Pros and Cons of Transparent Roof

Nothing can beat the essence of natural light, it makes a home look brighter and beautiful, but unfortunately, some of the designs don’t allow the natural light to flow in our house. People who want to welcome sunlight without switching on the artificial lights, transparent roofing is the solution for them. Majority of the houses have concrete roofing, but there are many other options that you can go for, like polycarbonate roofing or glass roof which will allow the natural light to come inside. Not just light it will also let you see the night sky and gaze at the shining stars, right from your home.

The transparent roofing definitely comes with a lot of advantages, but many people wonder if it is suitable for Indian climate? In European countries, sunlight is a scarcity and for them, transparent roofing is definitely the right option. But Indian climate touches both extremes, especially the summers. Along the lines, another factor that is important to consider is the kind of material that is suitable for the transparent roofing.

Here, we will talk about all the pros and cons of installing a transparent roof and also will give you some information about the price of some of the transparent roofing which will help you to decide.

Advantages of Transparent Roofs

• First and foremost, it lets the natural light flow inside the indoors which in return increases the ventilation.
• A transparent roof will decrease our dependency on artificial lights.
• It will help to regulate the temperature in the indoors and is eco-friendly as well.
• It brightens up the house and makes it look more beautiful.

The Disadvantages

• It certainly helps to increase the ventilation, but we can’t control the amount of light that will come in.
• If we don’t choose the right kind of material, then it could make our house really hot during the summers. Some states in India cross 45 degrees during summer.
• Installation must be done perfectly, if not then it will leave a whole lot of chances for the rain to pour inside our house too.
• You must clean the skylights regularly to keep it free from dust.

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Things to know before installing transparent roof

1. Once we install a transparent roof, we won’t be able to control the amount of sunlight that comes through. What you can do here is to go for a glass sheet which will have low emissivity. You can choose mirror glass which will help the sunlight to reflect, but this will be helpful only during the summers. During the winters it won’t help much because it will reflect the sunlight away and will keep the house cold.
2. Another thing that you can do is by installing some fabric shades along with the glass roof, this will let you control the amount of light from entering the house.
3. If possible, the transparent roofing should be designed in a way which will let it open, so that the ventilation will let the trapped heat go out and will help the interiors to cool down.

Types of Material available for Transparent Roofing

Glass transparent roofing

There are two kinds of transparent roofing available for glass. One is tempered and the other one is laminated glass. Tempered glass is made strong through heat-strengthening. But the flaw is if it breaks by any means, it will break down in hundreds of small pieces. The laminated one, on the other hand, has a plastic coat beneath and it doesn’t let it break down like the tempered glass. It also blocks the harmful UVA and UVB rays. Whichever you choose, make sure that it has low emissivity property. This will cost you in the price range of Rs. 450 to 800 per square feet. The price will be dependent on the type of glass skylight you choose.

The Polycarbonate Roofing

Glass roofing is the costliest to choose. But if you want to go for a cheaper version, then you can go for the polycarbonate roofing option. They are lightweight, you can install it easily and are not translucent or opaque in nature. It is environment-friendly too. You can buy them at a price range of Rs. 45 to 300 per square feet.

Acrylic Transparent Roofing

Another good choice is to install Acrylic for transparent roofing. Plexiglass roof is the item used as Acrylic roofing. People also refer to Acrylic as Lucite, Perspex, and Vitroflex, but they are the same materials. The major difference between a polycarbonate and Acrylic transparent roofing is in terms of durability and transparency. If you want something which is clearer, then you can definitely go for Acrylic roofing. But if you want something which is sturdier and impact resistant, then you should better choose Polycarbonate. You will have to pay a minimum of Rs. 35 per square feet.

Our advice would be to always get in touch with a good interior architect who can help you to decide which skylight to install. An expert can help you reach a conclusion better.