Maximum light
Rooflights represent a fantastic way of transforming conservatories, extensions or interior spaces, but often at the expense of solar gain. TuffX commercial director, Paul Higgins, highlights a solution that maximises natural light, while minimising heat transmission.
If there was a perfect way to highlight the increasing demand in home extensions and conservatories, it was the amount of roofing solutions on display at the recent FIT Show.
Visitors were treated to a wealth of new lanterns and rooflights, a clear reflection of the growing requirement for additional living space that became so important to homeowners during lockdown.
The pandemic may be over, but that need to maximise the potential of properties is still very important as many people are still working from home or enjoying a mixture of hybrid arrangements.
That is feeding ongoing demand for dedicated space within a property – nobody wants to spend all day hunched over a laptop on the sofa or at the dining table – and so we have seen a rise in interest for new extensions, the refurbishment of existing conservatories and even ‘zoning’ within a home.
Roof lights and lanterns are of course the ‘go to’ products to bring natural light into extensions and conservatories but they can also be used to illuminate other parts of a home, particularly terraced or narrow properties, that might otherwise be quite dark or gloomy.
As we all know, natural light isn’t just a pleasant ‘nice-to-have’ it can improve our wellness and productivity – both of which are vital considerations for anyone wanting to spend more time at home, whether they’re working or not.
When it comes to specifying roof lights or lanterns, however, there can often be a trade-off between maximum light and heat transmission.
This typically involves applying a tint to the glass to help manage interior temperatures, which in turn has the potential to have a substantial negative impact on the ambient light levels within a property.
At TuffX however, we have developed a range of innovative glass products that do not suffer from this compromise as they feature pioneering glass coatings that can absorb and reflect up to twice as much heat as standard glass.
Delivering maximum light transmission with minimal solar heat gain, they help to ensure comfortable indoor temperatures all year round, especially when combined within a glass unit that’s designed to off low U values.
Case study – installer benefits
We have worked hard at TuffX to develop these market leading, high performance glass solutions but we’re also aware that we need to make our products as installer friendly as possible if they are to realise their full potential – and a recent home extension project in Brighton is the perfect demonstration of how easy our Infinity rooflights are to fit.
The installation required a rooflight for a low pitch roof on a single story garden room extension that was not able to accommodate a traditional roof lantern.
Local installer, United Cloud Construction, approached TuffX for a solution and we supplied two Infinity rooflights, one 1m x1m and the other 1m x 1.5m. Both are standard sizes for the Infinity range – as are 2m x 1m and 2.5m x 1m – with bespoke sizes available on request and options for glass finishes that include clear, solar and privacy glass.
United Cloud Construction’s Adrian, commented: “The process was quick and easy, thanks to the innovative design, even with it being my first time using the product.
“Straight out of the box, the two units were simply slotted on to the upstand and then finished internally. The two units I ordered were with me on site within five working days and the sales team made the ordering side quick and simple.
“I would recommend TuffX’s Infinity rooflights to any customers who are looking for a simple, effective and high-quality rooflight solution that they can fit themselves quickly and hassle-free, with no additional assembly on site.”
