Planning a Kitchen Extension with Skylights

Brighten Your Kitchen Extension

Incorporating a roof window into your kitchen extension design instantly adds architectural depth, enhancing even the simplest layouts.

Introducing light from above beautifully illuminates kitchen areas, such as islands and countertops, with natural light, creating a welcoming and functional space. The presence of a rooflight also makes small kitchen extensions feel taller, wider, and more engaging.

For instance, in a side return extension, adding a wide skylight above the cooking zone achieves this effect, while retaining the old exterior window ensures darker internal spaces benefit from additional natural light. You can also see how to maximise light through windows doors here.

Advantages of Skylight Kitchen Extensions

Skylight kitchen extensions offer numerous benefits for your kitchen:

• Energy Efficiency and Cost Savings: Skylights and roof lanterns reduce reliance on artificial lighting, increasing energy efficiency and helping you save on utility bills.
• Ease of Installation: You typically don’t need full planning permission to install rooflights if you adhere to the regulations covered by permitted development rights.
• Space Enhancement: Skylights are a cost-effective way to make your room feel larger and more open.
• Ventilation Options: By choosing opening rooflights, you can also improve ventilation, ensuring fresh air circulates throughout your kitchen.

To explore and understand more benefits, you can visit our blog: The Health Benefits of Natural Daylight.

Can I Install Skylights in My Kitchen Extension?

Yes, you can install skylights in your kitchen extension, provided it is a single-storey structure or a two-storey extension with a double-height void above the kitchen or living space. Skylights can be incorporated into pitched, lean-to, and flat roof extensions. However, consider privacy and ensure you won’t be overlooked by neighbors.

When selecting a roof window, it’s essential to understand the terminology. Terms like skylight, rooflight, and roof window are often used interchangeably, which can be confusing. Generally, skylights are used on roofs with a pitch of 15-75 degrees and sit more flush with the roofline. Rooflights, on the other hand, are designed for flat roofs or those with a pitch between 0-15 degrees and require an upstand. Knowing these distinctions will help you choose the appropriate type of rooflight for your extension.

Do I need a skylight or a rooflight and how to know?

When selecting a roof window, it’s essential to understand the terminology. Terms like skylight (a.k.a. pitched window, pitched glass), rooflight (a.k.a flat roof window, flat glass, flat skylights) often used interchangeably, which can be confusing. Generally, skylights are used on roofs with a pitch of 15-75 degrees and sit more flush with the roofline and use tiles or possibly metal to weather. Rooflights, on the other hand, are designed for flat roofs or those with a pitch between 0-15 degrees and require an upstand and can be weathered lots of ways like EPDM, TPO, flet, fiberglass, etc. Knowing these distinctions will help you choose the appropriate type of rooflight for your extension.

Skylight options for pitched roofs

So, you have a pitched roof and you want to add more light. What are your options? There are many considerations, but it mainly comes down to what your main priority is. Here are your options based on different needs and budgets: 

Budget-Friendly Options: Velux or Fakro Skylights

If you are on a budget, you may want to look at products from brands like Velux or Fakro. These skylights are mass-produced in standard sizes, making them cost-effective. Here are some key points about these options:

• Sizes Available: Typically range from around 600mm x 600mm to 1300mm x 1300mm.
• Types: You can choose between fixed units and opening units.
• Cost: More affordable due to standardized production.
• Design Impact: These skylights are fairly common and don’t offer much in terms of a ‘wow’ factor.

Premium Options: Bespoke Pitched Skylights

If you want something more impressive, consider a bespoke pitched skylight. These skylights are custom-made to fit your specific requirements, offering a more dramatic impact on your space. Here are the benefits of choosing bespoke skylights:

• Custom Sizes: Can be made in any size, going up to huge 6-meter units or split into multi-panel systems.
• Types: Available as fixed or opening units.
• Glazing Options: Can be double or triple glazed for enhanced insulation and energy efficiency.
• Design Impact: Very popular for side extensions, maximizing the light from a pitched lean-to roof, and transforming your room with a stunning feature.

Choosing the Right Skylight for Your Needs

When deciding on the best skylight option for your pitched roof, consider the following factors:

1. Budget: Determine how much you are willing to spend. Standard sizes from Velux or Fakro are more affordable, while bespoke options will cost more but offer greater customization.
2. Aesthetic Impact: Decide how important the visual appeal is for your project. Standard skylights are functional but less striking, whereas bespoke skylights can create a major visual impact.
3. Functionality: Think about whether you need the skylights to open for ventilation or if fixed units will suffice. Opening units can improve airflow and reduce the need for additional ventilation solutions.
4. Energy Efficiency: Consider the type of glazing. Double or triple glazing options can improve insulation and energy efficiency, which is particularly important for larger skylights.

