Handy Man Problems

A handy man is great for so many projects around the home, but not for the installation of the specialized VELUX Sun Tunnel Skylight.

After having a handy man install two VELUX Sun Tunnels, a customer has come to us to repair the damage and reinstall both Sun Tunnels. These mistakes are costly, and the customer is spending double what they would had they hired Naturalight Solar to do the job right the first time.

With Naturalight Solar, you won’t need to worry that your roofing will be damaged, causing leaks, or that tin foil was used to connect the top tube to the dome, or that there are gaps in the tubing that obscure the light and where bugs and small rodents could enter your Sun Tunnel.

Don't let your Sun Tunnels look like these:

At Naturalight Solar, our installers are licensed and trained by VELUX to install their products properly. And we stand behind our workmanship with a 10-year warranty.

Light Your Life: Day and Night

The New VELUX Solar Night Light

The new Solar Night Light for the VELUX Sun Tunnel is powered by the sun, providing you with: constant, low-level light after the sun sets a night light that costs nothing to operate eligibility for a 30% federal tax credit on your entire VELUX Sun Tunnel Skylight purchase and installation Read More

Get a Free Estimate

There's Light at the End of the Sun Tunnel

Written by Katie Cirovic, for VELUX UK Blog, September 6, 2017

The Rayner family used sun tunnels to increase natural light in the hallway of their four bedroom detached home in Northampton.

Freddie Rayner, 69, said his first floor hallway had always been starved of natural light as the space didn’t have any windows and he wasn’t sure what options were open to him. 

He said: “We even considered removing all the walls at the top of the stairs and replacing them with glass door and windows – but it was going to be hugely expensive.”

It was only while holidaying in Spain that he stumbled upon the perfect solution. While staying in a villa on Spain’s south-eastern Costa Blanca, Freddie was intrigued by a light feature in one of the rooms that he would later discover to be a sun tunnel. 

As soon as the plane touched down in the UK, Freddie was on the phone to a VELUX expert to discuss the benefits of having a sun tunnel installed in the hallway above the staircase.

He was told sun tunnels bring natural light in to even the darkest spaces through a specially designed, highly-reflective tunnel that passes from roof to ceiling meaning that you won’t necessarily always have to turn the
lights on.

They work best over small straight runs and the amount of light they direct into a hallway is quite remarkable.

In just 4 weeks, VELUX-recommended installers had positioned two sun tunnels directly above the staircase on the first floor of the Rayner’s family home and the space was forever transformed.

Freddie said: “The transformation is truly amazing. We’ve gone from relying on the reflective power of several strategically placed mirrors which we hoped would maximise the light given off by chandeliers we had to keep switched on throughout the day - to never turning on an electric light during the day again!

“The process of getting the sun tunnels installed was also seamless. From the initial conversation with the VELUX expert to liaising with the installers and then the sun tunnels actually going in – it was a painless process and total value for money. The installers, recommended to us by VELUX did such a clean job – all that was left for us to do was admire the result! 

“Our only regret is not looking into the sun tunnel option sooner. There is absolutely no reason to put up with darkness when VELUX exist in this world!”

Grant Sneddon, product manager at VELUX, added: “The Rayner’s project is a great example of a ‘don’t move, improve’ scenario. You can clearly see the difference in brightness when you look at their hallway before VELUX sun tunnels were installed and after.

“Having to withstand an undesirable, dark living environment can really get a person down and this is a fantastic case for how the limitations of a property can be overcome with one simple, effective modification. A VELUX sun tunnel can be installed anywhere there is 6m or less between your roof and ceiling such as hallways, like the Rayners, kitchens, bathrooms, bedrooms, home offices – the only limit is your imagination!”

