The Best Glass for Skylights: Understand Your Options 

Imagine what it would be like to transform that dark, gloomy spare room into a bright, sun-filled retreat by day and an indoor stellar observatory by night. Wouldn’t it be great if you could let in all that light without needing to install windows that provide your nosy next-door neighbor a clear view into the room?

The solution is simple – skylights. They provide a simple way to let daylight inside a room and completely change the ambiance. Additionally, the various materials available are both energy efficient and visually appealing.

If you do some research, you’ll find out that skylights can be crafted from various materials. How do you pick the best one? The following guide will provide essential information, such as:

• What’s the best glass type for skylight installation
• How do materials compare in terms of ability to insulate, ease of installation, and maintenance needs
• How to pick the right material for your skylights

Functional Considerations When Choosing Roof Skylights

Before we dive into what specific types of glass are best for skylights, let’s first talk about what challenging conditions your skylights need to endure.

UV Light

As that gorgeous natural light comes streaming into your room, it first passes through the skylight. That means that whatever material your skylight is made of must be designed to handle extended UV light exposure without creating shade.

Precipitation

Rain, snow, sleet, hail, ice – these unforgiving elements all land directly on your roof and skylights. Be sure they can take it.

Impact

Tree branches are the most likely cause of impact damage, although other airborne debris from a heavy windstorm can also cause damage. Know how your skylight will react to impact damage.

The Main Types of Skylights

The skylight mounting type is one of the main distinguishing factors for these products. Here are the primary categories to familiarize yourself with.

Fixed/Inoperable

Just like they sound, fixed or inoperable skylights don’t open and close. They remain stationary and let light in.

Venting/Operable

If you want your skylight to function more like a window and allow both daylight and fresh air to come in, choose a venting or operable style of the skylight. These skylights can either be opened manually, with a remote, or – on very high-end models – automatically, based on built-in rain and moisture sensors. 

What Kind of Glass Is Used for Skylights & Alternative Material Options

Sounds like you know what you’re talking about when you refer to your material choices as your “glazing options.” Skylights can be glazed with either plastic or several types of glass, although glass is usually preferred.

Does it matter which skylight glazing you choose? Yes, it does, so let’s check out the pros and cons of each.

Plastic Skylights

Plastic is the original glazing option and one that has been used for a long time. It has a few pros, but many cons, and it is becoming a less common choice.

Pros

• Budget-friendly
• Light-weight
• Multiple shapes available

Cons

• Scratches more easily
• Discolors more easily
• Less clear view
• Allows more UV light through
• Only comes in standard sizes

Glass Skylights

The preferred glazing for skylights is glass, and there are several variations of glass to choose from. They share some similar pros and cons, along with having their own unique traits.

Pros

• More sophisticated appearance
• Clear view
• Many shapes available
• Many sizes available
• Doesn’t scratch as easily
• Better UV protection
• Good ability to insulate

Cons

• Heavier
• Custom sizes and shapes are more expensive

Tempered Glass Skylights

What exactly is tempered glass? Check this out: when a piece of glass has been tempered, this means that it was superheated and then cooled rapidly. This process results in a piece of glass that is 4-5 times stronger than the original. If a sheet of tempered glass breaks, it shatters into a lot of small, more rounded pieces instead of sharp shards.

Laminated Glass Skylights

Do you remember playing with a laminating machine and sandwiching a piece of paper between two sheets of the laminate material? Perfect. You understand laminated glass.

To make laminated glass, one sheet of clear vinyl is encased between two sheets of glass. They are bonded together, creating a super-strong, impact-resistant glass. If the glass somehow does break, the sheets all hold together with minimal loose glass falling inside your house.

As if that’s not enough, there’s more. Laminated glass blocks a whopping 99% of UV light, and it also has soundproofing properties.

Tempered-Over-Laminated Glass Skylights

Now you may be wondering if you should use tempered or laminated glass for your skylights and how to choose. The good news? You don’t have to.

Here’s the thing: the absolute best kind of glass for a skylight is tempered-over-laminated. This hybrid approach combines the strengths of both tempered and laminated glass to give you the strongest, most resilient, best quality skylight you can imagine.

Skylight Glass Coatings

Your choice of glazing isn’t the only factor that determines how well your skylight performs. You can further enhance the performance by adding coatings to your glass.

Tinting

Just like on your car windows, adding tinting to a skylight helps it absorb more of the solar heat and keep it from transferring inside. This keeps your home cooler in the hot summer months.

Low-Emissivity (Low-E)

The Midwest is blessed with both heat and cold, so a Low-E coating can really benefit you here. This type of coating helps improve energy efficiency in both the summer and winter. The coating reflects your home’s inside temperature back inside instead, so you keep more of your cool summer air or toasty winter air in.

Which Is the Best Glass for Skylights? The Bottom Line

Skylights can bring light to an otherwise dreary room while still maintaining visual privacy. Remember to select a skylight that stands up to all the stressors that it will be faced with. Skylight glazing options include both plastic and glass, although glass is usually preferred. The best kind of glass for a skylight is tempered-over-laminated, and coatings can be added to further enhance the skylight’s performance.

Are you ready to install a skylight in your home? Contact us and let us know which room in your home is ready to be upgraded with a skylight.