Atlas Lantern Roof 2.0 Review

The brand new Atlas Lantern Roof 2.0 replaces the original lantern which has been a firm favourite with installers all over the UK.  Talk to many installers and Atlas is their product of choice. Attractive, easy to assemble, simple to fit and a hit with homeowners too.  This hugely popular roof forms the basis of many home extensions and renovations.

The Customade Group supplies other well-known brands such as Polyframe Doors, Virtuoso Doors, Stevenswood Trade, REAL Aluminium selling Smart Systems and Atlas Glazed Roof Solutions.

Information about Atlas Lantern Roof 2.0

For years the first-generation Atlas Lantern roof offered one of the best aluminium roofs on the market.  Its standout features, such as slim roof bars, a discreet frame, a slimmer ridge and rafters all make Atlas roofs the ideal product alongside sliding doors as well as the latest bifolding doors. Also, Atlas Roofs provided a better all-around solution thanks to no unsightly tie bars and supports.

The idea for the Atlas Lantern Roof 2.0 roof came as a result of the decades-old curtain walling concept.  In other words, a sturdy box mullion (the roof bar) used in facade glazing gave the original Atlas roof a very slim 40mm frame where other lanterns roofs came substantially thicker and bulkier.  As a result, an Atlas roof was not only a very slim roof but also one of the strongest.

As well as great design, Atlas roofs work well with modern extensions thanks to ultra-low sight lines giving an altogether better-looking lantern roof compared to other products.  PVCu installation elsewhere in the home also benefitted from a choice of PVCu as well as aluminium external cappings, matching any existing windows in a home.

Above all, the Atlas Lantern Roof 2.0 delivers excellent thermal performance, high-specification glazing and a big choice of colours. When it comes to a lantern roof to complement the latest and some of the best bifolding doors, Atlas Lantern Roof 2.0 is up there as a popular choice.

New Features and Benefits of the latest Atlas Roof Lantern.

One of the first things about any product and especially roof lanterns is ease of installation.  Homeowners do not care if an installer finds a product easy to fit. However, fitters do.  If a good fitter struggles with installing a product, chances are the installer stops selling it.

Easy installation remains one of the new Atlas Lantern Roof 2.0 features.  And just like the original model, the fitter has a trouble-free installation with helpful features.  For instance, Atlas cut to size and numbers all the roof parts and provided easy installation instructions.  As a result, a typical Atlas roof takes less than a day to install in a home.  The early adopters of this new lantern roof report installation times are faster and much easier.

and is now urging fellow installers to cut their own lantern installation times with this pioneering solution, which is faster and easier to fit than ever.  This new roof has fewer parts and components.  The overall assembly is better and eaiser than the first generation lantern and the entire module comes together better too.

Installers love products that are easy to fit.  Here, the product comes with good packaging and easy to understand instructions.  Finally, you don’t need to use silicone within the product making the job cleaner too.

40mm slim roof bars.

The Atlas Lantern Roof 2.0 retains the same slim 40mm roof bars, which for us remains the right dimension for both aesthetics and strength. Too little aluminium and the rooflight risks looking like a structurally silicone-glazed product.  Too much aluminium and gone is the contemporary appearance.

We think Atlas has got it right retaining the 40mm dimension, and there seemed no reason to change it. It compares favourably to other roofs on the market.  Atlas is not alone in providing a slimline aluminium roof.  Products such as the Korniche roof lantern come in at 57mm. Synseal Stratus lantern roof is 58.5mm.

Bigger Thermal Break.

The bigger the thermal break, the smaller the aluminium sections either side and therefore a more thermally efficient aluminium section.

Atlas says the thermal break is 14% larger which is not a substantial amount, yet does improve the thermal performance of any aluminium bar.  The U-Value of a product largely depends on the glass specification.  Here, the installer has a big choice with several brands offering glass units with a very low centre pane U-Value.

A new simplified Ringbeam.

The improved ringbeam drip, Atlas says makes the roof even more weatherproof. Sleeker, better looking and blending better. This crucial area, separating the roof from the roof enables easier fixing with the new Atlas lantern roof 2.0.

As well as the much-improved appearance, the ringbeam sits much lower.  The benefit of this is a lower-sitting roof with the rafters looking less bulky too. Compared to the original Atlas roof, no slough where the detail at this point was concerned, it is even more of an improvement.

A slimmer more attractive roof ridge.

One of the most visible differences in the latest Atlas Lantern Roof 2.0 is the ridge.  A reduction in size by a quarter, may not sound a lot, but see the two details side by side, and the improvement is impressive.

While you rarely look at  a lantern roof from the outside, it does make for a much less obtrusive appearance. If your bedroom window looks down onto the flat roof of the extension, the entire assembly looks altogether neater and slimmer.

Products to compare with the Atlas Lantern Roof

Lantern roofs are ‘simple’ compared to windows and doors, so other than styling and how the roof system company chooses to design the product both in manufacturing and how to install it is not really something a homeowner needs to worry about. There are other products to choose from such as:

Sheerline Roof Lantern

Sheerline is a very good quality brand, and their Sheerline roof lantern has some lovely styling and design features. Unlike their windows and doors, this is one seriously attractive lantern roof and well worth considering alongside the Atlas Lantern Roof 2.0. It is very well put together and is likely to be a real competitor for the Atlas product.

Korniche Roof Lantern

Another well-styled lantern with modern looks and is very easy to fit is the Kornice roof from Made For Trade. You’ll find it quite similar in overall appearance, and you won’t go wrong choosing this lantern roof over the Atlas.

The new Atlas Lantern Roof 2.0, summary.

In addition to some excellent improvements, the usual features come with the Atlas roof.  A choice of sizes and stock colours improve lead times.  Also available are made to order sizes as well as special colours.  Glass options are extensive with this roof too.  Most installers advise the customer to have a self-cleaning or a blue-activ solar glass. Both help with interior comfort, also making the roof look very smart when viewed from the outside.

Installers all over the UK use Atlas, and it remains one of the best aluminium lantern roofs on the market.  Atlas has created a new product that offers even more for their installer customers.  Better looking, slimmer, sleeker, hugely reliable and very modern looking.  Furthermore, it remains easy to fit meaning fitters like working with it and businesses like selling it.  The end user now gets an even better roof than before too.

The Atlas lantern roof is already incredibly popular with the trade.  We also think the homeonwers will love this product as few on the market offer lines that slim and so aesthetically pleasing.  Excellent design and execution with improved performance make this a great product for all manner of installers, including those specialising in the upper tier of windows, sliding and bifolding doors in new extensions. At the same time this roof retains all the great features of the first generation lantern.

For installers wanting faster lead times, the new Atlas roof comes with five day delivery when ordered in stock sizes in either the Regular or Contemporary style.

Use our contact form to find out more about the latest Atlas lantern roof, ask us a question or if you want our help finding a local installer.