Velux Commercial Skylights

Skylights have the potential to transform the interior of commercial buildings. Natural light benefits both building occupants and the bottom line. The natural light that is harnessed and diffused through quality commercial skylights enhances the experience of indoor spaces and research indicates also increases the health and well-being, as well as overall productivity, of building occupants. Additionally, the ability to leverage natural light as a lighting resource can reduce electricity use and utility costs. Commercial skylights come in a range of styles and applications that can fit nearly every commercial building.

Velux: A premier brand in skylights

For over 75 years, Velux has been a trusted brand and market leader in providing residential and commercial skylight solutions. To create their innovative skylight models, Velux collaborates with architects, industrial designers, smart building technology companies, as well as sustainable living initiatives. The result is a cutting-edge lineup of skylight products. From the Velux Group’s first patent for their roof window in 1942 to today’s broad portfolio with dozens of skylight models and variations, Velux has become synonymous with quality, efficiency, and innovation.

Velux and Mares & Dow: Ideal partners in commercial skylights

In order to design and implement new skylight solutions in over 40 countries across the globe, Velux partners with local skylight contractors to ensure their proper installation and to maximize the design potential of their products. These Five-Star skylight installers are a specialized group of insured contractors designated by Velux based on the quality and thoroughness of their work and their commitment to providing the best job possible. In San Francisco and the East Bay, Mares & Dow are the Velux Premier Skylight Specialists and they have been providing reputable general contracting, home remodeling, and skylight services for 40 years. Mares & Dow prides itself on customer satisfaction and is an ideal partner for Velux commercial skylights in the Bay Area, no matter the skylight solution.

Dynamic Domes

Velux Dynamic Domes are one of the new products in the Velux portfolio and their design aims to revolutionize commercial skylights through its five innovative components:

Industry-leading strength
Optimum light harvesting
Superior water management
Secure thermal seal
Competitive market pricing

The Dynamic Dome utilizes a unique structural design of geometric ridges and ribs that is both aesthetically stunning and superior in strength. The thermoplastic material of its glazing was factory tested to withstand hail, fire, and even an 8-foot projectile propelled at 40mph without leaving a scratch on the dome surface. The Dynamic Dome is also designed to maximize the amount of daylight it harvests, with its sidewalls engineered to match the angle of the sun at morning and evening, increasing light transfer during those low-light parts of the day. In addition, the Dynamic Dome benefits from a proprietary wicking system that moves condensation to the exterior of the skylight and a one-piece inner frame made of 50-year silicone that minimizes leaks. Further, this inner frame combined with the dome mounting design provides a secure thermal seal that insulates the interior surfaces from the external temperatures. Lastly, the Dynamic Dome is designed and manufactured to minimize costs, for example the light-weight skylights can stack and be shipped in large quantities, thereby reducing freight costs.

Traditional Domes

Velux Traditional Domes feature single, double, and triple-dome designs, with multiple glazing options for the exterior, middle, and interior domes, and comes in standard or custom sizes to meet a variety of commercial skylight needs. Traditional Dome skylights also utilize the same innovative frame design of the Dynamic and Acrylic Double Domes, which ensures superior water management and a secure thermal seal. The one-piece, thermoplastic inner frame wicks away any interior condensation while also providing an impenetrable seal to the curb that prevents precipitation, air, or bugs from coming inside.

The inner frame is a key component within an overall frame system that also includes a glazing spacer that works to reduce cracking when the domes expand or contract and further acts against condensation accumulation, while the inner dome rests on material with similar properties of expansion and contraction. Together, this unique frame design provides the durability and efficiency customers expect from Velux commercial skylights.

Acrylic Double Domes

Velux Acrylic Double Domes are curb mounted and have three glazing options. Customers can opt for a clear exterior dome over a clear interior dome, a bronze exterior dome over a clear interior dome, or a clear exterior dome over a white interior dome, and each variation has its benefits. For example, a clear-over-clear Acrylic Double Dome skylight is ideal for applications that seek to harvest the maximum amount of natural light, while clear-over-white Acrylic Double Domes have similar light transfer properties but produce more diffuse lighting with less potential for glare in the interior space.

