subject: Tubular Skylights Allow In Diffuse Light [print this page] Tubular skylights are small skylights that look like domes or tubes. They are not like traditional skylights, which are basically large panes of glass that replace large sections of your roof. Instead, tubular skylights are very small in terms of actual footprint, but the tube-like shape allows a lot of light in, and one can let in enough to light an entire room on its own. The shapes and composition of tubular skylights vary from company to company; some have opaque plastic domes over a shaft installed in the ceiling, while others have interior tubes with additional reflectors that increase the area over which the light spreads. A major advantage to tubular skylights is their ability to send light all around a room, making it look like there is a small lamp on somewhere even though no lamps have actually been turned on.
The light given off by tubular skylights can look odd to people who are not used to it in certain circumstances. A room with a lot of tubular skylights can look fairly bright, but if you have a bathroom with one small skylight, the light can seem somewhat faint at first. Newer tubular skylights are addressing this issue, with actual wattage and lumens ratings available for many models. So, if you want to install tubular skylights instead of using the light fixture in a room, you can find a model that will provide a minimum amount of light that is equivalent to a specific wattage of bulb.
Tubular skylights do require some installation effort. While they do not require removing a large section of the roof, they do stick up through the ceiling, crawlspace, and roof. Unless you are skilled at carpentry, you really do have to have a contractor from the skylight company put these in; otherwise, you risk the structural integrity of your home. If flashing is not installed correctly, for example, you could end up with roof leaks around the skylight.
Many manufacturers claim that their skylights block UV rays and dissipate heat. Check these claims carefully. Remember that skylight UV layers could always become scratched, allowing UV rays in. Because the rays are invisible to humans, there is no way to tell if you are actually blocking them without trying to get a test sunburn by standing under one of the skylights for hours. Find out what technology the company uses, and then try to see if that is a legitimate technique. There are filters and coatings companies can use to block UV rays -- even something as simple as eyeglasses can have anti-UV coatings, for example -- you want to be sure you are dealing with a legitimate company using a legitimate strategy.
Before arranging for a company to install the skylights, try to visit homes that have the skylights installed. If you have a friend who has a particular style, ask to see what the light is like during the day when it is sunny, and when it is cloudy, if at all possible. If you do not know anyone who has the skylights installed, visit several showrooms and home improvement stores that have samples of the skylights. You need to find real-life examples of installed skylights to get an accurate picture of what the light is going to look like in the room after the skylight is installed. These are not items that are easy to return, remember. While taking out the actual skylight itself might be easy, you would be left with the task of sealing up your ceiling and roof afterward. This is one home improvement project that you have to be completely sure you want.
