Skylights and rooflights for the bungalows and estates of Brayton

Why short and straight matters

The shorter and straighter the tube, the more light arrives at the bottom. Over a given distance a rigid tube delivers more light than a flexible tube, so on a bungalow, where the run is brief, a rigid one is nearly always possible. A flexible section is kept for the occasional jog round a timber.

What sits in the loft

The tube has to find a path between roof timbers, past water pipes and cable runs, and clear of any tank or flue. On the survey we look into the loft from the hatch and work out the line before choosing a size. The loft insulation is pulled back for the tube and laid round it afterwards. A tube is usually slim enough to pass between the rafters without cutting any. Where the line would cross a rafter or joist that has to be cut, the job counts as structural work.

Getting the dome on the right slope

A dome on a south or west slope gathers the most daylight through the day, and one on a north slope gives steadier, softer light. The best slope is the one that gives the tube its shortest run, so the choice is made with the loft plan in hand. The dome is flashed to suit the roof tile it sits in.

What the room gains

A bathroom that only had a bulb gets daylight for the first time. A hall that was a tunnel between doors begins to read as a proper space, and the doors off it look brighter when they are open.

Beyond the bathroom

The same approach works for a windowless hall, a utility room or a corridor. A converted garage can also take a tunnel where the roof sits close above its far end. Where one room is much larger than the others, a roof window may be a better answer than a tunnel, and we compare the two for each room.

Why the profile matters

On a flat slate the kit lies close and neat. On a profiled tile, the kit has to rise and fall with the waves of the tile, so it comes with a deeper skirt of its own. A kit made for one tile on a roof of another leaves gaps at the sides of the frame.

Cutting tiles around the opening

Tiles around the opening are lifted, cut or set aside and relaid in courses. Clay pantiles are lifted whole where possible so that the old ones go back. On concrete tile, the cut edges are neat and the lap over the flashing is kept.

The inside of the frame

Under the slope, the opening is framed with timber trimmers and then lined, so the daylight passes through a neat, plastered shaft. In a single-storey loft the shaft is short, which keeps the light strong at the ceiling. The lining is insulated, so it does not become a cold spot in the ceiling.

Roof pitch

A window has a range of pitches it is designed for, and low-pitched roofs need a flashing and an underlay detail suited to them. Bungalow roofs can be shallow, so we measure the pitch and pick the window to suit it.

Matching tiles afterwards

Tiles lifted around the opening go back where they came from, so the roof keeps the weathered look of the rest of the slope. Where one has to be replaced, we look for a tile close to the old one in colour and profile, and set it beside the opening where it is least noticeable from the road.

Choosing between makes

Both VELUX and other makes go in here, and the unit is picked by the gap between the rafters, the covering and the room beneath.

Where to look first

Your house deeds may mention restrictions, and the council's planning register will show conditions on the original permission. If either mentions the roof or extensions, say so at the survey, so we can take it into account in the written quote.

What the quote carries

The written quote is fixed and names the room and the size of rooflight. We notify Building Control if the work is notifiable.

Flats and maisonettes on an estate

Some newer estates include flats or maisonettes. A flat does not get the householder's permitted development allowance for roof work, so the council should be asked first.

Roofs in newer homes

Houses on newer estates often have roofs built from factory-made timber trusses, which are designed as a set and should not be cut like ordinary rafters. A new opening there means the structure around it is altered and checked, and that is part of what we check in the loft before any size is agreed.

If an application is needed

Needing an application does not stop the work. If the council has to be asked, we tell you at the survey, and you can decide whether to go ahead.