Skylights are a great and unique way to add additional light and fresh air into your home. Whether you’re building a new home in Fresno, CA, or renovating your home in Cape Cod, MA, a skylight can give your home a more open, light, and inviting feeling all while bringing your roof to life.
We reached out to experts to provide their best advice on skylight ideas for your home. Here are some tips to get you started on your skylight journey and embrace all the natural light your home has to offer.
Selecting the right skylight for your home
Ventilating, fixed, and tubular are the three main types of skylights. Skylights come in different shapes and sizes, including flat, arched, domed, and pyramid. “Selecting the right skylight for the right roof is very important. Professional installation is a must, and regular inspection and maintenance will allow skylights to last longer than the roof. You can add natural light to just about any dark room. Often, skylights or sun tunnels are a great way to bring in natural light and may help get federal tax benefits at the same time.” – Good Roofing Company
Tubular skylights
“Looking for an alternative to huge and high-priced traditional skylights? Tubular skylights or so-called ‘sun tunnels’ are a great alternative that will provide enough natural light even in rooms with a small ceiling area. Tubular skylights are much cheaper to install and can save you money on electricity during the day. Looking for something even more extraordinary? What about sun tunnels with stained glass?” – ID Flat Roof
Professionals can help you choose the best skylight for your home
“Skylights can be a wonderful way to incorporate the outdoors and natural light inside your home. If you’re building or renovating a home in Florida or near the coast, make sure you work with an expert and licensed contractor to help you choose the right kind of skylight that will hold up in inclement weather, including hurricanes. After all, you only want light, not water, coming through your beautiful new skylight.” – Tye Interior Design
The benefits of solar skylights
“Solar-powered skylights are a great alternative to electric skylights since they are self-sufficient in operation and still function during power outages. With a self-contained solar cell and internal battery, you don’t need any wiring to the house. And don’t worry about the rain. If the weather starts to turn, a sensor will automatically close the skylight. That’s savings on your electricity bill and peace of mind that your items will remain safe from potential storms.” – Restoration Roofing
“When installing a new Velux skylight or replacing an existing one, order a pre-installed Velux solar-powered shade system. The homeowner may be eligible for a 26% federal tax credit on all labor and materials for the entire project. You can also program the shades to operate from an app on your phone. This can save thousands of dollars on a multi-unit or new installation where framing and sheetrock are involved as well as keep the room cool on hot days – this is the same for a solar venting.” – Alte Exteriors
How to showcase your skylight
“The best location for skylights is interior rooms or hallways that don’t get natural light from windows. Stairwells and bathrooms are a popular choice, and we’ve also seen some great examples of skylights in a master bedroom to give the homeowners a view of the night’s sky. A unique idea some of our clients have pursued is installing a custom stained glass skylight to bring some color and playfulness into your home.” – Sol Vista Roofing
“A unique way to showcase your skylight is to use a frame color that is opposite of your ceiling paint color. If your walls are white, use a black window frame to create a contrast. This will give your room a unique focal point.” – Beach Life Bliss
Reduce unwanted glares
“When choosing a skylight system, keep in mind materials used can have a large impact on the result. Using a skylight system that incorporates translucent cellular polycarbonate panels can reduce unwanted glare while providing beautiful daylighting.” – Extech
Choosing the right skylight installers
“It takes a very detail-oriented contractor to work with skylights successfully. From knowledge of the many new skylights features available to gathering the correct information and measurements needed, the knowledge and experience in the materials and installation techniques required to produce a quality install, skylight contractors have their hands.” – Sea Island Residential
Bring your home to life
Skylights provide balanced natural light that can change your home for the better. Skylights can reduce your dependence on electric lights, expose you to more natural light and fresh air, and allow your home’s color scheme to appear more true. Find a skylight that meets you and your home’s needs and choose creative placement to enhance the natural light in your home.
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