San Francisco – Skylights

When the skylight is completed, most San Francisco skylight installers will give you a written invoice that details the completed work. This invoice usually includes:

• The San Francisco skylight company’s name and physical address
• An itemized list of the skylights and skylight installation materials purchased
• The total cost for skylight services, including the amount due for labor
• Any applicable warrantees provided by the skylight manufacturer and the company

It is wise to compare the completed work with what was written on the invoice. Ask your company representative to walk through the job site and show you the skylight work. Check what was done against the invoice. During the walk-through, ask if there are any special instructions for maintaining your new skylight. If you have any questions about the work that was done or the materials used, now is the time to ask.

Good skylight installers will offer some type of warranty on their work or on the materials that they used. All warranty details should be provided in writing during the contract stage or at the completion of the job. This written warranty information should include:

• The skylight company’s name and physical address.
• What skylight products and skylight services are covered. This should also include whether the skylight contractor will replace or repair your new skylight in the event of a product failure.
• Your responsibility if you place a warranty claim (i.e., if you have to pay for labor or materials, or if you are required to pay a prorated amount).
• Limitations and exclusions on the skylight, materials and workmanship.
• If the skylight warranties are transferrable to the new owner if you sell your home.

Skylight companies in San Francisco, including the major neighborhoods of Nob Hill, North Beach, and Bayview District, provide many types of service. However, some services are more common than others. The following are the most familiar requests for local skylight companies.

Acrylic Skylights
Acrylic skylights are covered and protected by a glazing material with outstanding optical clarity. This material helps with weathering, has good chemical resistance and insulating ability.

High Impact Acrylic Skylights
This type of skylight uses a glazing material that has an impact modifier. This is blended with the acrylic resin which meets specific impact requirements.

Motorized Skylights
Motorized skylights are the great answer for ventilating those difficult to reach spots in your roof area and attic. Besides admitting natural light and controlling the temperature levels, these skylights allow the window to fully open for ventilation, and use only a remote control.

Repair Leaking Skylights
Skylight leaks may occur in an aging or improperly sealed skylight. Signs of leaks include skylight condensation, nearby water puddling or ceiling stains. You will need to call your San Francisco skylight company if your skylights are still under warranty. You can also call local contractors to ask about skylight leak repair services.

Blinds for Skylights
Skylights provide added lighting and sometimes unwanted heat loss or gain and UV exposure. Skylight blinds will lower your energy bill and help insulate the house. They also protect against UV damage. There is a large selection of blinds made explicitly for skylights.

Skylight Accessories
Many accessories can be included with your skylight. You can select wood frames and sash, aluminum cladding, and insect screens. Manual and motorized telescopic rods help with manual blinds. Talk to your representative about other accessories that can be included.

Motorized Skylight Shades
With this shade, you can switch between natural room light and unparalleled glare and heat reduction. With the push of a button, the shade smoothly glides into place and blocks 99% of the sun's UV rays.

Custom Skylights
Custom skylights can be built of any size to accommodate your unique room or situation.

Vented Skylights
A vented skylight is the most efficient choice unless allergies are a problem or the air conditioner must be run continually. This is a window that will mount in the ceiling. Knowing hot air rises, the vented skylight will exhaust the hot air and create a breeze in the home.

Replacement Skylights
Skylights come in standard sizes. When a skylight needs replaced due to age or other problems, a new skylight can fit right into the current hole in the roof.

Top 10 Skylight Brand Requests

• Sundome Daylight Technologies
• Naturalite Skylights
• ODL Skylights
• Solar Innovations Skylights
• Inter-Sky Skylights
• Wasco Skylights
• Sinsula-dome Skylights
• Solatube
• Anderson Skylights

acrylic skylights
Acrylic skylights are covered and protected by a glazing material with outstanding optical clarity. This material helps with weathering, has good chemical resistance and insulating ability.

bent glass skylights
Glass that is curved by heating to above the glass’s softening point.  The glass is then bent by either gravity or press molds.

Also known as: curved glass

bite
In the glazing channel, this is the depth of the glass engagement.

Also known as: purchase, edge engagement

blinds for skylights
Skylights provide added lighting and sometimes unwanted heat loss or gain and UV exposure. Skylight blinds will lower your energy bill and help insulate the house. These blinds can block or even blackout unwanted light. They also protect against UV damage. There is a large selection of blinds made explicitly for skylights.

