Sunshine denotes natural cheerfulness and well being. It has a positive effect on our lives. Skylights are able to introduce the sunlight into our very houses. They are not too popular mainly because they can be easily damaged by poorly hit golf balls and baseballs. Storms and hailstones have claimed a fair share of skylights. That’s because glass is used for skylight glazing. Change over to polycarbonate skylights for a risk-free experience of natural sunlight streaming into your house.
Polycarbonate is a tough transparent plastic polymer which is used to make things as varied as bulletproof windows and CDs. Polycarbonate is about 200 times tougher than the thickest glass. It is 6 times lighter than glass, and three times lighter than its cousin, acrylic. It can bear temperatures of up to 125 degrees Celsius. It can be treated to make it as transparent as glass, or it can be made opaque to any desired degree. No wonder it is very popular as skylight glazing in areas which are prone to accidents (like getting hit by golf balls or hailstones).
In other respects polycarbonate is just like glass. It allows all types of light to pass through, according to its translucence. Skylight plc can be coated with special films to cut out harmful ultraviolet light as protection against skin cancers. In other words, plc is synonymous with unbreakable glass.
Polycarbonate skylights come standard, or with optional coatings to control the amount of light that passes into the house. The standard variety allows all the light to pass through just like standard glass skylights. The opal lens coating is about 10% less transmissive; the advantage is that the sunlight is diffused thus providing uniform lighting in the lighted area. You can opt for this coating in those rooms where you don’t want the sunlight to enter directly.
To cut down the amount of light even further, opt for the bronze filter coating. Sunlight is cut drastically to about 40% of its original luminance. Use this option for rooms which don’t require much light anyway. These are just two extreme examples. You can choose from a wide variety of films which allows the exact amount of translucence your room needs.
Modern medical research is discovering that there is a lot of truth in what the ancients believed about the sun’s health-giving properties. Researchers and psychologists say that natural sunlight helps to stabilize the mind. Cheerfulness is associated with a bright, sunlit room. So installing skylights will be psychologically beneficial.
As far as installation goes, it is not recommended that you do this yourself. It is much better to have it done by a professional contractor who has the expertise to seal the skylights properly. Faulty sealing will increase your power bill on account of increased air conditioning day and night, negating the savings you make by not having to use general indoor lighting in the day.
Since this is a critical aspect of installation, make sure that your contractor is competent to do the job properly. Check out his work record before entrusting him with the installation. Once the polycarbonate skylights are properly installed you can look forward to years and years of maintenance-free, charge-free sunlight. All together now, begin! ‘You are my sunshine! My only sunshine! You make me happy …!’
Whether you are getting a roof skylight or one for your recreational vehicle, it’s great to enjoy the various benefits natural light has to offer. Go to www.Skylight-Guide.com for a look at your various skylight choices. And if you already have a skylight but it’s broken, learn why a replacement skylight is much better than just covering the hole.
categories: skylight,lighting,home,home improvement,home accessories,home design