What Are The Most Common Lantern Types?

Our bespoke roof lanterns often confuse people, in that when they think ‘lantern’ they think of a portable source of lighting. A glass cabinet with a candle inside, swinging outside on a stormy night, or perhaps nestled somewhere in the garden with a tea-light inside to give the space some ambience.

There are several kinds of lanterns, however (as our particular variety shows!), and each deserve their own little stint under the spotlight. That’s what this blog is for! The team here at Aliwood, manufacturers of roof lanterns in Essex, wanted to examine the different kinds of lantern – what they are and where they’re used!

Bespoke Roof Lanterns

We want to change something here at Aliwood. Now, we may be biased, but we want people’s first ‘lantern’ thoughts to be of our bespoke roof lanterns, and not necessarily of the conventional portable kind. Roof lanterns are architectural daylighting elements installed within a home to maximise the amount of natural light entering. They look great, they add value to the home and they’re beneficial for your health (both mental and physical. Don’t just take our word on this, though, the effects of natural light are well-documented).

Roof lanterns differ from skylights in that they’re pitched features, whereas skylights are built into the roof itself. Our particular lanterns are formed of a timber-aluminium composite, giving them both style and durability. Crafted by expert joiners and carpenters, our lanterns exude a timeless quality.

Chinese Lanterns

These traditional (and ancient) forms of lighting have been around for thousands of years. They’re often highly decorative and come in various materials, with paper being most commonly used. Although they’re known as Chinese lanterns, they’re commonly found all over Asia, in countries such as Japan, Vietnam, Myanmar and Malaysia. Not only that, but traipse through any major city’s ‘Chinatown’ district and you’ll see hundreds of paper lanterns adorning the buildings.

There’s also an airborne version of the lantern, known as a sky lantern. These are, in essence, miniature ‘hot air balloons’ which use a small suspended fire to warm the air and create uplift. These lantern variations are becoming less popular, however, due to their negative environmental impacts, and have in fact been outlawed in several countries. They pose both a fire hazard and also a risk to animals that may get entangled in the lantern’s remains, or attempt to eat the remnants.

Glass Lantern

Traditionally used for lighting, specifically to house a candle (or similar) in unfavourable conditions such as rain or wind. Another initial benefit was that they helped to contain a naked flame, and thus helped prevent fires from breaking out in the process. The word lantern, itself, originates from the Latin lantern which means lamp, or torch. Today, any lanterns in use tend to be more decorative than they are practical. That being said, electric LED-powered lanterns (powered by batteries) are widely used by campers and outdoor enthusiasts.

Even after this, we still maintain that the window lantern variety is the best! Though the other types, we’ll concede, So, if you’d like to find out more about our bespoke roof lanterns, then get in touch! All our lanterns are made bespoke and made to order, so you know that what you’re getting is a piece for you and you alone! Contact Aliwood today on 01245 967 107.