Adding Drama, Efficiency to Your Space With Skylights

While drama may be unattractive in other aspects of your life, a dash of it can be just what your home’s decor needs to spice things up. Fortunately, you don’t have to choose between drama and cents. At least one popular design element can deliver positive impact on your decor and your wallet: skylights.

Advances in skylight design make them a cost-effective, green design element. Less dependence on artificial light sources or powered ventilation can mean lower electric bills. In fact, EnergyStar.gov says that installing Energy Star-qualified skylights, windows and doors can shrink your home’s energy bill — and carbon footprint — by 7 to 15 percent over non-qualified products.

“Skylights convey drama, yet they’re a surprisingly cost-effective home improvement,” said Ross Vandermark, national product manager of Velux, manufacturers of the No-Leak Skylight.

Aesthetic benefits

Skylights add a touch of drama to your interior design and are an appealing solution for rooms where a traditional window might be problematic.

For example, in a bath, a venting skylight makes it possible to enjoy natural light and fresh air without sacrificing privacy. Venting models are also popular in kitchens and laundry rooms to remove cooking odors and excess heat.

In other areas of the home, affordable tubular skylights like Velux’s Sun Tunnel products make it possible to introduce natural light to hallways, closets and other smaller or confined spaces.

Overall, skylights are less limiting to a room’s design than a traditional window — all while admitting much more natural light.

Practical value

Venting skylights can also offer a low-cost way to address indoor air quality by removing humidity, fumes and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from your home through their natural chimney effect.

Accessorizing with manual or solar-powered, remote-operated blinds that qualify for tax breaks allows you to further incorporate skylights into a design theme. Plus, the blinds enhance the efficiency of skylights by allowing you to control the amount of light or heat that enters or leaves a room.