Roof Lantern Window Design

Roof lanterns in their long-established form are basically roof lights made of timber and glass and resemble small-scale conservatory roofs. They are normally incorporated into rooms having flat roofs so as to offer natural light into the areas underneath. There is also great possibility of integrating a roof lantern into the ridge of a roof. It can prove to be useful for plenty of other areas if utmost attention is given to its proper design and installation.

Roof lanterns came into existence from structures known as orangeries that were constructed in Italy and France in the 16th century. Orangeries were made of bricks or frames with big side glass windows and a glass structure that rested on the flat roof for additional natural light. The purpose of their construction was to grow oranges under controlled conditions. Nowadays, orangeries are regarded as a style or form of conservatory.

During the initial days, glass was manufactured manually and was therefore very costly. So, architects were forced to set aside the use of glass for roof lights at the time of designing country houses for rich clients. During the latter stage of the Victorian era, machines were used to manufacture glasses, thereby making them more reasonably priced. The society also witnessed a rise in the living standards, resulting in the higher demand for glass in the construction of homes.

People started to incorporate a timber roof lantern into their homes, hotels, educational institutions and public establishments like public libraries and town halls. Domestically, it was used to bring sunlight into reception rooms, billiard rooms, kitchens and dining areas.

It is unfortunately true that in many cases, these beautiful and grand structures were vulnerable to leakage, because of the drawbacks in construction methods and sealing materials. There was also the problem of heat being escaped during the winter due to single glazing technique. For the purpose of ventilation, the roof lanterns of early days were manually operated by a crank rod, in order to open or close the window system.

Luckily, people now have the advantages of the present-day double glazing methods, superior sealing materials and automated electric systems to operate the roof lantern windows. These enhancements coupled with the application of sealed double paneling of glass make sure that contemporary roof lights can keep up a time-honored look while delivering excellent structural integrity and longevity in conjunction with fine insulation properties.

Furthermore, the usage of long-lasting hardwood and supreme quality paints and stains ascertains that a contemporary roof light will stand the test of time with the least maintenance works.

During the 16th century it was very common for large estate homes to have a conservatory as part of the main building. All the walls and ceiling would be constructed of glass in an effort to provide sunlight to (primarily) citrus plants at all times of day. Perhaps the conservatory was the origin for the idea of a 'roof lantern', but what is undoubtedly true is the overabundance of condensation, leaks and heat loss prevalent in these structures. Up until the mid-1990's, the same effects were being experienced in homes with just a simple skylight, let alone a full sized conservatory.

In the interest of bringing everyone up to date on skylight technology, those who have not seen or been around skylights since the 1980's are in for a pleasant surprise. Gone are the days of domed panels of plexiglass that seem to amplify every noise within a 20 mile radius. Single paned skylights that weep with condensation when the hot water is on for ten seconds are the dinosaurs of the homebuilding industry. Those leaky units that marked the drywall and caused the precise placement of buckets during the rainy season are also long gone. Having a skylight in the bedroom no longer means cranking the thermostat to account for heat loss.