Advantages to Natural Lighting in Your Home
When planning a new construction project, a remodel, or an addition, it is important not to forget the impact and benefits of natural light.
Natural light can be useful for both practical lighting when reading, entertaining, or cooking, for instance, but can also provide homeowners with mood enhancing benefits. Bright interior spaces, consistent with our typically sunny outdoor climate, are more pleasant and useful year round. Homes that have abundant natural light are typically viewed as more desirable by owners and/or potential buyers alike for future resale. Bringing daylight inside the home can be achieved in a variety of ways.
Lighting in New Construction
In new construction, windows are typically part of the design element. Modern windows can be had with a variety of tints and trims, allowing for flexibility in design and personal preference. When remodeling an existing space, replacing damaged or antiquated windows can lead to significant increases in energy efficiency and all-season comfort. Picture windows can take advantage of expansive views, adding a dramatic quality to home design. Installing windows, however, in a space where they have not previously been can sometimes be difficult or costly. If this level of work is not feasible or is not within your budget, a popular alternative would be adding a skylight.
Skylights
Traditional skylights, or square/rectangular skylights, have come a long way in the last few years. When skillfully and artfully installed, a traditional skylight can add an airy feeling to a space as well as provide desired natural light. When designed into new construction projects, framing, sheet rocking, and roof integration can all be part of the initial build. If installing as part of a remodel or retrofit, some planning will be necessary to make sure the skylight will fit in the desired area.
Tubular, Solatube Day Lighting Systems
The most recent type of skylight to be introduced is what the industry refers to as a tubular day lighting device: in essence a round or tube-shaped skylight. Tube-shaped skylights offer a number of advantages when retrofitting a home for increased natural light or when building new. From a roofing standpoint, the round, seamless flashing offer a leak-proof design for long-term reliability. From the perspective of placement, these skylights are very flexible. With a small footprint, typically 10 to 14 inches in diameter for residential applications, tube-shaped skylights are designed to fit between existing framing, thereby not requiring changes to structural components or sheet rock work. The superior energy efficiency of tube-shaped skylights allows for use in energy-conscious building and remodeling. Industry leading products, such as Solatube Day Lighting Systems, are equipped with ultraviolet (UV) protection to guard against harmful damage to artwork, furnishings, and even automobiles when installed in garages. These products also offer a greater variety of design enhancements, allowing for a unique interpretation by the homeowner as well as consistency within a design theme. The Solatube Day Lighting Systems in particular can be combined with electric light fixtures, LED Smart Systems complete with motion detection for automated day and night illumination, as well as a host of other customization options. As an added benefit, homeowners will experience neither heat gain nor heat loss from Solatube brand tube-shaped skylights.
Whatever your need when it comes to adding natural light to your home, there are experts who can explain both the benefits and feasibility of a variety of products available on the market today. Natural light will make your home more beautiful, desirable, useful, and enjoyable for years to come. Change your light and change your life.