What are the flat roof rooflight options?

When considering flat rooflights, you have a variety of options that cater to different budgets and requirements. The main considerations are similar to those for pitched rooflights: your budget and specific needs.

Fixed Rooflights

• Low-End Budget: Polycarbonate domes are very competitively priced and widely available. However, they can be noisy when it rains and are less thermally efficient.
• Mid-Range: Stepped glass rooflights, often referred to as “fake rooflights,” do not have a frame and sit on top of your upstand. These offer a sleeker appearance but may lack the durability and thermal efficiency of higher-end options.
• High-End: System rooflights, like those offered by our company, come with frames and various advanced features. They are more thermally efficient, secure, and can be customized to your specific needs.

Opening Rooflights

• Manual vs. Electric: While manual options are available, electric opening rooflights are more popular due to ease of access, especially for high or hard-to-reach areas.
• Standard vs. Custom Sizes: Standard sizes are readily available, but for larger or custom sizes, thorough research is essential to ensure you select a reliable system. With moving parts and electrical components, quality is crucial to avoid long-term issues.
• Specialty Systems: Our company specializes in large opening rooflights, with motors built into the provided upstand, allowing us to create units up to 6 meters. For very large openings (3m+), modular or multi-panel systems are often a practical alternative, combining fixed and opening units for a seamless look.
• Alternative Openers: Beyond the common chain motors, options include sliding rooflights for maximum ventilation and access rooflights that open wide enough for entry.

Walk-On Rooflights

• Usage: Ideal for areas with foot traffic, such as balconies. These rooflights use thick laminated glass to withstand everyday use.
• Modular Systems: Walk-on rooflights can be integrated into a modular system, allowing for a combination of fixed and opening units.

Lantern Rooflights

• Aesthetic Appeal: Lantern rooflights provide additional height and grandeur, making them a popular choice for large openings (e.g., 3m x 4m). They can be more cost-effective than flat glass for larger areas.
• Regulations: Be mindful of height restrictions, as there may be regulations governing the maximum height from your roof.

North (N)

Direct Light:

• Minimal Direct Sunlight: A north-facing extension will receive minimal direct sunlight. It will be shaded for most of the day.
• Soft, Diffused Light: Light will be consistent and diffused, creating a cool and steady illumination.

Indirect Light:

• Even Lighting: North-facing windows provide a stable amount of indirect light throughout the day, ideal for rooms where consistent lighting is needed, like offices or studios.
• Reduced Heat Gain: This orientation helps in maintaining cooler temperatures, especially beneficial in warmer climates.

  More about North facing extensions

Northwest (NW)

Direct Light:

• Late Afternoon and Evening Sun: This direction receives direct sunlight in the late afternoon and evening, which can provide warmth and a golden glow to the space.

Indirect Light:

• Morning Shade: The extension will be in shade during the morning, receiving indirect light that keeps the space cool.
• Moderate Heat Gain: Late afternoon sun can increase heat, so consider heat-resistant glazing or shades.

East (E)

Direct Light:

• Morning Sun: An east-facing extension will receive abundant direct sunlight in the morning, creating a bright and warm start to the day.

Indirect Light:

• Afternoon Shade: By afternoon, the extension will be shaded, receiving cooler, indirect light, which can help in reducing heat gain later in the day.

Southeast (SE)

Direct Light:

• Morning to Midday Sun: This direction receives direct sunlight from early morning until midday, providing plenty of natural light and warmth during the first half of the day.

Indirect Light:

• Afternoon Shade: After midday, the light will become more indirect, which helps in maintaining comfortable temperatures during hotter parts of the day.

South (S)

Direct Light:

• All-Day Sun: A south-facing extension receives direct sunlight throughout the day, from morning to evening, ensuring maximum light exposure.

Indirect Light:

• Minimal Indirect Light: Direct sunlight dominates, but consider using shading solutions like awnings or blinds to control light and heat during peak hours.

Southwest (SW)

Direct Light:

• Afternoon to Evening Sun: Southwest-facing extensions get direct sunlight from early afternoon to evening, providing warmth and a bright, sunny atmosphere in the latter part of the day.

Indirect Light:

• Morning Shade: The extension will be in shade during the morning, receiving indirect light that keeps the space cooler.

West (W)

Direct Light:

• Afternoon and Evening Sun: West-facing extensions receive strong direct sunlight in the afternoon and evening, which can create a warm and bright end to the day.

Indirect Light:

• Morning Shade: Morning light will be indirect, helping to keep the space cool and comfortable before the intense afternoon sun.

Northeast (NE)

Direct Light:

• Early Morning Sun: This direction receives a small amount of direct sunlight early in the morning.

Indirect Light:

• Cool and Diffused Light: For most of the day, the light will be soft and indirect, providing a cool, even illumination.