Attic windows: where it is better to place, how to choose?

The attic space in your house can be made much more aesthetically pleasing and functional by carefully considering where to put your attic windows. In addition to offering natural light and ventilation, attic windows enhance the architectural appeal of your roofline. In order to maximize these advantages, placement is essential.

When thinking about attic window placement, it’s critical to assess your roof’s orientation. Windows with a southerly orientation are the most likely to receive sunlight during the day, which makes them the best choice for maximizing natural light and warmth. In contrast, windows facing northward offer more even and balanced lighting, which is advantageous if you’re worried about glare or overheating.

The purpose of your attic space is another important consideration when placing windows. If you plan to use the attic as a living area or workspace, placing windows at eye level or higher on the walls can help create a more open and airy environment. Windows at the top of the roof or on gable ends can let light in without taking up any useful wall space, which is ideal for storage.

When choosing attic windows, take into account how their size and style will fit into your home’s overall design. Bigger windows may be more visually striking and let in more light into the attic, but they may also compromise insulation and energy efficiency. These issues can be lessened by selecting energy-efficient windows with the right insulation and seals.

Rules for placing attic windows

Installing an attic window is far more difficult than installing a double-glazed window in a finished wall opening. A large hole must be made in the roof, the frame must be fixed, and the roof must be properly sealed. It is worthwhile to make a minor error in technology because the leak will happen quickly. When it does, it’s a matter of luck and timing.

The only exception is pediment windows that are positioned similarly to regular windows. However, they are not always sufficient to illuminate the entire attic.

Thus, keep in mind these four guidelines when arranging attic windows:

1. Only the necessary minimum. Windows in the roof should be as small as possible, but without fanaticism – they should be enough for the normal lighting of the subcutaneous space.
2. Focus – on the pediment. Even the panoramic glazing of the pediment wall will not lead to a leak, and a small attic window in the roof slope can easily.
3. Windows – only by project. All windows for the attic of a private house must be reflected in the project. It is very difficult to put an imprisoned rod window in the roof slope, expensive, and sometimes it’s impossible to put. The same applies to a change in the size of the "cuckoos", their shape or slope. To do this, you need to change the configuration of the rafter system and recount the loads on it.
4. Simplify where you can. The simpler the design of the window, the less likely that its presence will lead to a leak. This means that the attic window is more reliable than a single -shoe, and even more so gable lunarna.

These guidelines are not infallible, of course. However, carefully back away from them and consider the implications at all times. Recall that a more complicated roof design reduces its dependability, so the best knot is the one that isn’t.

When it comes to home design, attic window placement has a big influence on both functionality and appearance. Strategic placement is essential whether your goal is to optimize natural light, improve ventilation, or just add charm to your attic space. Crucial elements include the purpose of the room, the slope of the roof, and the direction of the sun. When choosing windows, take energy efficiency, size, and style into account to complement the architectural design of your house. In the end, strategically positioned attic windows can turn your attic from a forgotten area to a light-filled, welcoming space that increases the comfort and value of your house.

Types of attic windows

Attic windows come in three common varieties:

• pediment;
• attic;
• auditory.

The remaining window designs for a private home’s attic are more fanciful than practical.

Steel windows

The most affordable and easily installed option for attic windows. Therefore, if there are pediments in your home, in theory, never ignore them.

Regretfully, pediment windows do not always allow for soft lighting in the attic:

1. One of the pediments of the house is usually directed to the north, northwest or northeast, that is, direct sunlight for most of the time does not illuminate it. Houses in which one pediment is directed approximately to the east, and the other, respectively, to the west, is not units, but definitely not the majority.
2. End overhangs partially overlap the path to the sun"s rays. Moreover, the more a gentle roof, the less light will penetrate the house through the pediment windows.
3. If the pedeston is bearing, the maximum possible area of ​​window openings is small.
4. The shape of the house can also interfere with the lighting of the attic through the windows on the pediment. So, if the width of the house is significantly smaller than its length, the center of the subcutaneous space will sink in the shade.

Pendragon windows have certain drawbacks, but overall they can be very functional. But to do this, you must make the most of their space.

If you glaze the pediment completely, as in the picture below, you can even forgo other attic windows with the appropriate method. This method will not only give the subcutaneous area excellent lighting, but it will also give the house a fashionable and distinctive appearance.

However, this is a very costly and drastic measure. To let in more light through pediment windows, there are considerably less drastic methods:

1. Make one large window instead of two standard small ones. This will give a win in the glazing area without significant losses in the bearing capacity of the wall.
2. Install triangular windows. This will increase the area of ​​the window and the amount of light arriving through it by 40-60%.
3. If triangular windows do not fit in style, instead of rectangular windows, put arched. They are not so effective, but will also improve illumination thanks to the upper arch.

Remember that if your roof is Danish or Dutch in style, you can also install front-line windows, albeit small ones. These windows will also assist in arranging the proper ventilation in addition to providing lighting for the attic.

