Deciding to build a granny flat is simple, designing and building the extension can be a lot harder. You'll have a lot of questions to answer along the way. Can you use a general contractor or is is better to use one who has built a lot of granny flats before? Is a template design better than a customised one? Should you let the person who'll live in the flat have a say in what it looks like? Luckily, I'm here to help. My name is Maria. We moved my Mum into a purpose-built granny flat last year, so I've had to answer all these questions and more. I thought it'd be useful for other people to see how we managed the process, so here we are — get reading!
Tips for Choosing the Right Skylight for Your Home
Skylights are openings installed on the roof of a house so that it can allow light to your home. In addition to improving the lighting system of your home, they add an appealing look to your home. They can also increase the value of your home in case you plan to resell it. Skylight windows are friendly to the environment, so you have nothing to worry about. There are different types of skylights with different styles in the market. Therefore, settling on a particular skylight may be a difficult task for you. The following tips will help you choose the right skylight for your home that will suit your needs and preferences.
Materials
Skylights are made of plastic or glass. Plastic skylights are perfect for flat roofs or those that are low-sloped. If you choose to go for glass skylights, you should ensure that you choose the correct glass for your roof. To ensure that you are safe with your glass skylights, you should go for a toughened glass. This glass cannot break easily, and it should be used for the outer pane. Laminated glass is used for the inner panel of the skylights. During impact, laminated glass does not shatter completely but instead cracks. With this property, if it is broken it will support the glass above it hence it will not shatter and be a danger to anyone who was in the house.
Fixed or Venting Skylights
You need to understand the difference between fixed and venting skylights so that you can choose what will suit your needs. You can open venting skylights while you cannot open fixed skylights. You can open the skylights by hand or with the help of a remote control. If you need more ventilation in your home, you should consider installing a venting skylight. A venting skylight can be perfect for your kitchen as this will help you get rid of any bad smell that may be as a result of food that has gone bad. If you live in a place where it rains frequently, a fixed skylight will be ideal for you because you will not be dealing with leakages.
Shapes
Skylights come in different shapes such as rectangular, square or dome shapes. You can choose the shape that you feel suits your home. Dome shapes are strong, and they have a high wind capacity. However, glass skylights do not offer many shapes, and this will limit you if you choose them. You should do your research well before you settle on a particular skylight.