You wake every morning to a dark room, with shades drawn over each window to ensure you enjoy plenty of privacy. What if the skylight contractors at Mares & Dow told you there is a way to protect your privacy and welcome the sun into your bedroom every morning that it shines.

As one of the most popular trends for home remodeling projects, installing one or more skylights in your home can brighten up your day even if the sun remains obscured by clouds. Just the glow of each day can produce a more energetic living environment.

Do you have one or more rooms that can use a little more natural light? Take a look at our completed skylight installation projects to learn more about how Mares & Dow can add more value to your home, while at the same time making it much more aesthetically pleasing. 

Let’s review the five benefits of installing one or more skylights in your home.

More Natural Light

Welcoming more natural light into your home brightens the mood of everyone living in or visiting your house. Since many neighborhood construction projects involve building houses close to each other, the only way to invite more sunlight into a home might be to install a skylight at roof level.

It is not just your mental health that benefits from a boost of sunlight. You also benefit from several physical attributes, such as an increase in vitamin D and a much-improved sleep cycle.

Energy Efficient

The more sunlight that enters your home, the less you have to rely on your HVAC system to keep your house warm. This means you reduce your energy consumption, which is a plus for the environment. Less energy consumption also lowers your monthly energy bills. Skylights do not eliminate your dependence on artificial light sources such as task lighting, but when installed at the right spots, they can dramatically reduce your energy usage. 

Enhances Airflow

Although much of the attention on the benefits of skylights focuses on natural light, adding one or more skylights also enhances the flow of air in your home. If you have air circulation issues inside your house, installing a few skylights over several rooms removes some of the warm air and in its place allows cooler air to draw in when you open the lower level windows.

Enlarge the Space Inside Your Home

Allowing more natural light to enter your home creates a kind of illusion that makes a room in your house seem bigger. If you have to deal with limited space in one or more rooms, consider installing a skylight to expand the amount of space you have to work, sleep, or entertain.

Increase in Home Value

Installing one or more skylights increases the visual appeal of the interior, as well as delivers several tangible financial benefits. We already discussed saving money on energy bills, but did you know that skylights also increase the value of houses? The increase in value is because of improved curb appeal and a functional improvement by letting more natural light into your home.

Working with an experienced team of residential general contractors can help you to create a more energetic ambiance, without having to dig deep into your pockets.

Mares & Dow

Contact your local skylight contractors at Mares & Dow Construction and Skylights today to transform your home. We have over 40 years of installation and consulting experience.

If you love cultivating plants, finding the right house to usher in plenty of sunlight is just as important as the rest of a home’s layout. Plant lovers that do not have a sufficient number of windows to welcome in the sun turn to the best skylight contractors for access to natural light. Installing skylights represents an affordable way to nourish your plants, as well as increase the value of your home.

What Are the Types of Skylights?

You have three common types of skylights that increase the amount of sunlight that comes into rooms throughout the day.

Fixed

Referred to by many skylight contractors as traditional skylights, fixed skylights offer a view of the sky and direct sunlight for your plants. You can add shades to modify the amount of light let into a room, as well as create a stable temperature for your plants. Fixed skylights are the most effective way to invite the sun into a room that desperately needs natural light.

Sun Tunnel

Often called tubular skylights, Sun Tunnel skylights come with a lens that mounts on a roof. The lens connects through a reflective aluminum tunnel that attaches to a diffuser installed on a ceiling. Sun Tunnels generate illumination that looks like spot or recessed lighting.

Fresh Air

You can find this type of skylight as a solar or electric-powered way to brighten up the room you have dedicated to growing and cultivating plants. The skylights open by using a remote control device or an app you downloaded to a Smartphone. Rooms that require more sunlight and fresh air, such as the kitchen or a bathroom, benefit greatly from a Fresh Air skylight.

What is the Biology Behind the Connection Between the Sun and Skylights?

