Skylights:pros and cons?

soberjulie

Finished the bathroom....now preparing to move on to stage 2 of reno's...the kitchen!!
We are going to vault the ceiling of our 1940's bungalow...and had decided to put a couple of skylights in, until a few people gave their 2cents and now we are undecided.
They claimed they are noisy in the rain, hard to keep clean (we live in a mature area with very large trees) and quite often leak.
Just looking for some feedback on pros and cons of skylights.

oh'mike

Buy Velux and you eliminate most of the objections---

I've added sky lights to many homes ,mainly in the Kitchen----Never once heard of a problem.

Well, just one regarding a tree---as I look up to admire the new window I recognize the tall tree above the window as an Osage Orange----They have a heavy green fruit that could damage the window---

The tree was removed--I wanted the wood but they forgot to call me---

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joecaption

Older style windows did sometimes leak.
At one time it was a $ 75.00 option for the flashing kit and people tryed to make one DIY.
Installed right there should not be any leaks.

Fairview

All the claims you heard are true plus hail and they don't work well after sun set when light is normally needed. When my new roof was installed the contractor gave me the pleasure of throwing it in the dumpster. I would never have one again.

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Maintenance 6

Velux with tinted and tempered glass. I have them in my own home and have no complaints. My only problem is a bird that likes to roost on the top edge of one........ and that's not the skylights fault......... but i'll get him. Oh, and it washes off during the next rain.

ddawg16

I also vote for the Velux.

I have 2 of them...one in the upstairs of the garage and a new one in the master bath. In California, it has to be tempered glass (in case of the big one, if the glass breaks, it's just a bunch of small pieces).

You have two basic styles....deck mounted and curb mounted. Unless you have a real low slope, go deck mounted. It's a lot easier to finish out the inside. Also, make sure you get the optional flashing kit...costs maybe $80 or so...but well worth it. I would be willing to bet that most leaks are a result of poor flashing. This kit is made for the skylight....so you know it will work.

Also....get one that opens....it's a great way to let air out....especially in a smoky kitchen.

If you click on the link in my signature (2-story addition)...towards the end you will see a couple of pics of my skylight.

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shazapple

Skylights have come a long way, but they still have to be properly designed and create additional maintenance. Roof leaks are more likely to happen at flashing and projections, and in my experience skylights always end up leaking. In terms of insulation, roofs are usually insulated at R60, so sticking a window in that can sometimes result in condensation issues (especially if they aren't designed for our climate). There are a couple rooms in my house that would benefit from a skylight but I'm not a fan of how they look and not a fan of the associated maintenance.

soberjulie

Are those round sun tube things the same type of idea as a skylight? Same type of installation etc?

oh'mike

Much simpler to install than a sky light----more like installing a roof vent----

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ddawg16

Different animal......typically, the dome is on the roof and the outlet can be quite a few feet below....they are great for putting light into rooms that have no window.

As a result of our 2-story addition, our existing bathroom lost it's window....so we added a sun tube.....I'll let the pics speak for them selves.....

This is the bathroom 'before'....note...I already had the hole cut....notice the light coming in through the window before I removed it....not much light since there was a bunch of framing back there. I also turned off the flash on the camera to get a better relative idea of the difference in light.



This is the hole....gives you an idea of the distance to the roof........and, yes, that IS a cats tail hanging down....we have a weird cat (same one in my avatar)



And the end result......at night, if we have a full moon....it brings in enough light that you don't need to turn on the light.



This is what the dome looks like on the roof....



We even put one in the walk in closet upstairs....



This is my bathroom skylight...

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rossfingal

Installed/repaired hundreds of sky lights - various brands.
As far as repairs: most of the problems were - improper, installation.
(For instance - they put it in upside down - top to bottom)
Most of the problems have to do with - bad, installation.

These days: what skylight? -
Velux.
Use the flashing kit.

rossfingal

Also - read the instructions!!!!!

HomeSealed

Skylights and sun tunnels are nice. Anytime you have a penetration in the roof it is going to be a potential source for leakage, but a good product properly installed should be problem free for many years. I agree with the Velux recommendations.

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