Dome skylights offer many benefits to the homeowner. They are lightweight and require little to no maintenance. They are the best choice for a skylight if you live in a climate with extreme temperatures, as they keep energy transfer to a minimum. They can be purchased as a single, double or triple dome, but if energy efficiency is what you’re looking for, you should only consider a double or triple dome.
A dome skylight is suitable for any roof, including flat roofs. In fact, they are particularly suitable for flat roofs due to the fact that they quickly shed water due to the “self-cleaning” aspect of the dome. Typically, the height of the dome is approximately 25% of the width of the skylight, allowing water to flow quickly across the surface.
The ability to collect light from many angles is another great advantage of the dome skylight, as opposed to a flat skylight that only lets in direct light. If the main concern is to illuminate a room, then a clear acrylic dome is the best option. If you are looking for a softer lighting effect, a white or bronze acrylic dome is the best alternative, especially for people who are sensitive to light. The white or bronze skylight has the effect of softening the light that enters the room and tends to eliminate glare.
Finally, a great advantage of an acrylic dome skylight is that its shape is much stronger than that of a flat acrylic skylight. Flat sheets of plastic typically have a much greater tendency to expand and contract, which can lead to earlier failure of the material.
In general, the choice of a dome skylight will be determined by your individual needs, but in general, it will be one of the best options if you are looking for a skylight with energy efficiency, lighting capacity and longevity.