Our roof lanterns are incredibly low-maintenance and require very little upkeep. The coating used for our roof lantern glass provides a fantastic non-stick surface. As a result, there’s virtually no build-up of damp, moisture, mildew or grime. Your window surface remains remarkably clean for months at a time. and could be described as self-cleaning glass.
However, once your roof lantern has been installed, it’s important you still look after it to ensure it’s giving the most value to your home.
Many windows get so dirty that the natural light they’re supposed to give your home never gets in. While the roof lantern looks great, it also serves a purpose – bathing your home in natural light. So, you need to make sure that it’s able to do so. We simply recommend that they are washed down twice a year to keep them looking clean and fresh.
A roof lantern is a beautiful structure, and all windows need cleaning after some time, even with our low maintenance coating. The best way to clean the glass is simply to use a non-abrasive sponge with some warm soapy water or a reputable glass cleaning product and then a soft micro-fibre cloth or something similar. It’s important to take great care when you’re up on the roof, make sure to watch your footing, and don’t do it alone, if possible. Or even better hire a professional window cleaner who specialises in cleaning roof lanterns.
In the unlikely event that any damage should happen to your roof lantern, then don’t worry, all our roof lanterns come with a warranty for parts and a warranty for labour. So, if anything does get damaged, or needs touching up at all, then our team of dedicated installers will be around to sort it out for you.
A well-maintained roof lantern should have people staring in awe when they come over. If you’re not careful, though, it can look unkempt and messy, and not have the impact that it should be having.
Roof lanterns are subject to the elements – they face rainwater, bird droppings and vehicle pollution every day. So it is important that once they are installed that we take care of them.
At Prestige Roof Lanterns we know everything there is to know about roof lanterns and what it takes to keep them in good condition. That’s why we’ve created this maintenance guide for you.
A large part of caring for your roof lantern is ensuring that the glass is in the best condition possible. With roof lanterns, damage can occasionally occur to the glass from fallen branches in windy weather conditions. You should check that the glass has not chipped or cracked by inspecting the appearance of the pane. This should be done if you think that there could be a leak from the window as once a small chip has occurred this can affect the structural integrity of the glass pane.
If your roof lantern becomes dirty or dusty then simply rinse the glass with water or a mild window cleaner. Don’t use harsh chemicals on the glass.
It is important not to tamper with the glass too often as this can damage the coating with which the glass is coated. If you do need to clean the area of the glass to remove a stain such as bird droppings then it is important not to use any glass treatment products which contain silicones or abrasive particles. You should not use any commercial products which are intended for cleaning elements other than glass.
Make sure that you have a specialist roof ladder to access the light in a safe way. If you are scared of heights or if being high up makes you dizzy then we recommend calling a professional cleaner who will know exactly what to do.
Once you are up the ladder and near the roof lantern then it is vital that you don’t stand or lean on the fixture as even though the designs are sturdy they are not meant to be stood on. Moss and dirt can build up around the edges of the roof lantern, to remove this put on some garden gloves and pick away the loose growths and dispose of them accordingly.
After this, you can wash the exterior framing with soapy water and a sponge but make sure that you don’t apply too much soap as this may spill onto the glass and tamper with the self-cleaning properties.
Now that you have all the knowledge that you need you can go ahead and clean your sky lantern with ease. Be careful when climbing any ladders during the process and if you are unsure at any point during the cleaning process then consult professional help.
Cobwebs and loose dirt can often build up in the interior spaces of our homes and it can reduce the aesthetic impact that a roof lantern can have. To clean the interior of your roof lantern move any furniture that sits under the light and grab a sturdy step ladder. Place the ladder under the skylight and ensure that it is in a secure position. If you feel like you may need someone there to hold the ladder then consult help before starting. Using a duster reach into the corners of the sky lantern and dust away any cobwebs.
Once you have done this you can clean the interior glass with any glass cleaning product and a soft cloth. Make sure that you don’t use harsh chemicals as this could damage the pane of glass and leave streaks on the window. You should aim to do an interior clean every 2-3 months.
To preserve the non-fragility classification and service life guarantee, in most instances a roof lantern will require replacement after several years. Small areas that look like slightly cloudy patches or as a ‘bloom’ where the structure of the lantern has been compromised do not generally require any remediation. Any more serious areas of damage where the roof light appears to be white or crystalline in appearance, or where the surface film is damaged normally require replacement.
Suitable repair systems that might be available or offered on the market do not carry any guarantees of value and their application may cause further detriment to the product. So it is best to contact Prestige Roof lanterns for repairs.
Roof lanterns should ideally be inspected on delivery and should not be installed wherever any damage exists.
This is not always obvious, as cooling due to rainfall can cause condensation. If a roof light is leaking, it will generally correlate regularly with certain weather conditions, even if not immediately obvious. Condensation is more likely to occur during colder weather and damper conditions irrespective of rainfall. The appearance of green algae in a roof light assembly is more likely to indicate a leak from the outside.
There are several factors that can cause condensation, and low levels that occur at the coldest times of the year are sometimes unavoidable. Condensation can be due to the internal humidity levels, the use and activity of the building, a lack of ventilation, poorly insulated building elements, cold bridging in the construction of high-temperature differences between inside and out.
In situations where there is a risk of condensation, roof lights that are better insulated than the minimum regulation requirements will reduce the risk and amount of condensation likely to occur. We offer a comprehensive range of roof lantern thermal performance options.
Painting or coatings may be applied, but the effectiveness of these solutions may be very short term with little or no guarantee and could result in insufficient daylight at other times of the year when it is required. So, it is not recommended. The only effective way of reducing heat transfer through roof lights is by reducing the light passing through the roof light.
Any coating applied may not adhere adequately to the surface, or may require the surface of the roof light to be damaged as part of the preparation process and therefore invalidate both the manufacturer’s service life guarantee and degrade the non-fragile performance.
This kind of information should be contained in the building records or building maintenance manual. Our roof lanterns are printed along their edge with identification marks, relating to the manufacture and specification of the product.
Because we use a powder-coated aluminium capping system on the outside of our lanterns, there is very little timber exposed to the elements. Timbers will periodically require sanding (only a light sanding to key the topcoat to allow new paint to stick) and repainting, but for many applications, this will be required as infrequently as once every five years. Bear in mind that it is not possible to maintain UPVC or Aluminium lanterns in this way, with replacement often being the only option if the finish fades or is damaged. When properly maintained our roof lanterns should last several decades.
Call Prestige Roof Lanterns to discuss your conservatory roof options. If you have any questions about roof lantern maintenance then please contact us for our maintenance guidelines and guarantees.
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