The rise of
kitchen skylights

After 18 years of designing and manufacturing skylights for domestic and commercial projects, we have found kitchens and kitchen extensions are by far the most popular area of a house to install a skylight. With the kitchen/diner/living area increasingly becoming the hub of the home, it is no wonder that some of the advances made by Sunsquare in both technology and aesthetics have been born out of this demand.

A few things to consider

There are several factors to consider when planning to install a kitchen skylight. Firstly, the direction your skylight faces will determine the level of light and heat entering your home. For example, south-facing skylights will invite direct sunlight and consequent heat throughout the day, whereas skylights facing north provide consistent but cool illumination. An eastern-facing kitchen skylight is perfect for capturing the morning light and west-facing skylights provide more afternoon sun.

The size of your new kitchen skylight will be dependent on what is most suitable for your kitchen layout. For example, kitchens with unusual layouts may consider installing two smaller skylights instead of one large central one. A general guide is that your new skylight should cover around 5-10% of the floor area in a room. Interestingly, the most common reaction we’ve experienced after fitting a new skylight is our client wishing they had either gone bigger or added ventilation. Discover the most common rooflight sizes here.

Assuming you are not extending the footprint of your building, you do not usually require planning permission to install a kitchen skylight. There are some exceptions, however, as planning permission is often required for listed buildings and buildings containing one or more flats. Learn more about the ins and outs of planning permission here.

Check out our how-to guide to choosing a skylight here where we go more into depth on what to consider.

Why choose Sunsquare

Most clients are aware of the benefit of natural light in a communal area in a property, but a more recent trend adds ventilation and natural light, in combination, as the perfect solution. Combined with the very latest “Smart Switch” from Sunsquare, our products offer a large degree of flexibility. From multipane skylights for long side extensions to large skylights above a dining room table, we are finding that clients are demanding a “wow” factor as well as practicality from our skylights.

One of the benefits of our Aero range is that they offer ventilation as well as natural light. Combined with a smart switch a client can determine exactly at what point, and for what reason their skylight would open to allow ventilation and fresh air. Whether it be at a certain temperature or at certain times of the day, the smart switch offers incredible flexibility. With the switch app being able to connect to the skylight through Alexa/Siri, if the heat in the kitchen gets too much, a simple instruction to a smart speaker will allow a client to open the skylight without having to move and press a button.

Because we are designers of bespoke products, we at Sunsquare can assist in the design of the roof glazing and create exactly what the client wants as opposed to an “off the shelf” offering. Combined with the safety and quality of the product, as well as being the only BSI Kitemark accredited skylight products on the market, we can genuinely allow people to dream and we can take it from there.

If you are thinking of a kitchen skylight, please contact our team on 01285 723 377 so that we can work with you to make your kitchen a very special family room.