Skylight Glazing
Once you've decided that you want to install a roof window, you
need to decide what type of glazing best suits your situation. Velux
glass skylights are available with either Tempered or Laminated
LowE insulated glass.
Laminated glass is a combination of two or more glass sheets with one or more interlayers of plastic: in case of skylight breakage the interlayer is designed to hold the fragments together. Tempered glass doesn't contain an interlayer to hold the fragments together, but is designed to break into small, pebble-like pieces. Check your local building codes, as some localities do have specific requirements for glazing of skylights, depending on the installation circumstances.
LowE insulation reduces heat transmission through the skylight, which is important
in cold climates, and the reduced UV transmission provided by a LowE skylight means less fading
of your furnishings from the extra light you've brought into the
house.
Skylight Energy Efficiency
Many manufacturers offer double-glazed skylights with low-emittance
(Low-E) coatings, 'warm-edge' spacers and/or Argon gas fillings
with their skylights. All of these technologies will improve the
insulating efficiency and reduce heat loss through the skylights.
(If you're interested in learning more about these techniques, visit efficientwindows.org - an unbiased site maintained by the University of Minnesota.) Low-E
coatings can also have high, moderate or low solar gain values (a
measure of how much solar heat is transmitted in through the glass).
Products that earn the ENERGY STAR® prevent
greenhouse gas emissions by meeting strict energy efficiency
guidelines set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and
the U.S. Department of Energy. As an ENERGY STAR Partner, Skylights
Online is proud to offer skylights that are ENERGY STAR qualified
and certified by the National Fenestration Rating Council.
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Click on the logo to visit the ENERGYSTAR website
for more information on energy-efficient windows and skylights. |
Click on the logo for more
information on NFRC certification. |
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