Skylight Options for Your Customers Bob “Duke” Dutkiewicz, National Sales Manager, Kennedy Skylights
We are all aware that skylights are very popular in just aren’t available with plastic skylights. There are the Florida market. Glass, polycarbonate and tubular several glass glazing choices which differ from manuskylights dot roofs throughout the state. As modern facturer to manufacturer. Choices include: kitchens moved away from exterior walls to become ■ tempered double insulated the central focus point of the home, we starved this ■ tempered double insulated with LowE coating area from natural light, which increased the popularity ■ tempered double insulated with LowE coating and of skylights and tubular skylights. With many of the argon gas between the panes new home now designed with windowless kitchens, bathrooms and laundry rooms, the use of skylights and ■ tempered with LowE coating, white or bronze tint tubular skylights will continue to increase. and argon gas between the panes Here is some basic information on skylight choices. ■ tempered over laminated glass with argon gas Hopefully this information will help you when discussbetween the panes ing skylight options with your customers. ■ tempered over impact glass with argon gas Polycarbonate and acrylic skylights are a popular between the panes. choice. They are relatively inexpensive, light weight and extremely strong. Polycarbonate is 250 times stronger than glass which makes this a popular choice in our state’s High Velocity Hurricane Zone (HVHZ). You will find most polycarbonate skylights are compliant with the Florida Building Code and Miami-Dade code. Most manufacturers will offer these units as curb mount, self-flashing or available on 2-inch, 4-inch and 6-inch aluminum flashing bases. There are also drawbacks to these types of skylights. There is little to no insulation value compared to argon filled glass skylights. Also, they tend to be noisy during rainstorms and from outdoor noise, airplanes, traffic, etc. Most professional skylight installers agree that glass skylights are the best product available for residential use. Glass will generally provide a clearer view and can have insulating factors that 24
FLORIDA ROOFING | August 2020
