Preserve Your Skylights And Other Lighting Sources Utilizing These Recommendations
Sunlight and summer time go together like coconut and pineapple. However when winter time arrives with short days and colder temperatures, the amount of sunshine that gets into your house can be more important than at any other time of year.
Inadequate sunshine can determine seasonal mood changes, vitamin D deficiency and even your energy bills. It's important to prepare for winter by taking care of the portals that allow natural sunlight into your home: windows and skylights.
Caulking and weather stripping are the two most common approaches to prepare windows, and the tasks are easily within the skills of many do-it-yourselfers. Cleaning windows should also be part of your winter-preparedness steps; clean windows will let the highest amount of room-warming sunshine into your home.
Winterizing skylights is also vital. Skylight manufacturer Velux, offers these tips for prepping your skylights for colder months, as well as for year-round care and maintenance.
Have your fixed or venting skylights inspected by a qualified expert. While issues such as damaged claddings or flashings would be visible, other problems might only be identified with the help of a professional evaluation.
Get rid of any clutter that has piled up around the outside of the skylight. Take appropriate precaution when climbing on the rooftop and think about choosing a professional if you're not positive of your safety skills.
Completely clean the glass part of your skylight, inside and out. You'll most 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 cleaning solution and a soft brush or other non-abrasive applicator to scrub the glass, and immediately clear away 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.
Clean interior frames - usually pre-painted wood or plastic - with a wet cloth or mild, soapy water for harder,hard to get off dirt. Take out insect screens in venting skylights, spray with a garden hose and allow them to dry completely before replacing them.
If your skylight's pre-finished hardwood frame is in need of refinishing, completely take off the factory finish. Make sure the area is clean, then apply a layer of water-based acrylic varnish or paint, following the manufacturer's instructions for treatment. Be certain to keep all varnish and paint off the skylight gaskets and glass. Velux doesn't encourage painting over plastic frames and sashes.
Care for the mechanics of your skylights. Open venting skylights (turn off the power if they're electric) and wipe off the chain with a clean, dry towel and no cleaning solution or solvent of any kind. For manual skylights, check the loop or crank handle to make certain it's secure. Do not apply lubrication to your skylight's moving components; the inner workings of manual and electric operators are viewed as maintenance-free, and are pre-lubed, so they should require no extra greasing. [dallas-homeinspections.com/ home inspection fort worth tx]
Add blinds. A must-have aesthetic accessory offered in more than 100 colors and designs, blinds can even provide extra insulation and allow you to regulate the volume of sunlight that comes in through your skylights. They are also especially effective at holding heat during cool weather; researches prove that including a blind to make a complete skylight system can raise energy efficiency by 37 percent. That increase in efficiency jumps to as much as 45 percent with a blackout blind used on a fixed skylight, according to Velux. Plus, you could be eligible for a 30 percent government credit for solar blinds.
Think about an inexpensive upgrade from fixed skylights to venting models. Venting skylights may help you indulge in fresh fall air by providing passive ventilation in addition to more natural light. If you happen to be upgrading your roofing system, there is no better moment to update skylights, since the majority of roofing companies will charge up to double to come back and upgrade units versus doing the job while upgrading the roof. By updating, you can also gain the advantages of a "No-Leak" warranty, plus better energy efficiency with enhanced glass coatings. Lastly, if you happen to be replacing a plastic bubble skylight with an Energy Star-qualified glass model, you may save up to $194 per year on your air conditioning expenses.
Winterizing your windows and skylights can help ensure they supply you with the maximum amount of beneficial, natural lighting during the dark, chilly months of winter.
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