When it comes to home retractable skylights, there are many options. Whatever design you decide to install, a retractable skylight can offer you more light, increased ventilation, and an increase in the value of your home. The ‘wow factor’ that a skylight offers is sure to bring enjoyment to you and to anyone else who spends time in your home. 

The great thing about a retractable skylight is that it can allow you to access sunlight and fresh air without a barrier. Within minutes, you can feel the great outdoors from the comfort of your home. Especially if you spend a lot of time at home, as we all do these days, having easy access to fresh air and sunlight will help you to feel happier and more relaxed. 

Consider Your Goals

Once you’ve decided to invest in a home retractable skylight, the first step is to determine what you are trying to achieve. There are numerous design and implementation options available. An architect, contractor, or custom retractable skylight company will be better able to help you with your plan if they know your goals.

Some of the reasons homeowners choose to install a retractable skylight:

• Gain more usable living space by enclosing an atrium
• Invite more light and fresh air into existing living spaces
• Add an innovative, low-profile means of accessing a roof deck
• Create that “wow” factor through a unique design
• Cover a pool area for all-weather use
• Add resale value to your property
• Even create a home-based observatory!

Understanding Your Options

As we mentioned, there are many styles of retractable skylights. Maybe you’ve seen what a friend or neighbor has installed, or noticed an example in an architectural magazine. A professional can assist you in understanding the options that would make sense for your home, as well as the relative costs. If you prefer to get familiar on your own first, here are a few tips for understanding what’s possible:

1. The opening and closing mechanism should not work against gravity. It’s ok for the skylight to be installed on a sloped roof, but the direction of the tracks and the retracting motion would have to be side-to-side.
2. Every piece of glass should have some amount of pitch to allow precipitation to drain.
3. The more glass involved in the design, the more expensive the retractable skylight will be.
4. Curved glass (like in a barrel vault design) will add cost.
5. Depending on the design and size, you may need more than one motor to operate the opening and closing. If managing costs is important, you will want to discuss this during the design phase.
6. The glass area can be larger than the part that opens. For example, when one part of the skylight retracts over the top of a fixed glass section, this is called an “operable over stationary” design.
7. Some design approaches may have never occurred to you. Be sure to get ideas from an experienced retractable sliding skylight designer.

Here are just a few examples of what is possible.