Tips for Planning Skylights in Your Home

Adding a window to a room and adding a skylight to a room have remarkably different effects. For one thing, a skylight admits much more light than a window of the same size. For another, windows capture low-angled rays in the winter while limiting high summer sun, and skylights generally do the opposite. While windows will need to be fitted with blinds or drapes, skylights don't always require a shade.

Consider the Path of Sunlight over Your Home

Placing a skylight on a south-facing roof slope can overheat some rooms in some climates. By contrast, skylights on a north-facing slope admit more diffuse light. If you want a dramatic, "sun-splashed" effect, you won't get that with a north-facing skylight. Many homeowners choose tinted glass for their skylights - particularly south-facing ones - to limit fading from sunlight coming through the skylight.

Don't Be Afraid to Think Big

Just because you have a small room doesn't mean you need a small skylight. The cost of installation doesn't vary much with size, so don't be afraid to order a skylight of generous size if you want to add a lot of light. A small room with a generous-sized skylight will look dramatic, while a large room with a tiny skylight may look odd.

Consider Tubular Skylights for Tiny Spaces

Sometimes, however, a small skylight is the right choice. A tiny interior bathroom without windows can be the perfect place for a tubular skylight. Tubular skylights consist of a small dome on the roof, a reflective tube running through the attic and ceiling, and a dome-shaped or flat fixture in the ceiling.

Don't Forget About How it Looks from the Outside

Consider how a skylight looks on your exterior roof line. In general, you want to align your skylight with a window, door, or other architectural feature to avoid a random look. It's also a good idea to avoid placing skylights on roof surfaces that are street-facing, particularly on older architecture styles. Skylights come in a dizzying array of styles and can be made to suit any roofline or architecture while bringing welcome light inside your home.