Rooflights
Conservation rooflights are designed to sit flush with the roof slope, with a slim frame, a central glazing bar and a dark finish, so that they read like the cast iron rooflights fitted to service ranges and outbuildings in the nineteenth century. That is a very different object from a standard domestic rooflight, which projects above the slope and has a wide white frame. The suppliers in this category produce steel, cast iron and slim aluminium units, in fixed and opening forms, and many make to bespoke sizes to suit existing rafter spacings.
What this category covers
- Flush-fitting steel and cast iron conservation rooflights
- Fixed, opening and escape-rated units for period roofs
- Bespoke sizes to suit existing rafter and purlin spacings
- Original cast iron rooflight repair and reglazing
- Flashings and detailing for slate, tile and stone roofs
Clement Windows Group
Clement Windows Group designs, manufactures and installs steel windows, doors and screens ...
Keylite
Keylite manufactures conservation roof windows together with loft ladders and blinds, supplying ...
Richmond Oak Glazed Extensions Ltd
Richmond Oak Glazed Extensions designs and installs bespoke orangeries, conservatories and garden ...
The Rooflight Co.
The Rooflight Co. is a rooflight manufacturer for buildings of architectural significance ...
Specifying a rooflight on a historic roof
Keep it flush and keep it small. The features that make a rooflight acceptable on a historic roof are that it sits within the plane of the covering, has a slim dark frame and a central vertical bar, and is modest in size. Officers usually assess the section drawing rather than the brochure.
Choose the elevation carefully. Rear and secondary slopes, and service ranges, are far more likely to gain consent than a principal elevation facing the street. Aligning units with the window rhythm below helps.
Work with the existing structure. Sizing a rooflight to fit between existing rafters avoids cutting and trimming structural timber, which is both a conservation gain and usually a cheaper job. Suppliers offering bespoke sizes make this straightforward.
Detail the flashings for the covering. Slate, plain tile, pantile and stone slate each need different upstands and side flashings, and most rooflight leaks are flashing failures rather than unit failures. Lead detailing at the head and sides should be specified, not left to the roofer on the day.
Check whether original cast iron rooflights survive. Where they do, repair and reglazing is normally preferred to replacement, and consent for removal may well be refused.
Questions to ask
What makes a rooflight a conservation rooflight?
Sitting flush with the roof covering rather than proud of it, a slim frame in a dark finish, and a central vertical glazing bar echoing nineteenth-century cast iron patterns. Size and proportion matter as much as the product specification.
Will I get consent for rooflights on a listed building?
Frequently, on secondary and rear slopes and in service ranges, where the units are flush, small and few. Principal elevations are much harder. Discuss the position and size with the conservation officer before ordering.
Can I put a rooflight in without cutting rafters?
Often yes, if the unit is sized to fit between existing rafters. Several suppliers make bespoke widths for exactly this reason, and avoiding structural alteration both protects the roof and simplifies the consent application.
All 5 businesses listed under Rooflights
- Clement Windows Group Surrey
- Keylite
- Richmond Oak Glazed Extensions Ltd East Sussex
- The Rooflight Co. Gloucestershire
- Velux Group Fife
Directory information is provided to help visitors identify potentially relevant specialists and suppliers. Inclusion does not constitute a recommendation, approval or guarantee by Tuscan Foundry Products. Please check current services, credentials, availability and suitability directly with each business.