Roof lanterns are an extraordinary way to lighten up your property using natural, rather than electric, illumination. Essentially a designed glass roof, a roof lantern can be a spectacular way to modernise your home, increase its value and let light back in to rooms that have, for whatever reason, been left in the gloom.
Properties with plenty of planting in the garden can find that rooms grow dim through the autumn and winter months. Even rooms with lots of side windows can fail to see sunlight depending on the aspect of your garden and the surrounding building, tress and other obstructive objects. Roof lanterns look straight up for their light, guaranteeing you plenty of healthy natural light without obstruction.
The roof lantern, of course, becomes a feature in its own right. One of my favourite ways to make the most of roof lanterns is to have one installed in a kitchen or dining area it makes for incredibly dramatic night sky views when you are cooking or serving up dinner to your guests! With the right use of external wall glazing like a glass wall at the end of the space, for example you can even use roof lanterns to cement the illusion that your kitchen or dining room is actually outside your house.
Introduce lush pot plants and run the patio flagging into the dining room (bisected by that glass wall) and your guests will not only get the unparalleled night sky views given by the roof lantern, but will have the sensation of dining out, with all the comfort and convenience of dining in!
The anatomy of roof lanterns is important: their double glazing and additional glass technologies can be used to retain maximum heat despite the acreage of glass on the roof. Ventilation can be designed into the lantern so you get the right ingress of fresh air (and egress of steam or cooking vapours) without compromising the look and feel of your new environment.
The exterior of your roof lantern is in many ways as important as its interior effect. If you leave off the finials and crests normally associated with roof and glass roof design, roof lanterns present an original, modern silhouette but bring them in and your lantern will feel very much in keeping with traditional home design. For a smart, functional and adaptable lighting option, you cant beat them.
Joanne Yates has written many insightful articles on installing roof lanterns, skylight and joinery work.
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