Skylight Cousins

The lesser known cousin to traditional skylights is the VELUX Sun Tunnel Skylight. Despite its smaller size, it is just as bright as a traditional skylight and is better at spreading the light throughout the room. This is due to the highly reflective material of the tube in combination with the diffuser disc at the ceiling level.
Also, because of the Sun Tunnel's design and ease of installation, they are more cost friendly than a traditional skylight. So go ahead, light up every room.
If you're looking for a budget-friendly way to bring more natural light into your home without compromising quality, the VELUX Sun Tunnel is the skylight for you.

Give us a call today to get your free estimate: 707-527-5330
Or click here to visit our website.

Winter is the Best Time to...

Install a Skylight!

When you install a new skylight during the rainy season, 

you get an immediate "rain test" of your VELUX Skylights or SUN TUNNELS. 

Right away you will have the peace of mind that your new skylight is waterproof. 

Call our office today for an estimate and reserve your installation date.

707-527-5330

Skip the Winter Doldrums

It’s happened. We all set our clocks back an hour this past Sunday and now we find ourselves facing the dwindling daylight hours. As the days grow shorter and the sun moves lower in the sky, you may find the light inside your home growing dimmer even during the day.

Lack of sunlight is the number one contributor to Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), and so you’re most likely to experience it in the winter. Adding more artificial lighting will help ease eyestrain, but it will not lift your mood.

Installing VELUX Sun Tunnel Skylights now, before you become lost in the doldrums of winter, will both increase the natural light in your home and lift your mood.

Skip the winter doldrums and get your sunlight before it’s gone!

Read more about VELUX Sun Tunnel Skylights.

Ready for an estimate? Fill out this online form or give our office a call: 707-527-5330

Case Study: Roofing and Skylights are Happier Together

A newly purchased Marin County home was in need of a new roof and brighter interior spaces. While it had existing traditional VELUX Skylights in good condition, the homeowners wanted to add four VELUX SUN TUNNELs.

This photo shows the existing skylights and
new curb mounted Sun Tunnels before being sealed
with the white vinyl roofing.

Naturalight Solar was called in to coordinate the installation with Wedge Roofing, who would be installing a new white vinyl roof. Sun Tunnel skylights can be installed on any roof type, but some roofs, like white vinyl, require extra steps for proper installation.

Naturalight Solar built the required curbs for optimal waterproofing and then installed the curbs and four 14" TCR VELUX SUN TUNNELs. As a finishing touch, we also added colored theater gels to tint the light to a warmer tone, per the homeowners preference.

When our work was complete, Wedge Roofing returned to install the white vinyl roofing, sealing the vinyl up the sides of the Sun Tunnel curbs for a seamless waterproofing.

If it's time for a new roof on your home and you think you might want to add skylights, give us a call for a free estimate at 707-527-5330. Likewise, if you want to add skylights and it's nearing time for a new roof, consider having both done at the same time. New roofs and skylights are happier together.

Something Not Right with Your Light?

Have your old tube skylights stopped giving out light? Has the trim ring or diffuser fallen from the ceiling? Are there mysterious insects showing up inside your tube skylight?

All of these conditions can be caused by age or improper installation, and they don’t necessarily mean the tube skylights need to be replaced.

One of the twenty-year-old tube
skylights after being repaired.

Naturalight Solar recently performed a service call for an owner of two twenty-year-old tubes of unknown brand. The tubes had stopped giving out light and when our certified installation specialist took a look in the attic, he found that both tubes had only been taped at their seams when originally installed. After twenty years, the tape had failed, causing the tubes to fall apart in the attic. The tubes themselves were in fine condition, so our installer screwed them back together and re-taped the seams.

When the tube seams are connected and aligned properly with screws and tape, there are no places for bugs to enter, no pieces shifting down from the ceiling, and lots of natural light.

If you are experiencing a problem with your old tube skylight, give us a call to schedule a service appointment at 707-527-5330.

Brighten Up and Cool Off with One Great Package

How can you get both brighter interior spaces and less heat this summer? With a VELUX Sun Tunnel Skylight and SRS Solar Attic Fan Combo. This summer, we're giving you $50 off*  when you buy a Sun Tunnel/Attic Fan Combo. VELUX Sun Tunnels let in the light without the heat or harmful UV rays. Plus, you can add an energy efficiency diffuser to further reduce heat transfer.

