Glossary of Skylight Terms M – R

Manual Venting Skylight

This is a skylight with a manual opening feature, providing natural ventilation. It allows for the natural exchange of air, releasing warm air and letting fresh air in, which improves air circulation within a room.

Motorized Skylights

These are skylights with automatic controls. Not only do they let in natural light and help regulate indoor temperature, but they can also fully open for ventilation, enhancing air circulation within the room.

Muntin

A decorative and functional bar made of wood or metal that divides the glass in skylights. It helps maintain the strength and stability of the entire structure, ensuring secure fastening of the glass.

Operable Skylight

This is a structure that can be opened either manually or automatically, allowing fresh air to enter the space. This solution not only brightens the room but also ensures good ventilation, creating a comfortable indoor climate.

Passive Ventilation

A design feature of some skylights that allows air to circulate naturally within the room without mechanical assistance. This process relies on natural forces, such as differences in temperature and pressure, which cause fresh air to enter the space while polluted air exits. This type of ventilation promotes a comfortable indoor climate and reduces the need for additional energy, providing an efficient and eco-friendly way to ventilate the room.

Pitch

The slope angle of a roof’s surface relative to the horizontal plane. It is defined as the ratio of the roof’s rise to its horizontal span.

Polycarbonate

A transparent, impact-resistant thermoplastic available in the form of cast stock and sheets used in skylight production. The sheets can be bent cold to make arches or thermoformed for more complex shapes.

Polycarbonate is characterized by its high strength, lightness, and flexibility, making it a reliable alternative to glass.

Rafter

A rafter is one of the sloping, parallel beams that support a pitched roof. It is a crucial structural element of the building, providing the foundation for distributing the roof’s weight and offering protection against external factors such as rain and snow.

Rain Sensor

A feature of some solar-powered and electric ventilating skylights. When the sensor detects the onset of rain, it automatically closes the skylight, preventing precipitation from entering. This is especially convenient if no one is home or if the weather changes unnoticed. In this way, the Rain Sensor provides added comfort and safety, keeping the interior dry regardless of external conditions.

Roof Deck

The primary structural component of a roof that serves as the base for laying the roofing material, such as tiles or slate. Roof decks are usually made of wood, tongue-and-groove boards, or plywood. This element of the roof plays an important role in supporting roofing materials, ensuring their secure and reliable attachment.

Roof Hatch

A door that opens from inside the building, providing access to the roof. It is typically located on the ceiling, with an internal ladder leading to it. Roof hatches are installed in both residential and commercial buildings and can be considered part of the skylight family of products.

Roof Monitor

A protruding part of the roof with vertical windows designed to provide additional natural light to the space. This structure helps improve light flow in buildings where standard windows cannot fully provide the required illumination.

Roof Window

This is a specialized type of window designed to be installed in a pitched roof. The key feature of a roof window is its ability to be easily opened and rotated. This makes it convenient for cleaning, as the exterior side of the glass can be accessed from inside the house, especially useful in hard-to-reach places. In addition to allowing natural light to enter, roof windows also contribute to ventilating the space.

Roofing Material

This refers to a waterproof covering that typically consists of overlapping elements, providing protection for the building from moisture and other external factors. Among the most popular roofing materials are:

• clay and concrete tiles: durability, fire resistance, and suitability for warmer climates due to heat reflection
• composite shingles: lightness, eco-friendliness
• metal roofing: energy efficiency, longevity
• asphalt shingles: affordability, ease of installation
• slates: aesthetic appeal, long lifespan
• modified bitumen siding: waterproofing, durability for flat-roof applications

Each of these options has its own characteristics, but they are all designed to reliably protect the structure from moisture and other adverse conditions.

Rough Opening

This is the actual hole cut in the roof intended for the installation of a roof window or skylight. Its dimensions are usually slightly larger than the window itself. This extra space is necessary for proper installation and to allow room for finishing, sealing, and other steps in the mounting process.