Mansard windows

Mansard windows are actually a great way to light an attic. However, this is the attic’s least advantageous choice. They can cause leaks, are costly, and are challenging to install. There are only three situations where using attic windows makes sense:

1. The attic under the roof is a temporary solution, and in the future you plan to make an attic.
2. Auditory windows spoil the appearance of the house.
3. Lighting is needed in the place where the lunar cannot be made due to the features of the roof structure.

To put it plainly, most private homes do not require attic windows.

If this isn’t the case for you and you still need an attic window in your private home’s attic, follow these guidelines when selecting and making changes to it:

1. Buy only branded windows of famous brands. In the Russian market, this is Velux, Fakro and recently added to them Roto. Under no circumstances, do not put those made in small factories or home -made attic windows. Remember that the repair of the roof is much more expensive than saving on such a window.
2. Salaries should also be proprietary, the same brand as the window. This is a set, like a frame of a regular window and its sash. Separately, salaries are sold only for one reason: different roofing coatings are needed for different types of salaries. But not at all because the attic window can be sealed with improvised means.
3. Windows should put Certified masters. Moreover, certified by exactly the brand that made the windows you have chosen.

Furthermore, it’s a good idea to run the anti-icing system’s heating cable along the attic window’s contour. This will lessen the chance of leaks and guard against snow buildup around the frame.

Auditory windows

Lukarn, "cuckoo," and the auditory window are all names for the same design, which resembles a house with a window projecting from the roof. Lukarnes first appeared on the roofs of European cities and palaces in the fifteenth century, and their purpose was to ventilate and cover the attics. Furthermore, these were the exact attic windows—back then, nobody resided beneath the roof, so the idea of an attic floor didn’t exist.

Even though creating an auditory window requires complicating the roof’s rafter system, installing one will still be less expensive than installing an attic window. The lucarna will also adorn the house and add a more intricate silhouette to the roof. However, you’ll have to pay for this by having more exposed areas on the roof; in addition to the auditory window, more values will show up.

Choosing the material of the attic window

Environmental friendliness and aesthetics are not as important as dependability and durability on a residential floor, which is not the attic. Thus, it might appear that all you need to do to resolve this choice issue is install some cheap plastic windows in the attic. And this is actually the case if we are discussing pediments or lukarnas. However, when attic windows are required, everything is different.

The truth is that attic windows made of wood are far less expensive than those made of plastic. While this is helpful, there are important reasons not to.

The primary one is intense summertime heating of any roof. Rooftop temperatures in the southern states can easily reach +80 °C. At this temperature, inexpensive plastics start to "swim." Though we are referring to the windows set into the slope, their fluidity rises quite a bit. For them, maintaining the attic windows’ geometry at 100% is essential; failing to do so will inevitably result in leaks. Not to mention abrupt and continuous temperature fluctuations, which cause the plastic to deteriorate.

Therefore, low-cost polymers cannot be used for attic windows. As a result, the price war is won by a straightforward wooden frame. As a result, installing a plastic attic window in a wooden house’s attic is not the best option. Its advantages are not as clear as those of the tree, but it costs 1.5 times more (or more).

Aluminum windows in the attic make sense if the construction budget is high and one of the "eternal" roofing materials—such as copper, slate, or ceramic tiles—is utilized. They are strong because, similar to copper, aluminum quickly acquires an oxide layer that prevents corrosion. Thus, after 30 or 50 years, such windows won’t need to be replaced. Furthermore, a cold roof does not greatly affect aluminum windows’ primary drawback, which is their high thermal conductivity.

A number of considerations can assist you in choosing the best location for your attic windows. Examine the design and use of your attic area first. Windows should be arranged to take advantage of as much natural light and ventilation as possible to improve comfort and usability. While north-facing windows may offer more consistent light without creating undue heat buildup, south-facing windows can offer plenty of sunlight throughout the day.

Selecting the appropriate kind of window is essential for both practicality and style. Think about what size and design go well with the architectural design of your house. Because they can blend in perfectly with the roofline, maximize daylighting, and provide expansive views, skylights are a popular choice for attics. Alternatively, dormer windows, which extend from the roof, allow for larger openings and better ventilation while also adding character and increasing headroom.

When choosing attic windows, energy efficiency should also be taken into consideration. Seek for windows with insulated frames and low-emissivity coatings to reduce summertime heat gain and stop wintertime heat loss. Over time, this not only lowers energy costs but also increases comfort. When windows are installed correctly by qualified experts, they are sealed tightly to stop drafts and water leaks, which can result in expensive damage and repairs.

In the end, the arrangement and selection of attic windows can greatly affect the overall feel and functionality of your house. Whether you place a higher value on ventilation, natural light, or aesthetic appeal, giving these things careful thought will make your attic space more comfortable and energy-efficient.

Video on the topic

Which attic windows are better – wooden or plastic? Review per minute. Velux / Fakro / Rehau

Mansard windows. review. is it worth installing them.

How to choose attic windows??? Types, dimensions price! Veluke. Velux.