Also known as: Solar blinds, custom blinds, blinds for skylights, skylight shades blinds, motorized skylight blinds, skylight window blinds, blackout skylight blinds

cap flashing
This protects  and waterproofs the skylight  by overlapping the top edges at curb.
Also known as: counter flashing

cladding
This exterior covering is applied to a frame or a structure for protective purposes.

Also known as: exterior cladding, wooden cladding, aluminum cladding, granite cladding, skylight cladding

condensation gutter
A trough that carries off condensed water. This water may be drained to the outside or just evaporate.

Also known as: condensation channels

cross rafter
This structural framing part is used in a skylight system between rafters. It sits generally near horizontal.

Also known as: purlin

curb flashing
This is used for waterproofing at a curb or base.

Also known as: base flashing

curb mount skylights
A skylight frame design that allows the installing and anchoring of a skylight to a wood curb that will be a permanent part of the roof structure. This type is used for a low sloped roof.

custom skylights
Custom skylights can be built of any size to accommodate your unique room or situation.

double glazed
Two panes of glazing divided by air space.

Also known as: double glazed window, double glazed glass, double glazing panels

fiberglass reinforced polyesters (FRP)
Composite material that is made  of a plastic matrix comprised of reinforcing glass fibers to increase the strength or the  stiffness.

flashing
Corrosion resistant material that is used to control, redirect, or prevent water from entering a structure.

Also known as: roof flashing

haze factor
This factor tells the percentage of light through a glazing material that does not get diffused. Codes require that skylights have a minimum of a 90% haze factor.

heat-strengthened glass skylights
Glass that is heated  in a controlled environment to provide a degree of surface compression. This glass is commonly considered to have two times the strength of annealed glass.

Also known as: tempered glass, safety glass

high impact acrylic skylights
This type of skylight uses a glazing material that has an impact modifier. This is blended with the acrylic resin which meets specific impact requirements.

insulating glass unit
This factory made double glazing has the periphery of air space sealed to minimize infiltration of any water vapor.

laminated glass
Two or more glass plies that are bonded together with resilient plastic interlayers, usually polyvinyl butyral (PVB).

Also known as: laminated tempered glass, laminated glass windows, laminated tempered glass"

leaking skylights
Leaks may occur in aging or improperly sealed skylights. Signs of leaking skylights are skylight condensation, nearby water puddling or ceiling stains. You will need to call the skylight company if it is still under warranty. You can also call roofing contractors to ask about skylight leak repair services.

lite
This is a single glazing pane. The use of the term “lite” is chosen to avoid confusion. It is most often referred to as “pane.”

Also known as: pane, light

low emittance (low E) coating
This skylight coating has the reduced ability to radiate heat energy. If it faces an air space, this coating reduces the heat transfer across this space.

Also known as: low e glass, low e insulation, low e window coating, low e glass coatings, low e windows, low emissivity coating, e glass, lo e windows

motorized skylights
Motorized skylights are the great answer for ventilating those difficult to reach spots in your roof area and attic. Besides admitting natural light and controlling the temperature levels, these skylights allow the window to fully open for ventilation, and use only a remote control.

motorized skylight shades
You can switch between natural room light and unparalleled glare and heat reduction with this shade. With the push of a button, the shade smoothly glides into place and blocks 99% of the sun’s UV rays.

muntin
A strip of wood or of metal that separates and holds panes of glass in skylights.
Also known as: sklight muntins, skylight window bars, muntin bar, skylight mullions

replacement skylights
Skylights come in standard sizes. When a skylight needs replaced due to age or other problems, a new skylight can fit right into the current hole in the roof.

skylight accessories
Many accessories can be included with your skylight. You can select wood frames and sash, aluminum cladding, and insect screens. Manual and motorized telescopic rods help with manual blinds. Talk to your representative about other accessories that can be included.

self-flashing
A base for a skylight that will mount directly to the roof and it doesn’t require a curb.

skylights
A glazing and framing assembly made up of sloped and vertical surfaces.  This is generally implanted into the roof of a structure to admit daylight.

