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In today’s homes, natural light is coveted, bringing not only beauty to a room, but also reducing the cost of electricity and offering mood boosting sunlight.  Skylights and Solar Tubes can bring much needed sunlight into the rooms of your home which are suffering from a lack of sunlight.

Skylights are familiar to most people. They are made of acrylic, glass, or polycarbonate, and are placed in the roof of your home allowing in sunlight.  The skylight “windows” feature a frame set in the roof and surrounded by flashing to prevent leaking.  Skylight sizes begin small, such as a 12 x 12 inch square, and can be as large as 15 percent of the room’s square footage.

Skylights are more complex to install, often requiring professional carpentry skills to get the job done correctly.  Because rafters must be cut for installation, surrounding rafters must be reinforced.  Given the added labor to install a skylight, it is more costly than a solar tube.

Other Considerations – Skylights versus Solar Tubes

In regard to energy efficiency, the solar tube is more effective, capturing light and diffusing it into the home.  Though skylights gather three times the light of regular windows, energy is lost through heat gain particularly in warmer months and climates.  Skylights are often filtered to reduce UV rays, but solar tubes block UV rays at the dome.  Because UV rays are damaging to skin and eyes, as well as homes and furnishings, it is important to block them as much as possible.

Water condensation is an often expressed concern with both skylights and solar tubes, though the concerns can be addressed successfully.  Condensation on skylights can often be eliminated with the use of a humidifier in the home, while similar condensation inside solar tubes can be alleviated by wrapping the tube with insulation.

Traditional skylights may have the edge when it comes to appearances, providing ambiance from the sunny daylight sky to the star-filled night sky.  Of course, solar tubes of not at all obtrusive and inside the home look eerily like a standard light fixture.  As far as aesthetics, skylights versus solar tubes simply depends on one’s preference.

Solar tubes and skylights can be used in any climate, though in areas of heavy snow, there will be no benefit in winter.  Acrylic skylights are prone to damage in extreme heat or cold, making glass a better option in those areas.  Polycarbonate is the material of choice for both skylights and solar tubes in areas where hurricanes are a concern.

Making Your Decision – Skylights vs Solar Tubes

A skylight is a great choice for getting natural sunlight and adding ambiance to an interior room in your home.  A solar tube is an excellent approach for getting natural sunlight into your home in an energy-efficient way.