Q As a long-time reader of your column, I’m confused about your recommendations for skylights. I’m pretty sure you’ve written over the years that you really like them, but I also think you’ve said that you really hate them.
We’ve got two big ones over our family room and that room is the most uncomfortable one in the house, mostly because it gets very hot in there and it’s awfully hard to watch TV with all the glare. So please clarify for me — do you like them or not?
A I do and I don’t. What I mean is that I think skylights are absolutely terrific to have in a home. Most people really enjoy the light they bring, especially in rooms with small windows. The view to the sky can be a very pleasant diversion. The warmth from the sun in cold weather can feel terrific. And thanks to improvements in materials and quality of installation, worries about cracked domes, water leaks and other problems are virtually non-existent. But what I also mean is that uncontrolled skylights can be a horrible energy liability and can cause room overheating, excessive glare and other problems.
If you’ve already got skylights in a home, like you do, think about the following:
If they’re clear glass, consider having them replaced with glazings that have a low solar heat gain. This will cut down on some of the light you’re getting now, but it will block a great deal of the heat that’s bothering you.
Don’t put window film on the skylight since it can expand as it gets hot, damaging the glass.
Consider having a flat or domed glazing put across the bottom of the light well to diffuse the light.
Contact the skylight manufacturer or a local shade or drapery company for recommendations on shades that can be installed to let you regulate when you want to let light in and when you want to block it.
If you don’t have skylights yet but are interested in them, here are a few ideas for you:
– Buy skylights that have a low solar gain coating that will cut down on the light getting in. It will help reflect the invisible infrared portion of the solar radiation, cutting down on the heat getting into the house.
– An alternative is to choose skylights that have a diffusing dome (giving them a milky white appearance). This type diffuses the direct beam sunlight and gives softer, more uniform illumination by sending the light into the room in many different directions.
– Talk to local companies about tubular skylights that have become increasingly popular in recent years. I really like these a lot. They feature a diffusing glazing across the bottom of the cylinder that minimizes the bright sun’s rays that cause glare and heat.
– Finally, consider the size of the room when choosing the size of the skylight you want over it. An opening that is too big may let in more light and heat than you want.
Skylights are terrific, but it’s essential that you take steps to control the light and heat they’re going to give you. It’s sure great sitting in your favorite easy chair in the middle of winter, enjoying the warmth coming down from the skylight overhead, but it’s not really so terrific when you’re watching that championship football game on your 50-inch plasma TV and all you see are light streaks on the screen from the overhead sun. It doesn’t have to be this way if you use controls on that light.
While all homeowners will find times when skylights provide light or warmth during the day (such as when some family members are home during the day or everyone is there on weekends), it can be especially advantageous in situations where the occupants are retired or work from home, and thus are able to take advantage of the direct daylight benefits on a frequent basis.
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