If you want to keep your conservatory in pristine condition, many parts of it will need some attention, particularly at certain times of the year.
Just as you need to look after the gutters in autumn lest they fill up with leaves and respond to any damage caused by storms or ice in winter, springtime is a very good time to pay some attention to your skylight.
Various things can damage a skylight and not all of them happen at the same time of year. But spring means the daylight hours get longer than the night and the sun gets higher in the sky. While you might not glimpse the sun through the skylight until summer, any evident damage to it will be easier to spot.
Not only does this give you a clue that it is time for skylight repair work; but it also means any visitors will notice it too, so if you want to impress with your fine conservatory you won’t want to leave it in less than ideal condition.
Something that will stand out when the spring sunshine hits the glass is any cracks you may have. These can be caused by a range of different things.
In the colder months, this can include storm damage caused by debris hitting the skylight or falling on it. Large and rapid temperature changes can also have an effect. Other factors, such as hailstones, can occur at different times of the year, but most obviously when it is colder.
Damage arising from these causes is an obvious thing to look out for now winter has passed. But the summer can bring its own problems and some of those might not have been easily spotted when it was cold and dark, but will be in the months ahead. In particular, over time bright sunlight itself can cause damage.
The extent of damage and what needs to be done to fix it can depend on what material the skylight is made from. Acrylic skylights are more likely to break than laminated glass, for instance. While sometimes a whole pane needs to be replaced because the damage is so bad, often a crack can be fixed, such as through the use of specialised acrylic caulking.
If it looks like you have a problem of this kind, it certainly makes sense to get an expert on the job now. That way, you can establish what needs to be done, get it repaired by a specialist and look good as new just as you move into the time of year when the conservatory will be used the most.
The period between the autumn equinox of 2023 and this year’s spring equinox saw no fewer than ten named storms over Britain. The naming of storms is a new practice that has only emerged in recent years, but climate scientists expect winters to get wetter and stormier, albeit with less severe cold.
At the same time, summers are expected to be drier and hotter, which means more hot sun shining on the conservatory.
What that means is that the risks from cold in winter are reducing, while the dangers posed by storms and hot summer sun are increasing. But wherever the threats arise, be sure to keep checking your skylight and every other part of your conservatory to ensure it is in good shape.