The Roof has a Window

One of the biggest negatives approximately our kitchen (I say that word very loosely – we currently have no cabinets, floors, or whatever that resembles a kitchen – but you get what I imply…) is that it doesn’t have any home windows to the out of doors, way to a conservatory/lean-to stuck at the facet. Our new french door is the handiest factor that brings light into this room – and it’s a reasonably small french door at that. The eating room additionally suffers from the equal problems and the window on this room looks into the conservatory too. It approach the entire lower back of the house is simply very dark. We don’t have the distance to add any more windows – and we didn’t have the cash to amplify the hole for our new french door both. The kitchen is virtually an extension to the house (albeit a completely very very vintage one – we’re still talking Victorian here) and is single storey, because of this in contrast to the dining room which has rooms above, the kitchen has a roof at once above. It turned into the proper opportunity for us to add a roof window for a few an awful lot wished more light.

And it truely is the best opportunity! The sun remains at the side of the house for most of the day, that’s the correct dealing with for a window at the roof. Until we took out a totally small home improvement loan, an set up like this, was all but a dream. Now with some stacks of cash within the financial institution, it’s a reality we will afford! Albeit, with a few money saving hacks alongside the manner. Here’s a quick view of the kitchen prior to having a roof window installed. You’ll be aware our ceiling is flat, so we’ll be developing a tunnel-like beginning, instead of an ordinary window on a sloped ceiling, that you see in most photographs of roof windows from attic rooms or new-construct extensions. Click here Roof Lanterns in Swansea

Earlier than and after roof window
kitchen upkeep earlier than roof window
Dimension Issues
When it comes to installing a roof window, they need to be sat both above or beneath the roof purlin. These can’t be reduce as they’re structural to the integrity of the roof. The hassle for us turned into that due to the fact our roof is so small, each the scale above and underneath the purlin weren’t big enough to suit a preferred peak window. In fact, the scale become so small it referred to as into question whether or not we ought to have a window in any respect! Our preliminary plan to shop for secondhand from eBay (critically – if you could, cross secondhand!) become additionally absolutely blown out the window as this non-popular size turned into absolute impossibility to locate.

We should only have the funds for to have one roof window outfitted, so we virtually desired it to be a large one. With the peak of a new window already constrained, we knew we needed the window to be notable wide rather. Problem become, finding one that would match. I had numerous roofers who told me I couldn’t have one, or that I needed muuuuch smaller home windows and that those would be useless. Then I additionally had roofers who didn’t even check the development of the roof and advised me I may want to have anything window I appreciated. I virtually wasn’t prepared to take risks with roofers who hadn’t actually checked out the task and my very own research had informed me that the purlin become a totally important aspect to take into account with roof home windows and via absolute no manner need to they EVER be cut.

The Window
I did subsequently discover a window that might in shape the distance – despite several roofers telling me I wouldn’t be capable of. Seriously – who stated tradespeople understand fine?! It became genuinely the handiest window I discovered that became appropriate, so our alternatives were quite narrow/non-existent to mention the very least. The window isn’t a popular size so I trust they need to be ordered to be made – I couldn’t locate any suppliers that stored inventory of them anyway.

The size we’ve gone for is 1140mm(W)x700mm(H) which is almost 20cm smaller in peak than wellknown roof windows. It’s actually no longer as big as I had hoped, but I became at the least very satisfied to virtually find one that might match. Plus, it’s width is still wider than maximum of the standard sized windows! It wasn’t the most inexpensive window at a touch beneath £300 however it’s far a Velux and I had desperately desired a pine completed one too! I ordered the window from Sterlingbuild.Co.Uk the usage of a fee-in shape assure which meant I additionally controlled to bag myself a present voucher for John Lewis as properly, which I become greatly thrilled approximately. Thanks, Sterling Build!

Why We’re Not DIYing
We uuuhmmed and aahhed approximately doing the paintings ourselves, in fact I become nearly certain we have to supply it a go – but at the identical time we genuinely didn’t need the possibility of a leaky roof that might cause endless damage and be a nightmare to position proper. Roofing isn’t always something we’ve ever carried out earlier than (aside from the conservatory roof which became tooooottally exclusive) and this possibly wasn’t the quality area to start. Although that being stated – there’s plenty of DIYs we’ve in no way tackled before and they’ve ended just satisfactory.
It in reality doesn’t appear to be a totally complicated task, however we’ve played it secure by way of getting a roof repairer in besides. The cost of this become £250, which excludes all the internal starting work which we will be doing ourselves. £250 is definitely numerous money for some thing that wishes so few substances – however there you go…. That’s the glorious earnings margins of a trades-man or woman for ya!

Fitting the Window
For a roof artisan, this job is so very very smooth. It took our roofers probably less than an hour to whip out a few tiles, cut a few timber to size and whack the window in. I changed into pretty damn inspired to say the very least. I joked that I was hoping it changed into water-tight and he responded “Of direction it’s miles – I’ve by no means outfitted a window that leaked in my life” … He wasn’t half wrong, we’ve no issues with it in anyway.