Also known as: tubular skylights, dome skylights, skylight tube, custom skylights, round skylight, roof skylight, solar tube skylight, sky tunnel skylight, new skylights, acrylic skylights, home skylights, vented skylights, skylight dome, skylight window, venting skylights, motorized skylights

snow load
The accumulation of snow on roof, or skylight. This is generally a long term load.
Also known as: skylight snowload, sky light snow loads, snow load for skylights, snow load of skylights

U-factor
The measure of how well a product stops heat from being transmitted. The better the product’s insulating value, the lower the U-factor will be.

Also known as: window u factor, u factor windows, window u factor ratings, solar heat gain coefficient, energy efficient windows

vented skylights
A vented skylight is the most efficient choice unless allergies are a problem or the air conditioner must be run continually. This is a window that will mount in the ceiling. Knowing hot air rises, the vented skylight will exhaust the hot air and create a breeze in the home.

Also known as: venting skylights, skylight vent, opening skylights, vented skylight, operable skylights, electric skylights

Q: Why choose a Diamond Certified skylight company?…

Q: Why choose a Diamond Certified skylight company?
A: Diamond Certified helps you choose a skylight with confidence by offering a list of top-rated local companies who have passed the country’s most in-depth rating process. Only skylight companies rated Highest in Quality earn the prestigious Diamond Certified award. Most companies can’t pass the ratings. American Ratings Corporation also monitors every Diamond Certified company with ongoing research and ratings. And your purchase is backed by the Diamond Certified Performance Guarantee. So you’ll feel confident choosing a Diamond Certified skylight company.

Q: How do I decide the perfect size skylight to use for my room?
A: Remember that bigger is not always better! The following guideline will help you in to decide the best unit for your particular installation.
10 Inch Unit – 150 sq. feet or less.
Bathroom, Pantries, Laundry Room, Hallway, Walk-in Closet
13/14 Inch Skylight- 150 -250 sq. feet.
Kitchen, Foyer, Garage,  Living Room, Family Room

18 Inch Skylight- 300 – 500 sq. feet.
Room with a vaulted ceiling, Great Room, Garage, Family Room, Living Room

21 Inch skylight- 500 – 700 sq. feet
Only for Commercial Flat Roof Application

Q: Is it important where you place the skylight on the roof?
A: The best location is normally on the southwest facing side of the home. You must  take into consideration a chimneys or adjoining roof structures or even trees – things that can put a shadow over the dome will to effect how much light goes in. They also can work well on the north side of the house.  Always remember that the best light output is gained by exposing the skylight to direct sunlight.

Q: How long can sunlight tubes be?
A: The ideal length of tube is approximately 6 feet. Lengths over 15 feet are routinely installed with very good results. The unit to the next size for runs that are longer than 14 feet.

Q: What is the difference between acrylic plastic and Plexiglas?
A:There is no difference. Plexiglas is a brand name for acrylic plastic.  Lucite is another popular brand name.

Q: What is the difference between tempered glass and laminated glass?
A: Tempered glass is glass strengthened by heat like the glass used in shower doors and patio doors. It is a very strong glass, but, when it breaks, it will explode into hundreds of tiny pieces. Tempered glass is also usually used in the side windows of your car.

Laminated glass is glass that has a plastic interlayer.  This layer is designed to hold in place when it breaks. Another type of laminated glass is the front windshield of cars. Another advantage of using laminated glass is that is a very effective block against ultraviolet light.  UV light is the leading root of fading.

Q: Explain "Low-E" glass.
A: Many skylights these days are made of Low-E (which stands for low emissivity) glass. Low-E glass was first designed for energy efficiency, but now it has the added benefit of blocking heat gain and also heat loss through a skylight. It  can provide a comfortable light and it does not darken the skylight, like tinted glass does. Both tempered glass and laminated glass can include a Low-E feature. Greater benefits are gained through Low-E2, which is a denser version with a slightly darker look.

Q: Can a skylight be removed from the roof later?
A: Yes, it can. If a skylight is correctly installed, it can be removed it is curb-mounted.

Q: Why would you choose tubular skylights?
A: Tubular skylights are a less expensive choice if you are seeking to highlight an area with natural light. These skylights install quickly and are economical because they don’t  require the construction of a shaft from the roof to the ceiling below it. They do lack the drama of traditional skylights, but are an excellent choice for  adding natural light to a small area such as a closet,  hallway, or a small bathroom.

Q: Can skylights function as light fixtures at nighttime?
A: Yes, they can. You can buy a kit that turns your skylight into an artificial light fixture.