subject: Tips For Selecting Skylights In Florida [print this page] Skylights are a welcome addition in almost any home in the US. But, when we talk about skylights in Florida, there are some points to consider. You see, in Florida, skylights have a difficult job to do: they must allow for natural daylighting minus the heat. That is, the sun's light must penetrate but the skylight must somehow keep the heat outside. Skylights must also block the humid air from seeping in. In the same way, warmth should not leak out of the house in winter even though plenty of natural light is let in. Most important of all, skylights in Florida must be completely hurricane resistant so it can withstand the forces of natural terrors like Hurricane Andrew.
In Florida, the warm season is long and skylights can lead to excess solar heat gain. Sp glass skylights in Florida may look good and provide a lot of light, but they are also the source of energy loss.
Energy efficiency and impact resistance are a must in skylights for the Florida home.
To help customers identify energy efficient skylights, the National Fenestration Rating Council (NFRC) gives performance labels to windows and skylights. To arrive at this rating, the glass, window or door is tested by a third party and measurements are taken to denote how well the glass is able to retain warmth and coolness, resist condensation and withstand natural forces. Customers are also able to get additional information like description of the product, name of manufacturer etc. The greatest advantage of such a label is that it allows customers to compare different kinds of skylights and pick up one that is most suitable.
Helpful information to look for in the NFRC label:
U-factor: Skylights in Florida must preferably have U-factor below 0.75 (less than 0.65 is ideal).
Solar Heat gain coefficient: In Florida, a heat gain coefficient of 0.40 or less is preferred. This is a measure of how efficient the material is in blocking the heat of the sun's rays. Greater percentages mean that more amounts of sunlight pass through the skylight.
Visible Transmittance: Higher values of Visible Transmittance simply mean that more amount of light passes through. In sunshine Florida, skylights need to control the amount of light coming in. Glass skylights with high VT but low heat gain coefficient are ideal as this allows light permeation without heat gain. Tinted coatings are recommended to help regulate the amount of light.
Condensation Resistance: A high condensation resistance rating means that the product is superior in preventing the formation of condensation.
Skylights in homes in Florida must have the ENERGY STAR label for the southern climate. They must also be shaded well to prevent excessive heat gain. Shafts that hold the skylights must also stick to the Florida Building Code.
Plastic skylights must be used sparingly in a place like Florida because the heat and the sun's rays will soon discolor the plastic.
Since the weather is hot and sunny most of the time, homeowners should ideally choose small skylights for their Florida home. For lasting performance, skylights must be installed properly and maintained regularly.
