So a lot of ideas get thrown around by other people in my business as to why you should put tubular skylights (or regular skylights) into your home. The manufacturers tout how environmental friendly their products are, and when properly placed generally I agree. However, a lot of money is changing hands putting tubular skylights into homes that will provide very little benefit to the homeowner.

First, lets talk about where to put them. My mantra when it comes to daylighting is "daylight where you live." Now, you may be saying, duh, I am putting them in my home, which is where I live. What I mean is that putting a tubular skylight in the guest bathroom that no one uses doesn't really serve a purpose. In my opinion, you want to add more daylight to the parts of your house where you spend time and will benefit from them most. Mainly this means kitchens and family rooms. The other place where I think they make a lot of sense is in hallways that always have a light on and bathrooms that are regularly used (and also may have a light that is always on). Not only will your home look better when you let the sun in, you will also feel better in the brighter spaces.

 

Next, let me tell you why I think you should get a tubular skylight. The main reason is that it will improve the appearance of your home by bringing in more natural light, and will also improve your quality of life by making the rooms with tubular skylights more inviting and bright. I don't know too many people that want to spend their days cooped up in a windowless or dreary room, and with properly placed tubular skylights, this won't be an issue. I do not think that you should spend money on tubular skylights if you are trying to increase the value of your property (they won't) or you want to make your home more attractive for sale (you don't know the preferences of the buyer, and they may be adverse to an extra hole in the roof).

 

Finally, I think that you should buy a tubular skylight when you can afford it. I know this sounds simple, but I don't think anyone should go into debt to make this sort of home improvement. It will decrease your energy bills a little if properly placed, but I do not think that tubular skylights 'pay for themselves' over time in a home setting. This should not be a purchase made to cut costs in the long run, rather it should be an investment in your comfort in your own home. This is the reason why I don't take credit cards. I don't want any work that I do for a customer to contribute to them going deeper into debt. I don't plan on getting rich doing this, and I don't want someone else going broke paying interest on their purchase.