The answer
Yes, a skylight can be made to open. Roof windows and flat rooflights can both be made with a hinged or lifting sash that lets air escape through the roof. You can work it by hand with a pole or fit an electric motor so a switch on the wall or a handset does the work.
What an opening skylight actually does
A fixed skylight lights a room. An opening one lights it and lets the room breathe. The glass is carried on a sash that hinges, lifts or slides, so that a gap appears between the sash and the frame and air passes through.
Because the opening sits in the roof, it works at the very top of the room. Warm air rises, and a vent up there gives it a way out. Cooler air is drawn in through a door or a low window to take its place. That is why a single opening rooflight can freshen a kitchen, a landing or a loft room better than a window in the side wall can. Our ventilation guide, fresh air through an opening rooflight, follows that airflow in more detail.
There is a second reason people ask for one. Windows in the walls face fences, brickwork and neighbours. The glass overhead faces the sky, and an opening sash lets you feel that sky as well as see it.
Which roofs can take one
Both roof types can. On a pitched roof the product is a roof window, sitting in the slope between the rafters, with the sash opening outwards or turning on a central pivot. On a flat roof the product is a rooflight, fixed to a raised upstand with the glass at a slight fall, and the sash lifts on motorised arms.
Roof lanterns can open too. A lantern gives height as well as daylight, and a vent in one of its panes lets warm air escape from the ridge. If you are weighing a lantern against a flat pane, our roof lanterns page sets out the difference.
The shape of the roof, the build-up of the structure and the space around the opening decide which version fits. We look at all three on the survey, which is free.
By hand or by motor
An opening skylight can be worked in two ways, and the choice comes down to reach.
- Manual: a pole with a hook catches the sash and swings it open. It is simple, and it suits a roof window within arm's length of the floor.
- Electric: a small motor drives the sash. A switch on the wall, a handheld remote or a control panel opens and closes it. It suits a rooflight set high above a stairwell, a double-height kitchen or an extension where nobody can reach the glass.
A motor also allows a rain sensor, which shuts the vent when drops land on the glass. Our answer on whether electric rooflights close when it rains explains how that works.
A quick comparison
Here are the ways a skylight can open, set side by side.
| Type | Roof | How it opens | Suits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Top-hung roof window | Pitched | Sash swings out and up | Rooms with a clear reach |
| Centre-pivot window | Pitched | Sash turns on a middle axis | Lofts and landings |
| Motorised roof window | Pitched | Switch, remote or sensor | High or hard-to-reach glass |
| Lifting flat rooflight | Flat | Arms raise one edge | Kitchens and extensions |
| Vented lantern | Flat | One pane opens at the ridge | Tall, deep rooms |
What to settle before you choose
Opening glass brings a few practical questions, and they are easier to answer early than after the roof is open.
- Where will the sash swing, and is there anything above or beside it?
- Do you want a pole, a switch or a remote?
- Is there a power supply nearby, or does a cable need to run to the opening?
- Will a blind be fitted, and does it need to work with the vent?
- Is the roof covering one we can dress neatly around the frame?
New glazing in an existing roof also has to meet Part L of the Building Regulations. Under Approved Document L, Table 4.2, new roof glazing is held to 1.4 W/m²K (or WER band B) for a window and 2.2 W/m²K for a rooflight. We take care of Building Control notification if your job needs it, and the fitting meets current Building Regulations.
Questions for the survey
- Which room needs air as well as light?
- Can you reach the glass from the floor?
- Where would a switch sit?
- What is the roof made of?
Next steps
If you want a skylight that opens, the simplest next step is a conversation about the room. Tell us which room it is, what is wrong with it now and whether the roof is flat or pitched. We then visit for a free survey, measure the opening and put a fixed written quote in your hands that stays the same on the day.
The fitting itself is quick. A tidy install with the inside finished leaves the room ready to use, and the work carries our 10-year workmanship guarantee in writing. For the wider picture, start at the electric opening rooflights hub, or read how the price is shaped. If you only need the right word for what you are looking for, see what an opening skylight is called.
Planning is the next worry for some households. Our planning guide covers when a new roof opening needs permission.
Related questions
Can an opening skylight go in a loft room?
Yes. A roof window suits a loft room well, and it brings in air as well as daylight. Whether it also counts as an escape route depends on the storey and the height from the ground, which we check on the survey.
Do opening skylights leak?
A sash that closes onto a sealed frame, set into correctly dressed flashings or on a proper upstand, keeps the weather out. A motor with a rain sensor adds a safeguard if the vent has been left open.
Can I add a motor to a manual skylight later?
That depends on the make and model of the existing window. We can tell you at a survey whether it can take a motor or whether replacing it is the better route.
