‘Rain, hail, or shine’ is a phrase many attribute to events such as outdoor concerts and events. But have you thought about how it could apply to your home? You prepare your gutters for rain storms by removing leaves and debris, and make sure you don’t have any cracks that could potentially begin leaking if given the chance. But what about your skylights? Will they stand up to storms and survive— and protect you— if and when it hails?
This article explores whether skylights can hold up to storms and bad weather events such as hail. For personalised advice, contact Skylights WA today!
Are Skylights Hail-Safe?
You want your home to be light and airy, which is where skylights can come in handy. However, you may be concerned about how they’ll hold up in a storm.
As we know, Australian weather can often be unpredictable, especially as the weather warms up. This time of year usually brings unexpected summer storms along with it, including hail that can cause immense damage.
Many skylight products claim to be hail-resistant, but in some cases, hailstorms have proven this false. To ensure your skylights are up to the challenge of the Australian weather, invest in quality skylights that have been tried and tested in such conditions, and that contain high-quality products installed by professionals.
How Can I Make Sure My Skylight Will Protect Me From Hail?
In general, several main factors contribute to the safety of your skylights and how they’ll be able to hold up in a storm.
1. Material Used
High-impact acrylic material is the most versatile plastic used in skylight products, and includes UV stabilisers and inhibitors. This material can withstand considerable impact, such as hail, which can fall at speeds of up to 60 km/h in severe storms. The UV stabilisers stop the dome from decomposing under the strength of the harsh Australian sun, while its UV inhibitors stop UV from causing the material to fade and become weak.
2. Size And Shape
A smaller dome has a continuous curved surface, allowing less area for hail to hit it at a direct angle. While generally, skylights can be prone to damage during storms, this risk can be significantly mitigated by carefully choosing the design (and materials).
3. The Manufacturing Process
The way your skylight has been manufactured will be a factor in how it holds up in a storm. There are two processes involved in manufacturing skylights:
- Vacuum forming— This is where a piece of plastic is heated and stretched, allowing it to be made into a dome shape
- Injection moulding— This involves injecting melted plastic into a dome-shaped mould. Injection moulding is usually limited to smaller skylight domes.
Which Skylights Should I Choose?
Skylight brands that perform well against hail and storms include:
Solatube
Solatube skylights are great at brightening a home without allowing it to heat up to uncomfortable temperatures. However, that’s not all they do!
Solatube skylights are found to be one of the best performers against the Australian storm season. In an early 2020 storm in Canberra, over 500 calls were made to skylight dealerships to advise them of damage that had occurred. However, less than 1% of these calls were related to Solatube products. Now that’s storm and hail-resistant!
Velux
Velux skylights are heat and UV tested and are WERS energy rated. As they are double glazed, they are effective at keeping heat and UV rays out as well as resisting storm damage.
Additionally, Velux skylights undergo rigorous testing including what is known as the ‘hailstorm test’. This test involves slamming cricket ball-sized imitation hailstones into the skylights at speeds of up to 172km/h, ensuring your skylights will stand up to any hailstorm that may roll in.
Interested In Installing Skylights?
If you’ve been considering installing skylights in your home, now is a great time to do so. At Skylights WA our professional team installs skylights by Solatube and Velux in many areas throughout Western Australia. We’ve been doing so since 2009, and our residential and commercial customers now experience more light and brightness without concerns about storm damage. To get started with your skylights, contact our professional and helpful team at Skylights WA today.