Skylights and roof lanterns are one of the most effective ways to bring natural light into your home. When positioned correctly, they can brighten interiors, improve comfort, and enhance the overall feel of a space.
In this guide, we’ll explain how skylight and roof lantern placement works, which rooms benefit most, and how orientation affects light, heat, and glare.
Understanding skylights & roof lanterns
Skylights and roof lanterns both introduce light through the roof, but they are used slightly differently depending on the space.
Skylights are typically smaller and installed on pitched or flat roofs. They are ideal for introducing targeted natural light into individual rooms. They can be fixed or opening.
Roof lanterns are larger glazed structures designed for flat roofs. They distribute light across wider areas and often act as a visual centrepiece, particularly in extensions or open-plan spaces.
Both generally follow the same positioning principles.
Key Placement Considerations
Before choosing a location, it’s important to consider how the space is used and how light will behave throughout the day.
- Room function: Position roof glazing where daylight will support daily activities, such as cooking, working, or relaxing.
- Ceiling height and roof structure: Vaulted ceilings and pitched roofs offer more flexibility, while flat roofs are well suited to roof lanterns.
- Privacy and ventilation: Bathrooms and bedrooms may require obscured glazing or opening units to manage moisture and privacy.
- Furniture and layout: Avoid placing glazing where glare could fall directly onto screens or seating areas.
Orientation: North, South, East, or West?
Positioning skylights and roof lanterns thoughtfully is crucial for optimising natural light and comfort within a space.
Sunlight orientation is a key factor, as skylights facing different directions offer unique lighting and heating effects:
- North-facing skylights provide consistent, soft light with minimal heat, making them ideal for spaces requiring balanced daylight.
- South-facing skylights capture maximum light and warmth, perfect for colder rooms, though additional glazing may be needed to reduce overheating in summer.
- East-facing skylights: These capture the morning sun, making them ideal for spaces like kitchens where early light can enhance productivity.
- West-facing skylights: These provide afternoon and evening light, which works well for living rooms or extensions where evening relaxation or socialising takes place.
Popular locations for skylights & roof lanterns
Living rooms
Living rooms are often the heart of the home, where families gather and spend quality time.
Installing skylights in these areas can significantly enhance natural light, making the space feel larger, more open, and inviting.
By adding skylights in your living room, you’ll create a welcoming environment where you can truly relax.
Kitchens
Kitchens benefit greatly from additional lighting, as they are spaces where functionality and visibility are essential.
Skylights in the kitchen provide natural light that enhances visibility while cooking, dining, or entertaining.
They also add an aesthetic dimension, giving the kitchen an airy and stylish feel.
When strategically positioned, kitchen skylights can help reduce dependency on artificial lights during the day, promoting energy efficiency.
Hallways, landings, and stairwells
These transitional areas are often the darkest parts of a home, especially in the centre of the house. Placing a roof lantern above a central hallway or staircase can transform it. The vertical shaft of light makes the space feel more welcoming.
In a multi-story home, a lantern above the staircase can even funnel daylight down through the stairwell to lower floors. If privacy or overlooking is a concern (for example, if the stairwell is near a neighbour’s view), you can use frosted or tinted glazing or add blinds to the lantern without losing the light benefit.
Conservatories and garden rooms
Many modern conservatories or orangeries have a solid flat roof perimeter with a lantern in the middle. This is a classic design choice, the lantern becomes a dramatic focal point and brings the feel of a traditional glass conservatory roof with better insulation.
In garden rooms or sunrooms, a roof lantern ensures you capture as much sky view and sunlight as possible, creating an indoor-outdoor ambience that’s hard to beat on sunny days.
<H3> Bathrooms
Skylights are an ideal choice for bathrooms, where privacy and natural lighting are equally important. Placing a skylight in the bathroom allows natural light to fill the space without compromising privacy, as it eliminates the need for large, open windows that could overlook neighbouring properties.
Skylights in bathrooms also offer a way to ventilate excess moisture, reducing the risk of mould growth and keeping the room fresh.
Learn 12 ways to improve ventilation in a room.
Extensions
Home extensions, whether they serve as additional living spaces, offices, or sunrooms, are perfect candidates for skylights.
Extensions often benefit from natural light to create a bright atmosphere, making the new space feel integrated with the rest of the home.
Skylights in these areas allow for maximum daylight exposure, giving the extension a light and airy feel that enhances its functionality and aesthetic appeal.
These can include conservatory skylights and orangery roof lanterns, as well as flat rooflights for more traditional extensions.
Making Skylights Energy Efficient
Using natural daylight
Strategic skylight placement allows you to maximise natural daylight, lessening the need for artificial lighting during the day.
Rooms like kitchens, living rooms, and extensions are often the most beneficial areas for daylight-focused skylights.
Balancing heat gain & loss
To make the most of the skylights for passive heating in the colder months and cooling in warmer seasons, consider the direction and features of your skylights.
For example:
- Winter Benefits: Skylights positioned to receive more sunlight during winter can help warm a room naturally, reducing the need for heating.
- Summer Considerations: Skylights with special features like Low-E glass can help decrease excess heat gain, preventing rooms from overheating in summer.
Low-E glass is designed to reflect heat while still allowing light to pass through, making it an ideal choice for energy-conscious homes.
Avoiding Common Skylight Placement Mistakes
Excessive glare
Poor skylight placement can lead to excessive glare, causing uncomfortable brightness and potential hotspots in your living space.
This is common when skylights are positioned in direct line with strong sunlight during peak hours, such as west-facing skylights that catch the intense afternoon sun.
To avoid this, consider the sun’s path throughout the day and position skylights in a way that provides a balanced light.
Overheating
If positioned without consideration for heat and UV exposure, skylights can contribute to overheating and potentially damage furniture and flooring over time.
South-facing skylights, for example, receive more direct sunlight, which can cause heat build-up, especially during summer months.
To mitigate this, choose Low-E or UV-blocking glazing, which helps reduce heat transfer and protects interiors from UV rays.
Contact Toughened Glass Systems
Considering skylights or roof lanterns for your home or extension?
Our experts at Toughened Glass Systems are here to help. Our team understands the importance of placing skylights strategically to increase natural light.
Whether you’re adding skylights to a new extension, upgrading existing rooms, or seeking advice on the best skylight types and positioning, we offer tailored solutions to suit your needs.
Contact us today to explore our range of skylight options, or explore our collection below: