Why Choose Solatube Over A Traditional Skylight??

In recent years as people have become more serious about saving resources, more and more attention has been turned to the use of skylights as an important way of decreasing our reliance on electric lights and the energy they consume. Skylights can provide an attractive option for those looking to reduce their carbon footprints, as well as reducing their household budgets. In fact, skylights offer so many benefits, the decision to add a skylight to your home can seem like the clear solution for conserving both energy and money.

Traditional Solutions

However, when it comes to choosing the bests skylights for your needs, things get a little murkier. That’s because today, there are many skylight manufacturers to choose from. Most homeowners are familiar with traditional skylights – those big, rectangular boxes that are set into your roof to let the sunlight in. However, just because they’re the most familiar option, that doesn’t mean they’re the best.

Traditional rectangular skylights do perform a function: They let in sunlight. But because of their flat-surface design, their function is severely limited. Except for any very brief period of time when the sun is directly over the skylight, traditional skylights can only bring in sunlight at an angle. Sunlight that hits the skylight and makes it into your home has already lost a considerable amount of its lighting capacity.

What’s more, traditional units typically have a large circumference, requiring major reconstruction that can compromise structural elements like joists and beams in the process. And that large circumference leaves a huge seam open to the elements, making them prone to leaks during heavy rains, especially as the seals age over time.

And of course, because of their flat design, traditional skylights are only good in rooms where only the roof is above, meaning they can’t be used to deliver light to the first floor of a multistorey home.

The Solatube Advantage

Solatube skylights eliminate all those issues. First, Solatube units use a proprietary dome design that captures maximum sunlight no matter where the sun is located in the daytime sky. That means you can enjoy much more light compared to a traditional skylight, even on cloudy days. Plus, Solatube units are tubular, so there’s no need to cut through joists and other supports, so installation is simpler and less expensive. And because the tubes are lined with the most reflective material in the world, you’ll enjoy even more sunlight for consistent lighting throughout the day.

Solatube’s tubular design and reflective liner also enable the units to deliver light over long distances – up to 9 metres (about 30 feet) – so you can enjoy sunlight anywhere in your home – even your basement. Finally, seamless, self-mounted flashing options and curb-mounted caps mean you don’t have to worry about leaks and interior water damage.