Sky light window or not?

Four Phucs Ache · 02-05-2018 06:35PM #1

Just about to engage a professional for drawings on a rear extension we think we are happy with having planned it in our heads.

It will be a 36 sqm flat roof box to the rear of a bungalow. If suggestions by the arch to change the layout we have we will go down that road but she wants what's in her head for now.

House is south facing so sun all day.

But , will a sky light be a good idea because the ceiling will be quite large and white??

We decided on two 2m x 1.5m windows facing south and a 3m lift and slide door facing west.

Or is that too much glass if we get a skylight.

I presume a designed RSJ will be required for sky light as a standard one will be needed anyway to span the 6m roof length for the joists.

So , large skylight and/or reduce/ divide fixed window options?

East side 6m will be plain wall facing high block boundary wall 3m away.

Thanks.

goz83 · 05-05-2018 11:01PM

I just finished a kitchen extension. Its 25sqm internal and south facing. I have two large windows of approx 1000 x 1600 and french doors are approx 2000 x 1800. There is also a door to the side of the extension with the top section being glass. It’s lovely and bright. I went with three 1000 x 2000 roof-lights. Delighted with them. No RSJ needed in our case. The build is on here....maybe a couple pages back if you want to take a look.

The extension itself would have been bright enough without the roof lights, but only just. Without them, the existing kitchen area would have turned into a cave. You could always have electric blinds fitted, but I doubt you would ever want to use them. Good luck with the build.

mrsWhippy · 06-05-2018 09:33PM

With a 36 sqm extension, definitely put in a roof light!

Four Phucs Ache · 06-05-2018 11:07PM

Yeah, we are leaning towards roof lights now, they don't seem that bad in price either which I figured the opposite !

Thanks for the replies.

goz83 · 07-05-2018 08:45AM

Four Phucs Ache wrote: »

Yeah, we are leaning towards roof lights now, they don't seem that bad in price either which I figured the opposite !

Thanks for the replies.

That’s good news. What are the dimensions of the planned extension?

Four Phucs Ache · 07-05-2018 07:06PM

Initially planned 7m out and 5m wide but the 6x6 layout suited better as it is going to be a large family/ TV room.

We don't plan on opening the rear wall so we will just remove the French doors.

Your skylights look great. I think we will do similar. We have a bungalow though so might not have big a tunnel as I can't go above the eaves.I think the eaves are 3.3m so should be ok.

goz83 · 07-05-2018 07:33PM

Four Phucs Ache wrote: »

Initially planned 7m out and 5m wide but the 6x6 layout suited better as it is going to be a large family/ TV room.

We don't plan on opening the rear wall so we will just remove the French doors.

Your skylights look great. I think we will do similar. We have a bungalow though so might not have big a tunnel as I can't go above the eaves.I think the eaves are 3.3m so should be ok.

I was going to recommend the same layout if your dimensions were similar, which they are. The rooflights are 1m out from the original house. This means there is plenty of clearance for any cabinets on the wall and you get decent light into the existing kitchen. The windows I chose are 1x2, so that leaves a 2m run to the windows and doors. Your will we an extra half metre so its perfect.

The internal dimensions will of course be different in the end. 36m suddenly becomes 32 when you’re done building walls and insulating them. Iirc, my original dimensions were 6 x 5.5. I’ll have to take a meausuring tape to it.

Gumbo · 07-05-2018 08:00PM

Don’t forget to allow for sufficient distance from the back wall of upstairs in order for the rear windows from any bedrooms to be still in compliance with means of escape/rescue requirements.

Otherwise, toughened and certified walkable glass is required.

Four Phucs Ache · 07-05-2018 10:46PM

Goz,

The dimensions I gave are for 36sqm after internal finish.

Wall build I want will be 100-150-100 so length and width will be roughly 6.4m external, have yet to decide on external finish but thinking of going outside the box and using a dark render, zinc cladding and cedar.

Kceire,

Its a dormer bungalow, directly above the extension will be the bathroom velux, and a ensuite bathroom velux.Both would be about 6 or 7 feet from the eaves at an angle of about 35 - 40 degrees.

goz83 · 08-05-2018 06:35PM

Four Phucs Ache wrote: »

Goz,

The dimensions I gave are for 36sqm after internal finish.

Wall build I want will be 100-150-100 so length and width will be roughly 6.4m external, have yet to decide on external finish but thinking of going outside the box and using a dark render, zinc cladding and cedar

Careful. That brings you just over the 40SQM planning exemption. If you have or plan to have a shed.....,even a tiny one, you will then need planning. My own extension, plus the shed leaves very little after. I ran pretty close to needing planning permission.

A dark render would be a lovely contrast. As my garden is only small after the extension, I decided to keep it all bright.

Four Phucs Ache · 08-05-2018 10:38PM

I checked online which varied but leaned towards internal so I checked with the council and the exemption is an internal finished floor area so at 36 Sqm I'm fine.

What I didn't know was that the existing external wall which will obviously become an internal wall is counted towards the 40sqm exemption.

My existing wall is 300mm thick so at 6m long the wall area becoming internal is 1.8sqm so I'm still only at 38sqm.

However if the arch we get has a nicer idea we will get planning.

I have 200 sqm of garden left but I won't have 2 cent to tidy it after this !

BryanF · 08-05-2018 10:49PM

goz83 wrote: »

Careful. That brings you just over the 40SQM planning exemption. If you have or plan to have a shed.....,even a tiny one, you will then need planning. My own extension, plus the shed leaves very little after. I ran pretty close to needing planning permission.

A dark render would be a lovely contrast. As my garden is only small after the extension, I decided to keep it all bright.

25m Shed is separate to 40m2 (assuming rear open space etc)

goz83 · 08-05-2018 11:03PM

Hmmm, I thought the 40sqm was the footprint of the extension. My mistake.

In my case, more than 3/4 of the original shed was demolished. I was told to not put a roof on what would be an extension of the side entrance, as that would have added to the size if the extension area and taken away from the available remaining yard space. I asked the council about the pond, as I was planning a bigger one. They were unabke to confirm if the pond technically took away from the usable space. In the end, my OH won and I made the safe choice to keep the pond smaller than I wanted

Sky light window or not?

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