Light and cool under your roof lantern, even in summer

A roof lantern brings in plenty of daylight, and with the right choices the room below stays pleasant in summer too. The basis is good glass. We recommend triple glazing: it insulates in winter and keeps the temperature under the glass more even in summer. If your roof lantern faces south or west, you complete it with a solar control coating. In the quote we put HR++ and triple side by side, so you can see straight away what the choice means for you.

Triple glazing: comfortable in every season

Triple glazing has three panes with two insulating cavities. That makes it insulate far better than double glazing: the U-value is around 0.5 W/m²K, against roughly 1.1 for HR++. In winter the heat stays inside and the glass feels less cold on the inside.

In summer the same build-up works in your favour. Triple glazing lets through less solar heat than double glazing and the inner pane stays cooler. As a result the temperature under the roof lantern stays more even. Read more about the specification in triple glazing for a roof lantern, and the figures side by side in triple glazing or HR++.

• Three panes with two insulating cavities
• U-value around 0.5 W/m²K, against 1.1 for HR++
• Less solar heat through the glass than double glazing
• Quieter inside, with around 36 dB sound reduction

Solar control coating for south and west

If your roof lantern faces south or west above a living room or kitchen, you can have the glass made with a solar control coating. It reflects a large share of the solar heat while the daylight simply comes in. You do not have to operate anything, it works by itself. More in solar control glass for a roof lantern.

Orientation: put the sun to work for you

Orientation is the compass direction the glass slopes towards. Facing south you catch the most light and sun, facing east lovely morning sun and facing north even, soft daylight. It is no coincidence that many studios work with north light.

With a mono-pitch roof lantern you can sometimes choose which way it slopes. That way you match the light to how you use the room, and choose the glass that suits it best.

Glass area and room in balance

A roof lantern across the full width of an extension gives an open, bright room. The larger the glass area relative to the floor, the more the choice of glass makes a difference. That is exactly when triple glazing is a good investment. A stone floor helps too: it absorbs heat during the day and releases it gently in the evening.

Frequently asked questions