home | company history | gallery | technical drawings | specifications | press | contact us | pricing | FAQ
A roof lantern in its traditional form is essentially a glass and timber roof light, very much like a miniature conservatory roof, which is incorporated, usually into an area of flat roof, in order to introduce light into the area below.
It is also possible to incorporate a roof lantern into the ridge of a roof, and there are other areas where a roof lantern can work well if the design and installation are carried out correctly.
Roof lanterns were first used in the Georgian era, at a time when the first orangeries and conservatories were being built. Initially they were exclusively the preserve of the rich in their fine town and country houses.
However as glass became more affordable and society more affluent, structures such as conservatories and roof lanterns became much more widespread. Throughout the Victorian and Edwardian eras, roof lanterns were used 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.
It is sadly true that many of these fine and imposing structures were prone to leak, due to the limitation of contemporary materials.
Fortunately today we have the benefit of modern dry double glazing techniques and advanced sealing compounds.
These improvements, together with the use of sealed double glazed panels ensure that our roof lanterns combine traditional appearance and the use of traditional materials where appropriate whilst at the same time offering high performance in the following key areas:
In particular, the use of durable hardwood timber and high quality microporous paints and stains ensures that our lanterns will last for many years with minimum attention.
Visit us at Build Store - Go »
Christopher Cooper.