Velux Acrylic Double Dome curb-mounted skylights are a versatile commercial skylight option as they can be installed on various roof types and yield similar light harvesting, water management, and thermal security results. This is due to the “warm design” of the skylight, which fully isolates the interior surfaces of the skylight from exterior temperatures by utilizing a one-piece thermoplastic inner frame that acts as a thermal break. This design benefits customers by minimizing the formation of condensation, which occurs when the moist indoor air comes in contact with surfaces that are subject to the fluctuations of external temperatures and which is mitigated with Velux’s encapsulating inner frame. This design also curtails the infiltration of exterior environmental elements through the skylight, such as air, water, or insects, which can undermine the quality of the indoor environment, reduce occupant comfort, and increase HVAC energy use and utility costs.

Fixed Curb Mounts

Velux Fixed Curb Mount skylights boast a maintenance-free frame, versatility in the dimensions and installation direction of the skylight, and the options of factory installed blinds or white laminated glass. These commercial skylights are ideal for smaller or dimly-lit spaces that, with the introduction of natural light, can appear to expand as they access sky views. These skylights transform areas such as stairwells, hallways, or interior rooms without windows. As the skylight model name indicates, Fixed Curb Mount skylights do not vent and utilize an installation technique that relies on a curb, which is a raised structure that corresponds with the dimensions of the skylight and is either built on-site with wood or pre-manufactured and made of aluminum or steel. The curb is affixed to the roof’s surface and the skylight mounted on top, as opposed to deck-mounted skylights which are installed flat against the roof’s surface.

1 – Clean, Quiet & Safe Glass

2 – Daylight

3 – No Leak Promise

Modular Skylights

Velux Modular Skylights can be characterized as a system of multiple commercial skylights that are designed by customers to meet their unique needs and manufactured to their specifications by Velux. There is a multitude of variations available, from the type of glass to the type of ventilation and blind control system, and come in five primary configurations with accompanying prefabricated flashing.

- Longlight
  This Modular Skylight solution is a single series of skylights that is ideal for flat or slightly-pitched (between 5 and 25 degrees) roofs and works to open up large rooms and corridors.

- Wall-Mounted Longlight
  Similar to standard Longlight Modular Skylights, the Wall-Mounted Longlight is a single series of skylights but can be installed at a steeper pitch (up to 40 degrees) and affixed to a vertical wall. The Wall-Mounted Longlight opens up design options for commercial buildings with staggered rooflines, making the juncture of horizontal and vertical exterior surfaces dynamic channels of natural light.

- Northlight
  Northlight Modular Skylights are designed for north-facing roofs that allow their upright design to harvest more reflected, as opposed to direct, natural light. This design is ideal for spaces that require softer daylight illumination and minimal glare, such as galleries or offices that utilize a modern, open-concept interior design.

- Ridgelight
  This Modular Skylight configuration involves two series of skylights that steeple together to form a shared ridge that is self-supporting and allows an even greater amount of natural light through its angled and doubled skylight surface area.

- Atrium Longlight/Ridgelight
  The most comprehensive of the Modular Skylight solutions, Atrium Modular Skylights are composed of multiple series of Ridgelights or Longlights supported with structural beams. There is further variation available by combining fixed and venting skylights in the larger Atrium Modular Skylight design.

Commercial Sun Tunnels

Velux Commercial Sun Tunnels offer an innovative alternative in scenarios where more traditional skylights are not feasible, while still harvesting and channeling ample natural light into interior spaces. Commercial Sun Tunnels are composed of a small acrylic dome that is attached to a highly reflective silver tube that can extend several feet into the building and terminates in an interior light diffuser. Commercial Sun Tunnels work by harvesting sunlight through the specially designed external domes and directing the light through the tunnel, the surface of which provides 98% total reflectivity. The diffuser at the end of the tube allows the tunneled light to illuminate a wide area and can be adapted to work with open, suspended, or hard ceilings. Commercial Sun Tunnels are designed for flat or slightly-pitched roofs and are manufactured in three models ready for installation, the curb mounted flashing model, the pitched self-flashed model, or the flat self-flashed model.

Velux: A premier brand in skylights

In San Francisco and the East Bay, Mares & Dow are the Velux Premier Skylight Specialists and they have been providing reputable general contracting, home remodeling, and skylight services for 40 years. Mares & Dow prides itself on customer satisfaction and is an ideal partner for Velux commercial skylights in the Bay Area, no matter the skylight solution.