a glass coated in a layer of invisible metallic oxide to trap heat) and warm edge spacer bar as part of its frame.

Secondly, should you install the roof lantern in an area that’s used regularly (living room, or active living space), the reduction in artificial light source usage is quite a big change regardless of the season. Thanks to the angle of the glazing panels, it directs light in a way that allows three times the amount of natural light into the house than any other kind of window.

PROPERTY VALUE INCREASE

In the UK, property value can increase by up to 10% from installing roof lanterns, meaning you get an immediate ROI without waiting for the energy efficiency savings to pay off the roof lantern. Should the day come when you want to sell your property, prospective buyers are always happy to see contemporary architecture that is different from all the properties, which means that a roof lantern could be the unique selling point that decides whether or not you get that all-important offer.

The Happy Side Effects Of Installing A Roof Lantern

Aside from the practical benefits of installing a roof lantern, there are some benefits that make you happy to have them.

THE VIEW

When the spring season rolls around and the skies are the perfect balance between blue and white, there’s nothing like the feeling of looking up at what looks like a moving oil painting. Especially when you have a slimline roof lantern. With less clunky metal bars and more glazing, you really feel like the sky is above you. Depending on how big the panels are, oftentimes it feels like your home is connected to the outdoors.

The general rule of thumb for roof lanterns is to go big or go home. The glass panels are what allow you to have more light enter your home and a wider view of the sky, meaning the bigger the better. This doesn’t mean a bigger roof lantern. This means a reduction in excess materials. For example with Atlas Windows, we’ve made it a point to reduce the size of the bars holding the glazing in place in favour of reinforcing them instead. Thus increasing the overall surface area of the glass.

STYLES

In the event that you take the leap and install a roof lantern, you’ll want to choose a style that best suits your home. Some opt for minimal framing for maximum glazing, whereas others use the bars to compliment the architectural design of their home. Here at Atlas, we’ve made it a point for you to have 7 different design styles to choose from. All of these implement the highest thermal efficiency and glazing surface area in the industry in comparison to competitors.

THE ILLUSION OF A BIGGER SPACE

We’ve already mentioned the sheer amount of natural light that enters the home after installing one of these units. But an unspoken side effect of roof lanterns is how much bigger any room feels after installing one. A ceiling tends to reinforce the fact that you’re in an enclosed environment, but a roof lantern throws that out of the window and connects the great outdoors to the indoor comfort of your home.