In brief
Most walk-on rooflights are fixed, because the glass is made as a load-bearing surface and the frame is built to carry it. Some manufacturers do make hinged or opening walk-on units, and these are specified case by case rather than chosen from a standard list. If you want fresh air as well as daylight from a floor-level rooflight, the first step is to tell us what the opening is for, so the right unit can be priced.
- Fixed walk-on units are the usual choice and have the simplest build-up
- Hinged or opening walk-on units exist from some makers, made to order
- An opening unit is specified for the size, the load and the opening method
- A separate opening rooflight nearby is often the more practical answer
- Access, safety and drainage are planned before an opening unit is ordered
Why most walk-on rooflights are fixed
A walk-on rooflight is built to be stood on. The glass is made of several laminated and toughened layers, and the frame has to hold those layers evenly around the whole edge. A sheet of glass fixed in place by its frame, without hinges or moving parts, is the simplest way to achieve that.
An opening unit adds a hinge, a seal that has to be compressed and released, and a load path that now has a moving part in it. That is possible to build, but it is a different product with a different price and its own lead time. For this reason most walk-on installations, whether over a basement, in a floor, on a terrace or in a deck, use fixed glass.
The guide to walk-on rooflight glass explains how the layers are built up and what the load ratings mean for each type of use.
Opening and hinged walk-on units
Some manufacturers produce walk-on rooflights with a hinged lid, usually as a hatch that lifts for access or ventilation. These suit places where a person needs to get through the opening, for example to reach a basement, a plant space or a roof void, as well as places where light is wanted.
Because each maker builds these differently, we do not work from a standard list. We ask what the opening is for, how big it needs to be, who will walk on it and how often it will be opened, and then specify a unit from a maker that produces one to suit. The written quote names the unit, the glazing, the lead time and what the builder needs to provide.
A hatch that people walk across and also lift is a safety matter as well as a product choice. The way it is held open, the way it is locked closed and the way it is sealed all form part of the specification.
A separate opening rooflight beside a fixed one
Often the better answer to wanting ventilation is not to make the walk-on glass open at all. A fixed walk-on rooflight can provide the daylight, while an opening rooflight placed nearby provides the air. Because the opening unit is not a walking surface, it can be a standard electric or manual opening rooflight or roof window, which is easier to source and to fit.
This arrangement also keeps the walk-on unit simple, which keeps its build-up straightforward. If the fixed glass is going over a room that needs air, such as a basement or a lightwell, an opening unit in the roof above or beside it can be planned in the same visit.
An opening rooflight lets warm, damp air leave the room, and it works best as one part of a wider plan for ventilation. We talk through that with the homeowner and the builder at the survey.
Safety, drainage and access for an opening unit
If any part of the unit opens, think about what happens when it is open. Anyone nearby needs to see it, fall protection may be needed, and the lid needs a secure way to stay open and to shut. Where the unit sits on a terrace or in a deck, the surrounding surface has to allow the lid to swing without catching.
Drainage is the other planned detail. A hatch has a perimeter seal and a threshold, and water must be able to run past it. The kerb height, the fall of the surrounding surface and the roofer's upstand are agreed so that an opening unit does not become a place where water collects.
The page on walk-on rooflights set into decking explains how glass in a deck is drained, and the same ideas apply to a lid.
Where the specification is fixed
An opening walk-on unit is made to order, so the exact sizes are fixed before the surrounding structure is built. The builder or architect is sent the kerb, upstand and opening dimensions on paper before the roof or floor is formed.
The unit is ordered to arrive when the surface is nearly ready, and both homeowner and builder are told the confirmed delivery date. How long the maker takes is stated in the quote.
Building Control is told about the work where that is required. The Building Regulations guide explains what applies to rooflights in existing homes.
How to move forward
Tell us what you want the opening for: air, access, cleaning, escape or something else, and who will be using the space above it, since that shapes the whole specification. That decides whether the right answer is a hinged walk-on unit, a fixed unit with an opening rooflight alongside, or a different product altogether, such as a flat rooflight set out of the walking area.
The walk-on rooflights hub sets out the range and the places it is used, including basements and lightwells. For how a walk-on unit is priced, see the walk-on rooflight cost page.
Related questions
- Can I clean a fixed walk-on rooflight from above?
- Yes. Rinse and wipe the top face from above with water and a soft cloth. The underside can be cleaned from the room below, or from beneath the deck if the glass is covered.
