The summer season brings with it a lot of outdoor fun for the whole family. Depending on where you live, summer also brings with it some very intense weather, sometimes in the form of torrential rains and hailstorms.
If you’re considering installing VELUX skylights, you might be wondering how they’ll hold up to some of Australia’s severe storms. Do you have images in your mind of hail-smashed glass when you think of skylights after a storm? Keep reading to find out exactly what you can expect!
Australian Weather vs VELUX Skylights
Australia’s extreme weather conditions can be disastrous to some modern skylight products. In fact, it’s a well-known fact that to test a skylight, doing it in Australia is the best idea. A product that can survive Australian weather will work pretty much anywhere!
VELUX skylights take this challenge quite seriously and perform several extreme weather tests on their products. Keep reading to get an idea of some of the harsh weather events a properly installed VELUX skylight can withstand!
Heat and UV Tested
Australia is well-known for its hot and dry weather. To combat the effects of extreme heat, VELUX skylights are WERS energy rated. This means their high-performance double glazing ensures that about 80% of the heat and 99% of the UV rays are kept out.
Aside from being double glazed, VELUX skylights are also filled with Argon gas and Low E3 coated. VELUX skylights keep excessive heat outside where it belongs!
VELUX Skylights and Hail
No one enjoys a hailstorm. Hail can be very damaging to everything from cars to house windows. With that in mind, it’s no wonder that one of the first questions our customers ask is, “how will VELUX skylights stand up against a severe hailstorm?”
The good news is VELUX skylights are put through an extensive and rigorous testing program to ensure they can withstand the most extreme hailstorm. The hailstone test involves slamming the skylights with imitation hailstones the size and weight of cricket balls at speeds of about 172kph.
It’s worth mentioning that VELUX skylights have passed the Australian weather test, which no other glass skylight product has done! By supplying such high-quality products, you can see that at Belle Skylights, we take weather protection very seriously!
Just take a look at how rigorously VELUX products are tested against hail:
VELUX Skylights and Cyclones
Certain far north regions in Australia are notorious for cyclones. As with hail testing, Australia’s VELUX skylights are really put through the wringer to ensure they can handle these severe conditions. During the testing phase, skylights are fitted to a testbed and sealed to prevent air from escaping.
Air is then pumped under the skylight to simulate a severe cyclone storm. This rigorous test isn’t done once but about 10,000 times to ensure the product can weather any storm! In addition to a severe air test, the skylights are also put through a water tightness test to ensure your skylights can survive a sudden burst of torrential rain!
How to Get the Most Secure Skylights Installed
To ensure you get maximum quality products and expert installation, it’s recommended that you use a professional skylight installer. The experts at Belle Skylights have all the experience and skills needed to ensure your skylights are properly installed. Correct installation is the ultimate key to preventing leaks and weather damage.
Ready to make the RIGHT investment for summer? Contact us on 1300 168 374 for a QUOTE to get quality VELUX skylights professionally installed this summer!
