Skylights and rooflights for the stone cottages and hillside terraces of Honley

Why the flashing needs care

A flashing kit for thin slate does not suit a thick uneven slate, because the gaps at the edges differ. For stone slate the flashing is dressed to the courses, and the detail is confirmed on the roof first. Above the frame the slates are laid over the head of the flashing, which sends running water onto it and round the frame.

The weight of the roof

Stone slate is heavy, so the timbers beneath it are sturdy. Where we can, we read the rafter spacing from inside the roof space and frame the opening around it with trimmers. Altering the roof structure like this counts as notifiable building work.

Choosing a unit for a stone roof

A conservation rooflight has a narrow black frame that sits close to the stone, and it suits the roofs of the older streets. A roof window on a rear slope, away from the lane, is the more familiar choice for a loft bedroom.

Which slope, and how many units

On a loft bedroom, one unit in the rear slope usually does the job, and a second adds cost and another opening for little gain. We look at the room, the position of the bed and the height of the ceiling, and propose the smallest arrangement that lights it well. Cottage roofs are short, so two units can crowd each other and the ridge.

Inside the stone walls

The room below an old roof often has a ceiling that follows the slope. A lined light well connects ceiling and glass, and the reveal is plastered and left ready for decorating. A thick roof build-up makes for a deeper well, which carries the daylight further into the room.

Which slope the room can use

A cottage stair or a rear bedroom can often be lit from either slope. The slope turned away from the lane is less visible, and a single small unit there is easier to justify than a pair facing the street. We work out which slope serves the room before the council is asked.

Rear bedrooms and back stairs

Some cottages have a back stair or a lean-to, and the rooms at the back often have the smallest windows. A rooflight over such a room is often the simplest improvement, as the roof there is lower and the rafters are easier to read from the loft.

A listed cottage

A listed cottage needs consent from the council before any new rooflight goes in, however permitted development reads. Even a straight swap of one unit for another may need it, so the first question for an older cottage is whether it is listed. The answer is on the council's records for the address.

Keeping the character

A conservation rooflight carries a narrow black frame, often with a single glazing bar, and lies close to the line of the roof. Conservation officers often ask for one on a stone or slate roof in a protected area. The quote you receive describes the unit and its dimensions, so an application is for one definite thing.

Lighting a stair in thick walls

A window cannot easily be added to a thick stone wall, because the stone around the opening would have to be cut. The roof is easier, so a rooflight is often the first option for a stair. Where the roof is too far above, a sun tunnel can serve a landing or bathroom instead.

Ladders and scaffold on a slope

Ground that falls away makes a ladder harder to set safely. On a steep plot we may use a roof ladder and a platform, or a small tower. The choice is made on the site, and it depends on the height of the eaves at the lower side of the house.

Terraces stepped up the hill

A stepped terrace has roofs at different levels, with a party wall between each. Each wall limits where a frame can sit, because the rafters beside it are fixed. The roof of a house at the lower end may be reached from the ground, while one at the top needs more care.

Protecting what is below

Slates and stone slates can crack under a boot. We use boards on the slope, take down slates one at a time, and stack them where they cannot slide. Sheets go over the floor and stair inside, because cutting through an old ceiling sends dust through the house.

Deliveries up the lane

Glazed units are fragile and awkward to carry. They travel flat in their packaging and are walked up the last stretch by two people, with the route checked for steps, bends and low branches. If the lane is too narrow for the van, the unit is unloaded where it can stop and carried from there, and the neighbours are warned before the van is left in the road.

A short job in a small house

The work is small in scale, and the unit and its size are fixed in the written quote. A small house tends to mean a tight working area, so the order of the work is planned and the rooms below are cleared of anything breakable first.

When the roof is out of reach of a window

Where the room below is a stair or bathroom in a thick-walled house, a small dome and tube may serve it better than a large frame, because it needs less carried up and a smaller opening in the roof.