The SRS Solar Attic Fan works hard to remove hot air from your attic, allowing your home to stay 10-15 degrees cooler, all without using electricity. 

*Offer ends September 22, 2017

Visit NaturalightSolar.com
Or call for more information
(707) 527-5330

Part Four: Four Reasons You Need More Natural Light

Last week, in part three, we looked at how having more natural light can Reduce Eyestrain and Headaches. If you missed it, you can read it here.

This week we will look at how having more natural light can make A Happier You.

Studies have shown that employees and students in buildings full of natural light are happier, healthier, and more productive than those who are working under electric or fluorescent lighting.

Ever heard of Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)? During the winter, people don't receive as much Vitamin D from the sunlight and can suffer the consequences, such as depression. A similar problem can occur year round if you spend a lot of time under artificial lighting rather than natural sunlight.

Having enough Vitamin D is an important way a person can stay in a good mood. And this vitamin has numerous other benefits as well, including immune system regulation, body weight maintenance, asthma symptom control, and helping the brain to continue working efficiently into later life. The best way to increase your body's Vitamin D generation is exposure to natural light.

While no home is the same, you have a plethora of different choices for adding natural light to yours. Skylights are a perfect solution for improving the brightness in any room in your home. Small skylights or tube skylights can even fit into small spaces where you wish you had more light, including bathrooms, stairways, hallways, closets and laundry rooms. Venting skylights can lower temperatures and improve the air circulation in your home. New, high quality skylights are much more energy efficient than skylights from even ten years ago.

             

 

If your house is dimly lit, it may be time to add natural lighting. Naturalight Solar offers a large selection of skylights to help you live a healthier, brighter life. With our experts here to help you, you can find the right skylight and have it installed in a matter of days.

You can receive a complimentary budget estimate to enhance your home or office 

if you call 707-527-5330 or click here. 

Part Three: Four Reasons You Need More Natural Light

Last week, in part two, we talked about needing more natural light during the day in order to have a Better Sleep Cycle. If you missed last week's post, you can read it here.

This week we will look at how having more natural light in your life may Lessen Eyestrain and Headaches.

Do you work all day in a space that has little to no sun exposure, instead relying on artificial lighting? Do your eyes blur when you glance from your monitor to another object? Fluorescent lighting and glare caused by contrasting amounts of light and reflections in the environment can cause strain on your eyes that might even cause headaches or migraines.

Adding natural lighting to your home or office may help stop you from squinting at a computer screen or television. The natural lighting is better for your eyes and evenly distributed ambient light can help reduce glare. VELUX SUN TUNNEL Skylights are an excellent option for office spaces, as the built-in ceiling diffuser helps distribute the natural light evenly through the space, perfect for eliminating glare.

If you don't have a way to add more natural light in your work environment, try taking regular breaks from the computer, letting your eyes adjust focus by looking at objects both closer and further away and stepping out into the sunlight for a few minutes several times throughout the day.

Check back next week for the final post in this series.

Part Two: Four Reasons You Need More Natural Light

In last week's post we talked about using natural light to be more energy efficient. If you missed it, you can read it here.

This week we are looking at reason two for needing more natural light: Better Sleep Cycle.

Have you ever experienced trouble falling asleep at night? Or staying awake at school or work during the post-lunch hours? Though it may seem counter-intuitive at first, these feelings of sleeplessness and sleepiness can be caused by the same thing: the type of lighting you are exposed to during the day. For a lot of us, this lighting is electric rather than natural sunlight, and with time, it can have a huge effect on our bodies.

