What happens if we go out and leave the rooflight open, and rain comes on?
The centre of Blackrod is roughly 150 metres up, on hilly ground. On raised ground like this, rain can arrive with a wind behind it, so it is fair to plan for a shower catching an open window while the house is empty.
Three ways to deal with it
The simplest is habit: the window is closed when the last person leaves. That works if the window is within reach, which a rod or a low position makes easy. The second is a limited opening. Some roof windows can be set on a small gap that lets the room breathe without a wide mouth for the weather, and a restrictor does the same job in a child's room, though we ask which window, if any, is the room's escape window, because that one must still open fully for an adult. The third is a sensor. Among VELUX's electric and solar roof windows are models fitted with a rain sensor, which shuts the window when drops land on the glass. Our rain sensor guide explains what the sensor does and what it cannot do.
Choosing for a bedroom or a bathroom
A bedroom window can be left open in the morning by someone who then goes to work. A bathroom window is opened for steam and easily forgotten. Those are the two rooms where an automatic close is worth thinking about, and where we raise it at the survey. If a child sleeps in the room, the child-safe opening guide covers restrictors and limiters.
Electric or solar
Electric windows are wired to the mains and suit a loft being fitted out. Solar windows carry their own cell and need no cable, which helps where the ceiling is already finished. The electric or solar guide sets the two side by side.
Rain and an empty house
If nobody will be there to close it, choose a window that closes itself, or one that only opens a little.