Today's
TECHNOLOGY AND YOU

Q: My kitchen, bathroom and hallway are too dark. I prefer no-cost natural light. How effective are low-cost do-it-yourself skylight tube kits? - G. S.

A: Using natural lighting as much as possible helps conserve energy and reduces peak electricity generation demand. With its excellent color rendition, natural light is especially appealing for kitchens. Foods look much more appetizing. Natural light is full-spectrum light which can help alleviate your winter blues.

There are basically two reasonably-priced and attractive options for brightening your kitchen with natural light—a do-it-yourself skylight tube kit or a small high-efficiency standard skylight. If your ceiling is flat with an attic area above it, standard skylight installation can be tricky. A properly-shaped lightwell has to be built to get full advantage of a skylight.

A skylight tube kit is a fairly new natural lighting option ideal for kitchens, bedrooms, halls and walk-in closets. There are many innovative designs to meet most house and roof designs.

The basic design concept is a tube, between 10 and 20 inches in diameter, with a highly reflective-interior. The tube runs from the roof to the ceiling. Skylight tubes are easy to install yourself, so the expensive outside labor cost of installing a standard skylight is eliminated.

On a sunny day, a skylight tube can provide the equivalent lighting of ten 100-watt light bulbs. From indoors, it looks just like a bright globe light fixture on the ceiling. The top of the tube, which extends through the ceiling, is covered with a waterproof clear acrylic plastic dome.

The dome shape captures sunlight and is naturally cleaned whenever it rains. It extends only a few inches above the roof. An optional reflector can increase the brightness. The tube runs up from the ceiling to just above the roof. Since the various tube kit designs are sized to fit between the roof rafters, cutting is minimal. Complete do-it-yourself installation should take about two hours.

Some designs use a reflective aluminum surface inside the tube. The sunlight bounces back and forth as it makes its way down into your kitchen, losing little brightness. Other designs use a reflective film bonded to the inside of the tube.

If the attic space above the area where you need light has obstructions, choose a skylight tube made of flexible corrugated material. This special material is very reflective on the inside and can be bent and twisted in any direction. Several of the rigid tube designs have an angle sleeve, allowing the tube to change directions and to match the slope of any roof or ceiling.

One unique skylight tube kit has an optional built-in vent fan. This is great to exhaust cooking odors or for any room to increase summer ventilation. The hottest air is always near the ceiling. Several models also have built-in electric lights for nighttime lighting.

Skylight tubes are much more efficient than standard skylights because they have so much less surface area. The long, sealed tube, which is filled with air, forms an insulating column from the roof to the ceiling. When installed properly, there is no air leakage.

Write for Utility Bills Update No. 554 showing a buyer's guide of nine do-it-yourself skylight tube kits listing sizes, features, prices, installation instructions, efficient skylight manufacturers and a sizing chart. Please include $2 (with checks payable to Jim Dulley) and a business-size SASE, and send to Jim Dulley, Illinois Country Living, P.O. Box 3787, Springfield, IL 62708.

James Dulley is a mechanical engineer who writes on a wide variety of energy and utility topics. His column appears in a large number of daily newspapers.

Copyright 1996 James Dulley

6 ILLINOIS COUNTRY LIVING MARCH 1997