When one of our home remodeling contractors meets with you to discuss your plan to provide your plants with more sunlight, you should understand the scientific principle that links plants and sunlight. Plants absorb energy from the sun and then convert the light into energy by going through a process called photosynthesis. Plants that absorb a significant amount of sunlight typically experience the greatest growth spurts. The ability of plants to convert sunlight into beneficial energy remains one of the most fundamental scientific principles.

What Are Some More Reasons Why Skylights Are an Excellent Addition to Your Home?

Turning a cold, dark room into a warm vibrant room is just one of several reasons why skylights make sense for plant lovers. Adding sunlight also benefits the occupants of a home by naturally warming it up. Instead of turning up the thermostat, you install skylights to generate the warmth you need to stay comfortable during the colder months of the year. Improved ventilation enhances the health of you and your family by getting more fresh air into every room. The stylish appearance of many styles of skylights can increase the aesthetic appeal of your house, which comes in handy when you sell it. Natural views of the sky and the surrounding natural attractions can make a room seem much bigger.

Mares & Dow

Contact your local skylight contractors at Mares & Dow Construction and Skylights today to transform your home. We have over 40 years of installation and consulting experience.

Have you been thinking of opening up your roof to let in more light and cut down on your daytime electricity usage? Your local skylight contractors have two key options for you: skylights and solar tubes. If you haven’t thought about either of these options before, your contractor can walk you through both and their respective models.

Both choices are great for increasing your home’s access to natural light, but one might be a better fit for your needs. First, it’s good to get an overview of each option and what they can offer.

What are skylights?

Skylights are sometimes called roof windows because they seem to be glass openings in the roof. But instead of opening your home to a view of the outdoors, it allows the sky to fill your home with sunlight and moonlight. Skylights come in different sizes and shapes, from squares to rectangles to single panels to rows. Contractors can install them with tinted glass, retractable shades, remote-controlled venting, and frame them with wood, metal, or vinyl depending on the roof structure and rafter allowance.

Skylights can cost around $2,000 for installation, and are more costly than solar tubes because they require more installation. They also need wiring installed for remote-controlled venting and retractable shades, and usually need a lot more interior finishing to blend it in with the home interior. Contractors will have to work within your roof to make sure the structural integrity won’t be compromised. In trickier cases, contractors will work around the beams and use specific frames to accommodate the roof slope.

The best places to install skylights in your home include living rooms, dining rooms, master bedrooms, kitchens, and other large spaces where people can enjoy the view of the sky above their heads.

What are solar tubes?

Solar tubes have flexible/rigid sheet tunnels attached to domes that carry sunlight into the home. At the bottom of the tunnel is a porthole that diffuses light through the room. Their diameters begin at 10 inches and can fit into small closets and bathrooms. 

Generally, solar tubes are easier to install than skylights and cost less, at an average of $700. They’re more energy efficient because they diffuse light while blocking UV rays at the exterior dome. Solar tubes are ideal for homes in hot areas, as they provide more natural light than skylights but without substantial heat gain. Conversely, skylights can warm homes up in cooler environments.

Solar tubes are commonly installed in areas with little access to sunlight, such as enclosed stairwells, hallways on the bottom floor of a multi-story residence, bathrooms, and walk-in closets.

Should you install a skylight or solar tube?

It’s good to get a professional opinion before you decide on one or the other—or both. Generally, if you prioritize light over views, you’ll probably be most interested in a solar tube. If you want a view of the sky as it shifts throughout the day, go with a skylight. Skylights are also better if they’re on a roof that sees a lot of direct sunlight, and if you want to brighten your remote workdays with an enjoyable view.

Mares & Dow — Skylight Contractors for Bay Area Homes

Contact the skylight contractors at Mares & Dow Construction and Skylights today to learn about the latest skylight or solar tube models. We’ll help you understand the similarities and differences, then help you determine the best fit for your home or office. With over 40 years of experience, we offer the best in residential and commercial skylight installation.