Hi all, we’re considering putting a couple skylights on the roof of our soon-to-be-built home. Don’t yet know exactly where they’re going to go, we’ve got a couple spots picked out. I’ve heard various things from various people about the dependability of skylights. Thought I’d come here to hear the straight scoop. What do you y’all think? As GC’s would you put them in your new home? If so, what brand?
Thanks, Rob
Replies
velux are good. 10 year guarantee
i wouldn't hesitate
skylights buildup a lot of heat in relation to their size . I have found Velux one of the best ( got 8 In my Roof ) provided you get the correct flashing they don't leak. columbia & other cheap ones leak & sweat badly . flashing is very important
Velux, not located near valleys or other flashed roof areas are reliable. I've kept them on the north or east side when possible to limit heat buildup. Make sure you're not looking at the side of a chimney from the couch.
Remodeling Contractor just outside the Glass City.
Quittin' Time
velux are most definatly superior.
On a steep pitched roof the Velux "sky windows" are awesome
Be well
andy
My life is my passion!
http://CLIFFORDRENOVATIONS.COM
OK...I`ll play devils advocate here. I`m not a fan....I think they`re butt ugly from the exterior....and not much nicer from the inside. I try and avoid poking holes in roofs as much as possible. In the ideal setting, i.e. a third story room without sidewalls adequate for actual windows, I`ll allow....other than that....you can keep em.
Velux does however seem to be unanimus.
J. D. Reynolds
Home Improvements
"DO IT RIGHT, DO IT ONCE"
Another vote for velux. Got two, one in the bath, the other over a staircase.IMO, more light means more resale value if and when you sell.
Thanks guys. Seems the majority say "no way". I do like the way it lets natural sunlight into a room, but I'm starting to think that the negatives outweigh the positives. That...and the fact that I've yet to go to a 5+ year old house where they didn't have leaking issues with a skylight.
- Rob
Been using Velux for 20+ years. Have 4 of them in my present house (2 in living rm, 1 kitchen & 1 bath) Never have had a leaker. The new ones come with all type of accouterments,such as blinds & electric openers. Something about a room that has no natural light , thats why we use them !
I've installed several Velux skylights and have never had a leak that I know of (No call-backs.), and I have two in my own house. So, as long as your roof is appropriate for skylights and they are properly installed, leaks should not be a big concern.
We get plenty of cold weather, and condensation has not been an issue either.
They must be less energy-efficient than a well-insulated roof in most cases, but sunlight streaming through and warming a thermal mass and ventilation that reduces the need for air conditioning might help balance the equation.
Esthetically, the number and position of skylights probably depends on the style of your house. Used judiciously, they can be great. The one full bath in our house is only 6' x 7'. I raised the ceiling to the rafters and put in a 4' x 4' south-facing ventilating Velux. It makes the room feel much larger, and showering on a sunny day is a blast. And, no, no hovering helicopters yet.
Al Mollitor, Sharon MA
Agreed
Jaybird and I are in almost complete agreement here. Skylights are simply a hole in the roof.. sure light comes in and in a perfect world it keeps out the rain.. what it fails completly to do is keep heat in and cold out (when it's cold outside) or keep cool in and heat out when it's hot outside..
Remember heat rises and so does your heating bills..
If ya gotta have 'em well you gotta have 'em,... but loss of heat, leaks and looks are three reasons not to have them..
As a variation to skylights, has anyone compared the "Solatubes" with the Velux "Sun Tunnels" for quality and light transmission?
Round holes in your roof rather than square or rectangle ones..
I agree completely with fdampiers. Heat moves easily across skylights in whatever direction you don't want it to. In cold climates condensation can quickly ruin skylight wells unless you put some extras into them (a ventilation air supply in the well, MR drywall).
I also agree with the majority here about Velux. Everything else will leak.
Ron
A skylight by any other name ought to be VELUX. That being said, Don't put skylights where you're going to try to sleep. A thunderstorm is deafening with only a layer of glass between you and the thunder and the driving rain (or hail). Wanna take a nap? Try it on a sunny day with a skylight in your bedroom.
Don't put skylights where you're going to try to sleep
I have a skylight and love the sound the rain makes on it. During thunderstorms you will usually find me napping right below the thing. Of course, I also like the sound of rain on metal roofs; Oh, and long walks on the beach, blah blah blah :)
One bit of advice...try to not put a skylight on the south side, you might wonder why you wasted the money. I have one on the south and it never gives usable light, I might as well have put one in the floor. North facing skylights are great.
gk
'don't know where you live, but we have one in a sitting area that really helps brighten things up on the gloomy days we have here in the Pacific NW. The room has plenty of windows, but I think it would be alot darker without the skylight. 'don't think you would need one in a sunny part of the country, though.
Don't put one on the south or the west, you'll reget it on sunny days (ours faces east). Get a Velux. Get an openable one; they cost just a little bit more and are very useful for venting hot air.
Dear Strokeoluck,
Long ago in a house far away, my first house, I put in 2 skylights at the same time I re-roofed. The windowless bathroom definitely needed one and the one we put in the living room was just the right touch. Being poor, I chose the cheapest clear plexiglass bubbles I could find. They were properly flashed, never leaked, and provided ventilation by my proping open the downhill end in the summer and having screens fabbed to fit the openings. I was young then (long ago, remember?), and I didn't mind the seasonal climb to the roof twice a year to open or close the skylights. Now, we have a sunroom we are adding and I will use Velux because everyone else says to and I don't want to climb onto the roof to do the changes. I will get to opn/close them from the inside. Life was simpler then, but it will be easier now.
Avon @ Witty Inventions.
A skylight is nothing more than a 1000$ hole in your roof.
Mr T
Happiness is a cold wet nose
Life is is never to busy to stop and pet the Doggies!!