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| Not sure this is the right forum, but couldn't find the right one.
We are planning to purchase a house in Florida. The kitchen/family room area has poor light due to a large covered patio which runs along the outside, shading the windows. Totally blocks any sunlight. These rooms are dark and would require turning the lights on all day. Realtor suggested we check out tube skylights. We went to their showroom and they seem to offer a lot of light during the day. The rep states they are easy to install and never leak. They come in a few sizes. Has anyone had experience with this type of skylight? Would appreciate any feedback. Thanks,
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Follow-Up Postings:
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- Posted by constantine63 (My Page) on Thu, Mar 8, 12 at 11:26
| My sister put two in an interior kitchen. I was impressed by the light they delivered. Her skylights were each about 12 inches in diameter and her kitchen is about 12 feet by 12 feet. They light it nicely. They remind me of fluorescent lights, so aesthetically they aren't the greatest. |
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| Tube skylights are great. They transform the room. Another good place for them is in interior bath and utility rooms. You can get a light kit to install in them too. So they can replace an existing light fixture. |
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| Solar Tubes - These are the ones that we are choosing for our remodel after researching many brands. I know that there are more reasonable brands but Solar Tubes is the pioneer in the technology. The one with the dimmer switch would be a great option for me since we live in a intense heat area. Good luck |
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| We put in the Solatube in an interior the bathroom our previous house when they first became available 15-20 years ago. It was great. We didn't have to turn the light on during the day. W liked it so much that we had one put in our daughters first house recently. People have asked her how to turn the light off in her bathroom. They even provide some light on cloudy days. |
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| Thanks for the info. I never heard of them before. Winesnob, what do you mean about dimmer. How can you dim sunlight? We found the fixtures rather like old bathroom ceiling fixtures. Not terribly attractive, but we were amazed at how much light came through. They only had two choices for the glass fixture. WWs what do you mean about installing a light? We need them for the kitchen which is so dark. There is a hallway which is dark as is the front entry. I so appreciate the feedback. I am thrilled they don't leak, but wish they were more decorative. Jane |
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| Solatube does have some decorative fixtures along with the standard lense. They also have an optional dimmer feature that allows you to lessen the amount of sunlight coming in. Here is the info for the page of their website that shows these options. http://www.solatube.com/residential/product-catalog/brighten-up-series /index.php |
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| After a lot of research I had a Solatube installed 2 years ago. After researching a lot of tube skylights I decided they were the best. I ended up ordering it off the net, but it wasn't from the actual Solatutbe site. I was able to find it considerably cheaper from another supplier, but the site escapes me now. Sue |
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| > WWs what do you mean about installing a light? You can install a light kit in the tunnel, so that it can help illuminate the room at night. The URL below describes the Velux version that we have. The light kit is described about half way down the page. We have the light kit in two of the three in our house. I am currently using 23 watt CFL bulbs in them. But they really should be something like a PAR 20 or PAR 30 LED bulb - as soon as prices on the LED bulbs drop a bit more. |
Here is a link that might be useful: Velux sun tunnel
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| Thank you all. Great information. I didn't realize there were various companies. I like the look of some of the Solatube designs. Looks less frumpy! Now to find someone to install these. Jane |
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