Do you want to get more natural light into your home or extension? Ask a VELUX daylight expert – ANSWERS BACK

[JustineBMumsnet]

Answers are now back and this thread is now closed for questions. If you'd like to read Grant's responses you can view them here.

Building a kitchen/ dining room extension or adding another bedroom can be a great way to get more space in your home without making a big move. But it’s easy to overlook the importance of getting enough daylight into your design. VELUX would like to help by answering your questions on how to design your space with daylight.

Before and after images of VELUX windows in a single story extension can be found within this OP.

VELUX daylight expert Grant Sneddon says: “Whatever the project, it’s absolutely crucial to ask a professional for help as early as possible. Not only will they steer your project from start to finish, and work within your budget to help you get the space you want, but they’ll also come up with ideas that you might not have considered. One of those considerations, is the importance of natural daylight and ventilation in your home. Building an extension with roof windows or retrofitting windows into existing extensions will allow more daylight to penetrate deeper into the space and make it look and feel bigger and brighter.”

Whether you have a single-story extension already that you’d like to get more natural light into or you’re planning on building a single-story extension in your home, ask Grant your questions about getting more light into your design below. We’ll be selecting 10 questions and post a link to the responses as soon as possible.

All who post their questions below (regardless of whether their question is selected) will be entered into a prize draw where one MNer will win a £150 John Lewis voucher.

Thanks, and good luck!

MNHQ

Insight Terms and Conditions apply

We have Velux windows in our kitchen. We don't often open them as they are very high up and difficult to open with the antiquated pole which we inherited with the house. Sometimes we get wasps and bees trying to get out though so we have to open them then the whole kitchen gets covered in debris from the roof. Any suggestions?!

Would like to get more natural light into our kitchen. The dining area is a small extension to the kitchen with a single height pitch roof and horizontal ceiling to match kitchen. Is it visually better to remove the ceiling in this section and use velux on the existing roof or is there a version which can act like a lightwell through the existing ceiling.

Also how easy is it to install a velux into a full height roof, can it be done internally or require ladders/scaffolding - we have a stairwell to the attic with no natural light or ventilation.

We have an existing single story extension, with a very old Velux that seems to have water trapped between the two panes of glass. How easy is it to change to a newer white one? Also could we change the size and add a larger one?

Would having more glass in a room mean it is more loud during heavy rain?

How thick a false roof can a Velux Window fit into?

Thinking about changing my windows from leaded to plain glass - i hate the leaded look but also want more light. Will it really make a difference?

Surely we can answer a lot of these between us...

How do you clean them?..... Mine is the easiest window in the house to clean, as it swings / pivots right round, so I can do the outside of the glass, from inside the house. (I can reach ours, standing on the bed though - it isn't 25' in the air)

Is it possible to get a velux window that does not leak? Must be. Our bed is under ours and it's never leaked in the 15 years we've slept here.

We have velux windows in the loft and I would like to know if we can change the blinds on them? Yes, we got a new blind for ours, last year.

What if it’s a room that’s going to double up as a spare bedroom? Is there a way of fitting blinds or curtains? Yes - We used to have a Venetian type blind and now we have a roller type blind on ours.

When it rains ( and we live in Wales ) the noise wakes me up
Would having more glass in a room mean it is more loud during heavy rain?
Yes. Have you ever sat in a conservatory in the rain ? Same principle.

Birds walking across it in the early hours are also remarkably noisy.

hth

We have been wondering about making another bedroom up in the loft, and considering using a Velux window to gain some light up there.

I wondered about how a Velux unit could be cleaned (both inside and out), and the length of guarantee provided.

Also, could they be used alongside solar panels if we decide to have these installed on the roof at a later date?

I have a kitchen extension that makes our dining room quite dark. I’d like a Velux-style window in the extension but I’m concerned about the possible need to re-wire the kitchen lighting as well as knocking a hole in the roof! In your experience, how much is the overall cost of retrofitting a window to an existing roof?

How can I get more light in to an extension to keep it bright during the day but making it cosy in the evenings?! I find lots of windows etc can make it feel 'cold' once the sun goes down!

I'd like to know how to get light into a dark hallway that has rooms both sides and no external walls at all.

I'd like to know if possible to get any light in a now windowless room - property was extended, extension part is lovely and bright with 4 velum windows, however the room they've extended from is full as a result despite opening up on to the extension. Want to close it off so it's a separate room but the external wall is on the semi side so can't put a window in wall and upwards is a normal height ceiling (roof immediately above as it's a bungalow) so either a fake window backing on to extension or some way of getting natural light in from above - tunnel mirror lighting?

Do Velux windows reduce the UV getting in while still keeping the house light?
My friend recently had a conservatory fitted and said her glass roof filters some UV rays, helping it not get too greenhouse-like in the summer. Apparently it's also self-cleaning- how does that work?

Can I put a velux into a flat roof?

I've got a room in the middle of my flat (which has a flat roof) we have a skylight built into it to let in natural light - would a velux window work here and also would it cause the problem i have with condensation as we can't open this skylight as it is on a flat roof

We have an upstairs bathroom in a new build with no window and no external walls. Can we get light into there?

Also we have a basement room used as an office. Can we get natural light in there without major digging works?
Thanks

We have a flat roof extension with a roof lantern letting in lots of light, but the rest of the looks dark in comparison.

Is there any way of putting in velux to angle light towards the darker areas?

My question is about cleaning- the skylight ones- how are they cleaned? (Inside and out!) do I need a massive pole with a dishcloth on the end and stand underneath?

Love my white velux windows, great for hanging decorations from .
My question is about the top opening ones - do blinds get fitted to the frame rather than the actual window? So if the window is open the blind is still effective? Thank you.

Can you give an assurance that the velux blinds will block out all the light, as I sleep in the loft and am concerned that it won't be dark enough.

What is the largest single pane size you do? I see these beautiful massive roof lights on interior design programs and would love something similar but bespoke is probably out of my budget!

We have them installed in our loft and considering them for our kitchen extension. We love them! Would love to know best advice for keeping them clean! One of them in particular is really loved by local birds...

I love the helix my sister has in her kitchen extension.
Electric controls on them too!

I wish we could have them in our 1850's cottage with small windows.
Could let soo much light in to the bedrooms!!!

But I think they would be really difficult to fit with out existing stone slate roof??

Can you give an assurance that the velux blinds will block out all the light, as I sleep in the loft and am concerned that it won't be dark enough.

Our newer, roller blind does - it is a complete blackout. The older, sltted one wasn't as dark.