Rooflights and skylights for Lees terraces, cottages and small estates

Late-Victorian terraces commonly have natural slate roofs, and the plain back slope of a terrace is often the obvious place for a window. Slate needs a flashing kit that matches it, so the covering is the first thing we look at. The rafters come next, because the window size follows where they fall, and the page on slate and tile flashing shows why the two go together.

How a loft room is lived in

A terrace loft is rarely wide, so the roof window ends up near the bed, the desk or the stairs. That makes the handle position more important than the glass size. A top handle you can reach from the floor, and a blind that does not trail across a pillow, are small matters that spoil a room when they are wrong. They are the details people mention after the first month. If the window will be opened every day, a motor is worth considering, and our blinds and controls guide shows the controls available.

Cleaning the outside

On a slate slope the outer pane is awkward to reach. Some roof windows tilt so the outside can be wiped from within. We show how that works on the model you choose, and a window you cannot clean is worth avoiding.

A small room in summer

A loft bedroom directly under the slates can grow warm on a sunny afternoon. A blind on the window takes the edge off, and solar control glass is another route; the solar control glass guide compares them. Decide before the order, because the blind and the glass are chosen with the window and not added later. A child sleeping up there is a further reason to ask about a restrictor.

The paperwork around a loft

Converting a loft is building work in its own right. Planning a way out of the new floor in a fire belongs in the design, and the Building Regulations guide explains what that involves. For the planning position, start with the planning guide. Our guide to roof windows for loft conversions goes into placing them.