House extension with a glass roof

Many home owners require extensive glazing to their house extensions and building an extension with an element of glazing is not uncommon. There are many ways to build a house extension with a glass roof and much will depend upon how the roof has been formed (flat or pitched).

Few house extensions have a fully glazed roof as this would be impractical and may not comply with Building Regulations. Most house extensions have a section of the roof dedicated to glass such as between 20 and 60%. This allows for enhanced thermal improvement of the remaining normal roof to cater for the less thermally efficient glass.

A flat roof extension may have a central roof light well for a flush glazed contemporary roof light while other designs may incorporate a more traditional framed glazed lantern roof light or orangry design. A pitched roof house extension could incorporate preformed velux roof lights for easy installation of glazing within the roof. Other pitched roofs of house extensions may have patent glazing systems for the top third of the ridge line for example.

House extensions incorporating glass roofs can be visually attractive as well as providing high levels of light within the internal living space. However, high levels of glazing within the roof can lead to overheating in the summer, bleaching of furniture and excessive cooling in the winter requiring high levels of energy use to compensate.

Glass technology has evolved now to overcome or reduce many of the se problems but never fully cure but it does come at an increased cost. Always think about the best location for roof glazing within your house extension. A room facing south may not be the best position for roof glazing if it does not receive some shading from trees for example.

Placing the roof glazing towards the central core of an extended property can be a good location for the house extension roof glazing as many extensions can make the existing living spaces seem darker as the new windows are placed further down the room.