How They Can Be Used Today & How They Can Be Used Today

A roof lantern is simple in its traditional form, in essence, a roof of glass and wood, much like a miniature conservatory roof, which was taken to introduce a rule in an area of flat roof to light the field below.

E 'can also take over a lantern in the roof ridge of a roof, and there are other areas where a roof lantern can work well if the design and installation are carried out properly.

Roof lanterns have been used originally built in the period of Georgia, at a time when the first greenhouses and conservatories. The roof lets light the lantern in the stairwell of a building and other areas of the home, an important aspect when you could not electric or gas lamps, the power was only available candle lighting and the dark and gloomy interior, even on sunny days.

When glass was still made by hand and it was so expensive, so the first architect to reserve use roof lanterns in shaping beautiful city and the country had houses for wealthy clients.

In the second half of the Victorian era, glass started to be machine made and became more affordable. At the same time society became more affluent and the interest in glass structures influenced by the Crystal Palace built for the Great Exhibition of 1851, led to a greater demand for glass to be used in the building of homes,

Both the Victorian's and Edwardian's used roof lanterns wherever they were needed for both practical and aesthetic reasons - domestically to introduce light over landings and stairwells, in billiard rooms, reception rooms and kitchens. Roof lanterns were also incorporated into the design and architecture of hotels and in places of education and public buildings such as town halls and public libraries.

It is sadly true that many of these fine and imposing structures were prone to leak, due to the limitation of contemporary construction and sealing materials. What's more, single glazing meant that they allowed heat to escape, so the areas beneath them could be uncomfortable or expensive to heat during the winter. Unfortunately, this meant that the owners often reduced the size of the roof lantern, and with it the available light, or boarded them over completely so that the area beneath had to be illuminated with electric light.

Ventilation was also sometimes required in these early roof lanterns and this could only be provided by manual opening via a crank rod to turn the window mechanism open or closed. Very inconvenient if it suddenly began to rain.

Modern Roof Lanterns & Skylights

Fortunately today we have the benefit of modern dry double glazing techniques, advanced sealing compounds and automatic electric mechanisms for opening and closing roof lantern windows.

These improvements, together with the use of sealed double glazed panels ensure that modern roof lanterns can maintain a traditional appearance while offering, structural Integrity and durability together with good insulation properties.

What's more, the use of durable hardwood timber and high quality microporous paints and stains ensures that a modern roof lantern will last for many years with minimum maintenance.

Christopher Cooper's background encompassed training in architecture and traditional boat building, both of these skills being put to good use in developing his roof windows and glass skylights business. Starting in 1985 roof lanterns and roof windows became a regular item in the order book and whilst these initial projects were 'one offs' it quickly became apparent that there was an increasing need for a standard design which would enable more efficient production. This reduced manufacturing costs, and the savings were reflected in the price to consumer and trade customers. Today he is one of the largest suppliers of roof lanterns in the UK.