Dear friend,

There’s nothing quite like natural light to change the feel and functionality of a home. Adding a skylight to a room can transform a room from dull to spectacular and in today’s energy conscious world; skylights can be a real energy saver too.

clip_image002Skylights come in many forms, from simple bubbles to high-tech lights with motorized shades that open and close on their own. There’s even the innovative and inexpensive solar tube for those awkward areas. Consider what a skylight can do in your home to bring in natural mood-enhancing light and add that special feel.

As always, I am available to help assess the impact a skylight can have on the marketability of your home or help find the right product or professional.

Oh by the way, If you know anyone interested in selling or buying a home let me know and I will provide them with excellent service.

Skylights

Skylight Styles. Today’s manufacturing allows for skylights to be made into virtually any shape with a wide variety of options including motorized shades, automatic dimming, rain sensors, automatic venting and more. Home centers offer simple rectangular, fixed lights typically made of plastic; however custom lights are available in plastic and glass. Glass offers better durability and the ability to include UV filtering to preclude fading of furniture and carpeting. Glass skylights must be tempered safety glass. They can be ‘fixed’ in place or hinged to allow them to open for venting. Builders can even make them on-site during construction using tempered glass panels or Plexiglas. Solar ‘tubes’ are also available as do-it-yourself kits or professionally installed. Tubes have the ability to channel light rays from one location to another even along a curved pathway.

Placement. Skylights are great solutions for just about any room in the home. Some of the most popular locations are the kitchen, entry and hallways, bathrooms, walk-in closets and offices. In many areas, skylights can preclude the need for artificial light altogether and enhance the quality and quantity of light. This can be especially useful in closets and bathrooms where natural light helps with clothing selection and makeup application.

Solar Tubes. Solar tubes are a great innovation allowing for amazing flexibility to channel light into those hard to access places like hallways and bathrooms and even showers. Do-it-yourself products typically include ‘corrugated’ flexible tubing which is usually less efficient than professional ‘straight sided’ tubing. Some tubing systems have special trims that incorporate artificial lights in the trim for use at night.

Special Features. Forget the old hand crank, todays skylights can be fitted with motorized cranks to open for venting or draw a shade. Some advanced product use special glass that dims at the touch of a switch.

Installation. Typically installation should be done by a licensed, qualified contractor with experience. Most pre-fabricated skylights have factory installed curbing and flashing which virtually eliminates leakage as long as they are installed properly. When determining where to locate the skylight, avoid structural components of the roof and ceiling. Even if there are structural components in the way, qualified contractors may be able to re-work the structure to retain its integrity. Avoid site-built skylights using sealants as they tend to break down and leak over time. Don’t forget to consider how much light will be pouring through. South-facing windows can bring excess solar heat during the summer months making the space uncomfortable. z

Courtesy of Linnea Jones – Windermere Real Estate / Northeast, Inc.

425-765-2211

This information is adapted from various sources and should not be relied upon as definitive or authoritative. Reader should seek professional advice before proceeding.