Skylights aren’t just for looks. The natural light they bring into your home or business can have a positive impact on your health and mood. Natural vitamin D from sunlight has been shown to boost the immune system.
Skylights also reduce mold and mildew. Sunlight is considered to be one of the best natural disinfectants. That additional natural light can also lower heating bills and reduce electricity by lessening your dependence on artificial indoor lighting.
Skylights and Metal Roofs are an Excellent Combination
Metal is a sustainable material, so it’s already got a lot in common with skylights. They’re also a complementary combination because it’s relatively easy to place skylights where you want them with a metal roof, and it’s also much easier to seal skylights to prevent leaks.
You also have a wide selection of skylights that offer both form and function. Light transmitting panels are translucent rather than clear – so they offer enhanced design options, including the ability to use them on metal panel walls, as well. These types of skylights are usually designed not to open, and they’re often designed so they match the configuration and characteristics generally found in the metal siding used for buildings.
Standard skylights for metal roofs tend to be curb mounted. A raised curbed structure is mounted in into the space cut out of the metal roofing material, and the skylight is attached to it. Today, it’s possible to get curbed skylights for metal roofs in a growing variety of sizes and shapes.
Where to Place Skylights
Your local climate and exposure are the two biggest factors that will determine skylight placement on your metal roof. If you live in an area with cold and snowy winters, you’ll likely want skylights that offer southern exposure so they can provide passive solar heat.
If you plan to heat and cool your building with an HVAC system, this might not be a big concern. Many people who go with metal building kits featuring metal roofs are looking for as much help from Mother Nature as possible. Skylights offer this in the form of passive winter heating and keeping summer heating costs lower. Opaque skylights may make more sense if you live in warmer climates.
Sounding Off About Skylights
A pre-fabricated metal building is an excellent way to get the space you want without the high cost of traditional construction. People often ask about the noise produced by rain on a metal roof. Our closer truss spacing, and our secondary wall members create a standard 24-inch on center design that allows for easy and inexpensive insulation everywhere – including the roof – if sound is a concern.
There’s not much that can be done about rain hitting a skylight, though. Most people agree that the occasional noise of rain on skylights is worth the benefits they bring to a building. Learn more about the options we offer with our designs. They include skylights and upper panel lights, as well as ridge vents – and even cupolas and weather vanes.
