A retractable skylight or sliding roof access system can offer an elegant, hassle-free way to open a home or business to the outdoors. As with many pieces of equipment, what may seem simple in fact requires thoughtful design and engineering in order to work reliably over time. Robust engineering is essential to allow seamless operation and reliable performance over many years of enjoyment. 

Challenges Facing Retractable Skylights and Sliding Roof

Upon first sight, it may seem like a retractable sliding roof or skylight is no more complicated than an everyday garage door. This could not be further from the truth. While both pieces of machinery offer remote operation, a retractable skylight faces additional challenges: 

• The entire system is constantly exposed to the elements (whereas automatic garage door tracks and mechanisms are largely protected from the weather)
• It not only must retract reliably, it must prevent precipitation or runoff from sneaking underneath and into the living and working spaces below

As you can imagine, failing to operate when engaged or failing to keep the weather out are serious problems for a retractable skylight — “show-stoppers,” you might say. Succeeding even most of the time would result in considerable frustration for property owners. These devices need to function properly 100% of the time, even in the harshest conditions.

And they need to keep performing 100% of the time even as they age.

Exposure to harsh weather conditions can affect mechanical components and hinder operation. For example, ocean air can corrode parts and exposure to years of sun and precipitation can impact smooth operation. Ensure your retractable sliding roof or skylight system is designed and constructed with these factors in mind. Otherwise, it will not be capable of reliable operation or, at the very least, will require frequent maintenance. 

At Rollamatic Roofs, we utilize years of design and engineering experience to ensure smooth operation and long-lasting life of your skylight. 

Importance of Robust Engineering

Robust retractable skylight engineering involves understanding what could get in the way of consistent operation. It also requires customizing the design to the given use case and exposure to the elements. For over 60 years, we have been designing and engineering each retractable sliding roof or skylight to the specific requirements of the property. We know from experience and testing that components designed for other uses, like garage doors and bicycle drivetrains, will not operate reliably over the long term. 

To ensure trouble-free operation, our designs rely upon on-board mounted, direct-drive motors. This approach eliminates the need for chains, pulleys and other moving parts that could seize up or otherwise hinder performance. Our designs include curb-mounted wheels that run along sturdy wheel tracks and are driven directly by on-board motors to ensure smooth-as-silk operation. We also incorporate galvanized and stainless steel components into each design. This ensures a long life, even in the face of harsh conditions.

Quality Guarantee

Our experience over 60 years and thousands of systems allows us to confidently offer a 5 year warranty on each unit. Customers dating back to the early 1960s still enjoy trouble-free use of their Rollamatic devices.

Contact Us

Contact us today for more information or to set up a consultation. We look forward to hearing from you.