Why Winterize Your House's Skylights As Well As Your Other Illumination Sources?

Sunlight and summer go together like coconut and pineapple. Yet when winter time rolls in with shorter days and cooler temperatures, the amount of sunlight that gets into your home can be a lot more important than at any other time of year.

Not enough sunshine can determine temporary mood changes, vitamin D deficiency and even your utility bills. It is important to prepare for winter by taking care of the portals that allow natural light into your home: windows and skylights.

Caulking and weather stripping are the two most popular ways to prep windows, and the tasks are surely within the abilities of many do-it-yourselfers. Washing windows ought to also be part of your winter-preparedness steps; clear windows will allow the optimum amount of room-warming sunlight into your house.

Winterizing skylights is also essential. Skylight producer Velux, offers these recommendations for preparing your skylights for cooler months, as well as for year-round treatment and service.

Have your fixed or venting skylights checked by a certified professional. While issues such as broken claddings or flashings would be recognizable, other problems might only be diagnosed with the help of a professional assessment.

Eliminate all debris which may have gathered around the exterior of the skylight. Take proper precaution when climbing on the roof and consider hiring a professional if you're not comfortable of your safety skills.

Completely wash the glass part of your skylight, inside and out. You'll likely need to have a ladder to reach it, so be sure to take steps to prevent a fall. Apply a mild, non-abrasive glass cleaner and a soft brush or other non-abrasive applicator to wash the glass, and immediately remove the cleaning solution with a squeegee or lint-free cloth. Don't ever use metal scrapers, knives or blades of any sort to clean large areas of glass.

Wash inside frames - usually pre-painted wood or plastic - with a damp towel or mild, soapy water for tougher gunk. Take out insect screens in venting skylights, spray with a water hose and allow them to dry fully before replacing them.

If your skylight's pre-finished hardwood frame is in need of refinishing, completely clear away the factory finish. Make sure the surface is clean, then use a layer of water-based acrylic varnish or paint, following the manufacturer's instructions for application. Make certain to keep all varnish and paint away from the skylight gaskets and glass. Velux doesn't advise painting over plastic frames and sashes.

Care for the mechanics of your skylights. Open venting skylights (turn off the power if they're electrically powered) and wipe down the chain using a clean, dry cloth and no cleaner or solvent of any type. For manual skylights, check the loop or crank handle to ensure it's safe and secure. Do not apply lubrication to your skylight's moving components; the internal workings of manual and electric operators are considered maintenance-free, and are actually pre-lubed, so they should call for no extra greasing.

Put in blinds. A must-have aesthetic component offered in more than 100 colors and patterns, blinds also give added insulation and enable you to control the amount of sunshine that gets in through your skylights. They are also especially effective at retaining warmth during cool weather; studies reveal that including a blind to make a complete skylight unit can increase energy efficiency by 37 percent. That increase in efficiency rises to as much as 45 percent with a blackout blind used on a fixed skylight, according to Velux. Plus, you could be qualified for a 30 percent federal tax credit for solar blinds.

Think about an inexpensive update from fixed skylights to venting styles. Venting skylights might help you experience fresh autumn wind by providing passive ventilation in addition to more natural light. If you happen to be replacing your roofing system, there is no better moment to improve skylights, since many roofers will charge up to double to come back and upgrade units versus doing the job while upgrading the roof. By upgrading, you can also gain the advantages of a "No-Leak" guarantee, plus better energy efficiency with enhanced glass coatings. Finally, if you happen to be replacing a plastic bubble skylight with an Energy Star-qualified glass model, you could possibly save up to $194 per year on your cooling expenses.

Winterizing your windows and skylights can help ensure they provide you with the optimum quantity of beneficial, natural light during the dark, chilly months of winter time.

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