Common Skylight Sizes

Skylights are specialized windows designed to increase the amount of light that enters a room from above. Some provide a clear view of passing clouds and the night sky while others are opaque and recessed to avoid being the centerpiece of the room. Common skylights sizes range from barely noticeable to enormous. Both personal and technical factors go into choosing a skylight so skylight sizes vary accordingly.

What Determines Skylight Sizes

Skylight sizes depend on the size of the room they are in. The industry standard recommends that skylights be no larger than fifteen percent of the overall floor area in rooms that contain few windows. Rooms that contain several windows should limit the size of the skylight to no more than five percent of the floor area.

The strength of the roof is affected by the number of windows and is a limiting factor in the size of a skylight. Buildings that have poorly supported roofs or too many layers of shingles should have the underlying needs of the roof taken care of before a skylight is added.

Replacement Versus New Construction

Builders know that new construction skylights are a lot easier to install and weatherproof than skylights being added to existing structures. There is little room for error in framing a skylight. A bad measurement can mean water seepage and the need for structural repairs.

Skylights for new home and building construction are designed, weatherproofed, and positioned to allow the maximum amount of light into the room. Thinking far ahead solves multiple difficulties.

Adding a skylight to an existing roof is a minefield of potential problems and better left to the professional. Water leaks are at the top of the list of headaches encountered with improperly caulked and secured skylight windows. Common skylights sizes fit into most rooms, but must be properly installed.