What is a Skylight?
Skylights, also known as rooflights, are sleek aluminium structures installed on the roofs of buildings that flood interior spaces with natural light, regardless of the property’s orientation. They are a terrific solution for enclosed homes with limited window space, creating bright, open rooms that improve mood and wellbeing. These unobstructed windows also increase property value by adding architectural interest and improving energy efficiency.
Do You Need Planning Permission for a Skylight?
Generally, skylights fall under Permitted Development Rights, which outline the modifications you can make to your property without seeking planning permission. They can vary depending on location, window size, and whether your home is a listed building or a conservation area. Be sure to get the lowdown from your Local Planning Authority; a quick call or email will give you a bit of clarity and can save a lot of time, money, and headaches down the line.
Skylight Building Regulations
So, what are the permitted development rights for a skylight? You can install extension roof windows under permitted development subject to the following conditions:
- The loft window installation will not protrude more than 15cm above the roof’s plane.
- The window will not protrude over the roof ridge or be higher than the roof’s highest point.
- Any side-facing windows that are more than 1.7m above the ground and overlooking neighbours must be obscure-glazed.
- Any side-facing windows under 1.7m above the ground must not be able to be opened.
- No changes are made to the chimney, flue, soil or vent pipe, or solar panels.
Chat with our expert installation team to ensure your roof windows align with permitted development rules. To be safe, you should also consult your local planning office, as previously discussed.
Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas
If you live in a listed building or conservation area, you’ll likely need to attain planning permission for a skylight:
- Listed Buildings: as a building of special architectural or historical interest, any alteration to a listed property will always require Listed Building Consent in addition to planning permission. Because the goal is to preserve the character of the building, even minor changes like a skylight can impact its fabric and appearance.
- Conservation Areas: properties within a conservation area have stricter planning controls. It is common for local authorities to issue ‘Article 4 Directions’, which remove specific permitted development rights.
Neighbour Relations
Although it is not a legal requirement, it’s always good to speak with your neighbours before carrying out work on your property. This bit of consideration and open communication keeps everyone on the same page and stops any future disagreements. It will also make the planning and installation process of your skylight window quicker and easier if there are no unforeseen challenges from neighbours.
The Express Direct Skylight Collection
Here at Express Direct, our industry-leading skylights feature minimalist designs and a timeless appeal for modern and traditional homes alike. Manufactured in our specialist Leeds facility, each spec has a strong aluminium frame and unobstructed glazing that improves the natural light, security, and energy efficiency of your home. Learn about each aluminium rooflight below to find the perfect fit for your home and expect rapid turnaround times once you’ve placed your order.
EOS Roof Lantern
The EOS Roof Lantern serves as a contemporary centrepiece, with its minimalist design that features less frame and more glass. This pitched roof skylight is made using smart engineering and versatile aluminium for unobtrusive profiles and one of the slimmest ridge sections available on the market. The large glass panes gather a bounty of light from various angles, while blue solar control glazing and thermally broken aluminium improve the energy efficiency of your home.
Key Features
- Fewer bars mean there are fewer potential points of failure.
- Available on a quick lead time as profiles are held in stock.
- Ceiling windows are supplied with high-performance, solar control glazing as standard.
- Thermally broken inside and out.
- Excellent value for money.
- Available in sizes up to 4000mm x 2000mm
- Available in White gloss, Grey 7016 matt & Black 9005 matt.
Flat Rooflight
The XP Sky View is a subtle feature product that blends into flat roofs, combining clean lines and an anthracite grey frame for timeless appeal. This innovative design has a structurally bonded system with no visible framework, improving sightlines and the amount of light entering your home. Alongside brighter and more welcoming rooms, this skylight window will also boost your home’s thermal performance as the 18mm argon gas-filled cavity showcases excellent heat retention.
Key Features:
- A structurally bonded system means less frame and more glass.
- 6mm heat-soaked toughened glass is used as standard on the inner pane for safety.
- U value as low as 1.0W/m2k
- 18mm argon gas-filled cavity within the glazing.
- The minimalist design is ideal for flooding natural light into a room, especially in confined spaces.
- No external fittings for a more secure product.
- Blackout film is used to hide the plasterboard finish.
- 52mm overhand for an improved weather seal.
Quick and Easy Configuration
The Express Direct website has been developed with customers in mind, offering a simple step-by-step process for configuring and placing your order. It takes just a matter of minutes to find your aluminium skylight, complete the product specification questions, and input your order. With profiles held in stock, you can expect a rapid turnaround time for your aluminium rooflight that will be delivered to your door fully built-up and ready to install. With our comprehensive guide and easy-to-fit design, professional fitters should be able to install your ceiling window in under an hour.
If an aluminium skylight feels like the next home renovation for you, explore our website or come to the Leeds showroom and find the best fit for your roof space. Our expert installation team are more than happy to discuss your plans and make sure that they align with the planning permission rules of your region. Once your skylight is configured and ordered, prepare for a timeless design feature that will transform the interior spaces of your home with an abundance of natural light.