If you can’t already tell, we love Skylights. We don’t hide it very well. But we concede that sometimes full-sized skylights aren’t always the most practical in every installation. Let’s say you want to let some natural light into a bathroom, a closet, or a hallway, but a full skylight installation in that part of the roof could be particularly tricky. In some rare cases, a larger skylight might let too much light in. For these applications, a VELUX Sun Tunnel is the perfect solution.
If you’re not familiar, a Sun Tunnel from VELUX is a tubular skylight that’s more visually appealing and easier to install than any other tubular skylights out there. An acrylic dome or flat glass pane is attached to your roof with flashing. From the interior of the roof, either a rigid or flexible tube is fitted downward to the ceiling of the room of your choosing. A trim piece and diffuser keep your ceiling looking clean while letting in the desired amount of light.
Sun Tunnels are also highly customizable. Read some of the helpful tips below to find out how VELUX Sun Tunnel Accessories can perfect your room’s look.
- Let’s say you want to be able to fully control the amount of light coming through. A Daylight Controller is exactly what you need.
- Not getting enough light? A diffusion enhancer or diffuser plates can help with that.
- Don’t like the look of the original trim? Take a look at our other fashionable trim rings.
- Need some light in that room at night? A Universal Electric Lighting Kit can be installed in the tube without sacrificing sunlight during the day!
- Want a higher Sun Tunnel turret on your roof? Use a Turret Extender!
- Got a big roof? Need a long tunnel? Don’t have a straight line available from the roof to the desired ceiling location? No worries, VELUX Sun Tunnels can be used up to 20 ft without sacrificing the intensity of the sunlight. These can be installed in virtually any upper room of the house!
As you can see in the picture below, there are applications for flat roofs and pitched roofs, as well as a flat glass option for a more subtle look on your roof. In some cases, skylights can’t be installed due to a highly pitched roof, but a Sun Tunnel may still be an option.
So what’s the benefit of a VELUX Sun Tunnel over a regular overhead light? The main idea is cost savings. Let’s take hallways for example. They’re really only lived in for short periods of time. Many hallways only have light switches on one end of them, meaning they’re often left lit until passed through again – sometimes hours later. With a Sun Tunnel, you allow an appropriate amount of light through without even having to worry about turning it off during the day. The natural sunlight that was just going to hit your roof anyway instead is used in your home, meaning you don’t have to pay for lighting that space.
Natural light also has many health benefits, as described in another one of our blogs. Natural lighting can improve moods by giving you Vitamin D, which your body turns into serotonin. Serotonin, if you’re not familiar, is a chemical our brain releases which gives us feelings of well-being and happiness.
Make yourself and your wallet happy all while reducing your carbon footprint. Check out our VELUX Sun Tunnels today!