subject: Choosing A Skylight Material: Acrylic Or Glass? [print this page] These days everyone is looking for a way to cut back energy costs. Cutting back your use of artificial light is one way to do this. Skylights not only add lots of beautiful natural light into homes, they also help homes become much more energy efficient. There is a plethora of different skylight designs you can choose from. But when it comes to the pane materials, there are only two basic choices: glass or acrylic. Both materials have their advantages and disadvantages. To help you decide we compared some keep points about both materials below.
Light is dispersed in different ways with each of these materials, so you can choose the one for you by considering how much light you want to come through. Glass lets less light in and the light that comes through is more direct and one-directional. Acrylic has the ability to capture light at many angles so it lets more light in and spreads it around. If you want the most natural light you can get than an acrylic pane might be the right choice for you. To help eliminate glare you can also purchase acrylic skylights with a white tint or bronze cover.
Glass has many different advantages over acrylic. Glass is more of a sound blocker so you'll get less outside noise. It is also will not discolor over time like acrylic skylights will. On the other hand, acrylic skylights will not easily shatter like glass and they tend to be easier to clean. If you live in a region of the nation where there are extremely temperatures acrylic once again is probably the better option. It transfers energy less than glass. It is also a good idea to invest in a double or triple acrylic skylight in this case as well.
And the winner of the beauty pageant is . . . Well, you guessed it. It's glass. Glass has a clear and clean look. Acrylic is easily recognizable and known for its filmy look. If you want more decorative skylights than glass is also the better option. It can be fitted and transformed into any design you like. Glass is also available in a variety of colors.
Both materials work well so it is more a matter of what you want for your home. Depending on how you want your skylight to function and depending on the region you live in one or the other might be a better choice for your needs.
