There appears to be a fair amount of negativity in the world at the moment, and it’s safe to say that we all could use a little brightness in our lives, particularly in our homes. If your home is dull and gloomy, and lacks natural sunlight, you may wish to let more sunshine in. This is where traditional skylights and/or solar tubes can be so effective.
Natural sunlight not only lifts your mood, it’s also a great way of enhancing the décor and ambience of your home’s interior, while also adding value to your property. Not only does natural sunlight create a warm and friendly environment, it can also help reduce energy costs.
Some of the most effective ways of letting more natural sunlight into your home is through the installation of skylights or solar tubes. But what are the differences between the two, and what are the differences in costs?
Here’s a look at traditional skylights and solar tubes, along with a quick cost breakdown.
What are Traditional Skylights?
Traditional skylights, or simply ‘skylights’ are probably more familiar to most people than solar tubes.
Skylights are basically just windows set into your roof, rather than the walls of your home. Their primary function is to let more sunlight into the home, while also providing impressive views at the same time.
Typically, the windows themselves are made from glass, though other materials such as acrylic and polycarbonate may also be used. Like windows, they also come with a frame and are sealed and surrounded by flashing to ensure that they’re watertight.
You can opt for a fixed skylight, which simply serves as a window that doesn’t open, or a ventilating skylight. Ventilating skylights are attached to a hinge, and they open slightly, just like a window to allow a small amount of air inside, to encourage the circulation of air, and to help release moisture.
Though you can purchase custom made skylights, primarily they are square or rectangular shaped, and come in a number of different sizes and dimensions.
What are Solar Tubes?
Solar tubes on the other hand, are relatively new in comparison with traditional skylights, and are gradually growing in popularity with each passing year.
Solar tubes are also referred to as ‘light tubes’, ‘tubular skylights’ and even ‘sun tunnels.’ They are typically rigid or flexible metal tubes which consist of a polycarbonate or acrylic dome placed into the roof of your home.
This dome is designed to catch natural sunlight and deflect it down these tubes to a diffusing lens fitted to the ceiling. The tubes come in a variety of sizes, though primarily they begin with diameters of 10 inches, and gradually increase in size.
What are the Differences?
Okay, so now that we know what traditional skylights are, as well as what solar tubes are, it’s now time to look at the key differences.
In reality, the two products couldn’t be any more different. A skylight is one single window attached to the roof of your home, whereas solar tubes consist of the acrylic dome in your ceiling, the diffusing lens, and the actual tubes themselves.
Skylights not only allow natural sunlight inside, but they also provide views outside, up into the sky. This makes them great for sitting back and watching the clouds on a sunny day, or even doing a spot of stargazing when it gets dark. Ventilating skylights also open slightly and can let fresh air in, circulate the air, and let out steam, smoke, moisture, and cooking smells.
Solar tubes are hardly noticeable, other than the acrylic dome. Their primary purpose is to discreetly let more light into the home.
Solar Tubes vs Traditional Skylights
Although both of these products help to let natural sunlight into the home, they are very different to one another. When deciding on whether to go with a skylight or a solar tube, there are a lot of things to consider. One of which is how much sunlight you want in your home. If it’s solely natural light that you want, solar tubes may have the edge.
Solar tubes are designed to primarily allow more natural light into the home. A skylight may provide less than 40% of the sun’s natural light, while a solar tube can let as much as 99% of the sun’s light in.
If it’s aesthetics that you’re looking to improve, skylights likely have the edge. Solar tubes look natural and aren’t really all that noticeable. On the flipside a skylight can serve as a focal point in any room. Not only that, but as skylights come in different designs, you can customize the design to match the décor of your house, both inside and out. You can choose different sizes, different shapes, and different materials for the framing. This will really help make it standout.
Solar tubes are much easier to install than a skylight, as they are much smaller in size and require less roof work. They also require less maintenance than skylights.
Cost Breakdown
So, if you have decided to go for a traditional skylight in your home, or a solar tube, the final thing you need to consider is the overall cost itself.
Overall, traditional skylights are more expensive than solar tubes for a number of reasons. Not only do they require more labor when fitting, but things such as the size of your roof, its angle, what it’s made from, the design you choose, sheetrock work, painting, and finishing will also help increase the cost.
Typically, including installation, a traditional skylight will cost anything from $1,500 – $6,000. The average price, however, sits somewhere in the $2,500 range.
As for solar tubes, they are considerably cheaper as they’re smaller, easier and quicker to install, and require less prep work and fitting. The average price of solar tubes, including fitting, is currently around $800 – $1,500. The larger the solar tube setup is, the more it is going to cost. The average is around $850.