Roof window or skylight?
If there's a ceiling cavity between your roof and the room, you're looking at a skylight with a shaft. If the ceiling follows the roofline, as in a cathedral ceiling or an attic conversion, a roof window fits straight into the slope.
The difference matters for the job. A roof window is framed into the rafters and lined on the inside like a window reveal, and it's usually within reach for opening, cleaning and fitting blinds. That's why they're the default for loft and attic rooms.
How they open
Centre-pivot windows rotate around the middle, so the handle sits at the top and the sash can spin for cleaning from inside. They work well where furniture sits under the window.
Top-hung windows swing out from the top, leaving the full opening clear for the view and, in some models, as an escape opening.
Electric and solar-powered models open by remote and can close automatically when a rain sensor gets wet, which is useful if the window is out of reach.
Fitting one into a tile or metal roof
Each roof window comes with a flashing kit made for a type of roofing. Profiled tiles, flat tiles and steel sheeting each need a different one, and using the wrong kit is a common cause of leaks.
Every roof window has a pitch range set by its maker. Velux, for example, says its flashing systems suit most roof types pitched from 15 to 90 degrees. If your roof is flatter than the range, ask about skylights made for low pitches instead. Our guide to skylights for pitched roofs covers pitch in more depth.
Before you book an installer
- Is this model approved for my roof pitch, and which flashing kit matches my roofing?
- Will rafters need to be cut and trimmed, and who checks that's structurally okay?
- Is the internal lining and plaster around the window included?
- What blinds or shading suit it, and can they go on later?
- If it's electric, does it need wiring, and is there a rain sensor?
What's yours, and what needs a roofer
You can
- Decide whether you want to open it by hand, or by remote if it's high
- Plan furniture so the window can swing or pivot freely
- Clean the inside glass and the blind once it's in
Leave to a roofer
- Cutting the roof and trimming rafters
- Fitting the flashing kit and making the roofing watertight
- Lining the reveal on the inside
- Wiring motors or sensors, by a licensed electrician
If it were our attic
We'd pick an opening roof window over a fixed one in any room under the roof, because these rooms get hot and the ventilation earns its keep. Your Home says sloped glazing loses heat about 40% faster than vertical glazing, so we'd budget for a good blind or awning from the start. And we'd ask the installer to show the flashing kit's label matching our roofing before they cut anything.
Want a roofer to take a look?
Tell us the job and your postcode. We match it with a Find My Roofer certified roofer who specialises in that kind of work, and they call you to quote. Your number goes to them alone.