Roof lanterns in their long-established form are basically roof lights made of timber and glass and resemble small-scale conservatory roofs. They are normally incorporated into rooms having flat roofs so as to offer natural light into the areas underneath. There is also great possibility of integrating a roof lantern into the ridge of a roof. It can prove to be useful for plenty of other areas if utmost attention is given to its proper design and installation.
Roof lanterns came into existence from structures known as orangeries that were constructed in Italy and France in the 16th century. Orangeries were made of bricks or frames with big side glass windows and a glass structure that rested on the flat roof for additional natural light. The purpose of their construction was to grow oranges under controlled conditions. Nowadays, orangeries are regarded as a style or form of conservatory.
During the initial days, glass was manufactured manually and was therefore very costly. So, architects were forced to set aside the use of glass for roof lights at the time of designing country houses for rich clients. During the latter stage of the Victorian era, machines were used to manufacture glasses, thereby making them more reasonably priced. The society also witnessed a rise in the living standards, resulting in the higher demand for glass in the construction of homes.
People started to incorporate a timber roof lantern into their homes, hotels, educational institutions and public establishments like public libraries and town halls. Domestically, it was used to bring sunlight into reception rooms, billiard rooms, kitchens and dining areas.
It is unfortunately true that in many cases, these beautiful and grand structures were vulnerable to leakage, because of the drawbacks in construction methods and sealing materials. There was also the problem of heat being escaped during the winter due to single glazing technique. For the purpose of ventilation, the roof lanterns of early days were manually operated by a crank rod, in order to open or close the window system.
Luckily, people now have the advantages of the present-day double glazing methods, superior sealing materials and automated electric systems to operate the roof lantern windows. These enhancements coupled with the application of sealed double paneling of glass make sure that contemporary roof lights can keep up a time-honored look while delivering excellent structural integrity and longevity in conjunction with fine insulation properties.
Furthermore, the usage of long-lasting hardwood and supreme quality paints and stains ascertains that a contemporary roof light will stand the test of time with the least maintenance works. cost to replace conservatory roof
