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Tubular Daylighting Devices Bring In Natural Light
More advanced and less pricey than traditional skylights, TDDs are the most modern way to let the light in
I write about interior design and architecture, and take what I learn into my own home (you may find me sanding and painting a kitchen table on the weekends). You can find my articles, published in Apartment Therapy, Architect, Eco-Structure, GRAY, Preservation, The Washington Post and more, at lindseymroberts.com.
I write about interior design and architecture, and take what I learn into... More »
Natural light is one of a home's best assets. It can make you see better and feel better. It can decrease depression and improve your health. As the Greek philosopher Plato said, albeit in a different context, "We can easily forgive a child who is afraid of the dark; the real tragedy of life is when men are afraid of the light." The newest, sleekest way to bring natural light into your home is with a tubular daylighting device — a narrow tube that unobtrusively shines daylight into dark rooms.
Tubular daylighting devices (TDD) also reduce the number of fixtures you need in a room, thereby saving you electricity and money. Solatube International, which manufactures TDDs, also says that the tubes are time and cost efficient: A professional can install one in two hours, and they cost less than installing new windows or traditional skylights. Payback varies, but for an average cost of $500, you could see economic benefits in a few years, Eco-Structure magazine reports.
The skylights are reflective cylinders or pipes installed between the roof and ceiling, with a clear plastic dome. The bottoms of the tubes are diffused or glazed to prevent glaring beams of light and to ensure a soft glow.
Garrison Hullinger, of Garrison Hullinger Interior Design in Portland, Oregon, loves to put these tubes in his clients' bathrooms, because the natural light creates a serene spa atmosphere. But they can go in just about any room of the house.
Tubular daylighting devices (TDD) also reduce the number of fixtures you need in a room, thereby saving you electricity and money. Solatube International, which manufactures TDDs, also says that the tubes are time and cost efficient: A professional can install one in two hours, and they cost less than installing new windows or traditional skylights. Payback varies, but for an average cost of $500, you could see economic benefits in a few years, Eco-Structure magazine reports.
The skylights are reflective cylinders or pipes installed between the roof and ceiling, with a clear plastic dome. The bottoms of the tubes are diffused or glazed to prevent glaring beams of light and to ensure a soft glow.
Garrison Hullinger, of Garrison Hullinger Interior Design in Portland, Oregon, loves to put these tubes in his clients' bathrooms, because the natural light creates a serene spa atmosphere. But they can go in just about any room of the house.
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The difference in this bathroom between no TDD, with electric lights from sconces turned on, and a TDD, electric lights turned off, is eye opening. And the more you keep your lights off, the more you save in electric costs.
Designer Garrison Hullinger put a skylight in this project's bathroom, adding to the feeling of the outdoors brought in.
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by Spore Design
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| TDDs can be installed on almost any roof. And unlike large skylights, they keep a fairly low profile, even if they can be seen from an outdoor space, as in this house. |
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In this close-up of a Velux Sun Tunnel, you can see the clear plastic dome on top of the reflective cylinder that is installed between the roof and the ceiling.
A shower with a solar tube shines brightly, even without electric lights.
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A TDD in a kitchen, combined with canned lights, makes the space warmer than the canned lights would alone. If multiple TDDs are installed in a space, reducing the use of electric lights, it also reduces the room's heat gain, says SolaDesign Systems, another maker of TDDs. This can save even more electricity and money by lessening the need for air conditioning.
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If you don't like the way the TTDs look from the inside, you can always recess part of the ceiling and then install multiple ones, so that they go fairly unnoticed.
Tell us: If you could install a tubular daylighting device in one room of your house, which would it be?
More:
Expert Lighting Design Secrets
Get the Lighting Right: 8 Mistakes to Avoid
12 Ways to Light Your Kitchen With LEDs
Tell us: If you could install a tubular daylighting device in one room of your house, which would it be?
More:
Expert Lighting Design Secrets
Get the Lighting Right: 8 Mistakes to Avoid
12 Ways to Light Your Kitchen With LEDs
Ideabook updated on March 30, 2012.
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We have one in our master closet and one in our windowless laundry room. It's just wonderful! I can't praise them enough. It's even a lot of fun at night during a full moon when the moonlight comes shining in.
We are moving soon and the builder does not offer them (silly builder) so we will have to do them after market. We will need 4 without question but I am actually wanting a total of 6 as there are many interior rooms and I'd love to have one go to the first floor kitchen as well!
Attached is a photo of our current laudry room with a solar tube. LOVE IT!