All light, whether it is electric or natural, has what is called a Kelvin color temperature. Most standard electrical lighting is at 3,500 Kelvin, and remains at this level continuously. However, sunlight can reach levels up to 10,000 Kelvin, and changes throughout the day. These changes that occur in natural light throughout the day and night (moonlight has color temperature, too) are what assist our body's in regulating our circadian rhythms so that we have energy during the day and feel relaxed and ready for sleep in the evening.

Spending so much time inside, under unnatural lighting, upsets these natural rhythms, resulting in both sleeplessness and sleepiness. If you feel like your circadian rhythms are out of sync, consider how much time you spend under unnatural lighting and in front of computer and tv screens during the day. Your body might need help getting back in sync by being exposed to more natural light during the morning and afternoon. Try taking your lunch break outside in the sunshine, adding a skylight to your home or office, or turning off the tv earlier in the evening and going for a walk outside.

Check back next week for more benefits of natural light in Part Three.

Part One: Four Reasons You Need More Natural Light

You may have noticed times when you come inside from a particularly bright day and stumble around the house for a few minutes as your eyes adjust to the much dimmer light inside your home. Our eyes are making these types of adjustments all the time, though usually less dramatically. But why make our eyes work harder when we have the option to add more natural light to our lives?

Do you work under artificial lights during the day? Having electric lights on during the day uses up an amazing amount of electricity, and it's also not very good for your health. Adding more natural lighting could make all the difference in your health and mood. There are more risks than you may think by using fluorescent light in your under-lit home.  Fluorescent lighting creates emission of treacherous chemicals like sulfur dioxide, carbon, and mercury into the environment.

We have four reasons for you to consider letting that sunlight into your home. In this first post we will talk about Energy Efficiency & Environmental Impact.

By increasing your home's exposure to the sun with new-age, thermal, energy efficient windows and doors, you will reduce the use of your electric lighting. This reduction of electric lighting and increase in natural lighting has a three-fold effect. Using less electricity, and especially fluorescent lighting, will reduce chemical emissions and your carbon footprint. It will also lower your electric bill, saving you money. And, having fewer chemicals in your environment and exposure to more natural light is better for your health. You could also use venting skylights to not only bring in more sunlight, but also fresh air into your home.

The boons of natural light don't end here, check back next week for Part Two!

Celebrate Earth Day in Sonoma County

      We believe in celebrating the earth every day, but Earth Day is a great way to grow awareness and nurture our gratitude for all the earth gives us.
     
      Check out this article from SonomaCounty.com for some Earth Day activities this weekend. From the Quarryhill Botanical Gardens to the Flavors of Spring at Korbel Champagne Cellars to an evening walk and campfire at Spring Lake Regional Park, there's something to inspire everyone.

     
      If you want to make a lasting difference for Earth Day, while brightening your home, consider installing a VELUX SUN TUNNEL in that dark hallway, bathroom, closet, bedroom, or office. The VELUX SUN TUNNEL brings in the sunshine, eliminating the need for daytime electric lighting, thus reducing your electricity usage and your carbon footprint.

Read more about skylight energy savings here.

Submit your free estimate request here.

Sweet Treats for Spring

      Whether you're celebrating the Easter holiday or the arrival of spring, everyone loves a sweet treat. Wondering what delicious dessert to present to your family and friends in the radiant light of your skylight?

Here are our top five picks:

1. Carrot Cupcakes with Maple Cream Cheese Frosting by Happy Healthy Mama

2. Strawberry Sweet Rolls by A spicy Perspective

3. Chocolate Zucchini Brownies (Whole Grain, Dairy Free) by Taxanerin Baking

4. Strawberry Dessert Salad (with Toffee) by Double the Batch

5. Caramel Pecan Cheesecake Bars (Gluten Free, Flourless, Sugar Free, Dairy Free) by The Movement Menu

And Spring arose on the garden fair, 

Like the Spirit of Love felt everywhere;

And each flower and herb on Earth's dark breast

rose from the dreams of its wintry rest.

~Percy Bysshe Shelley

Happy Spring!

VELUX SUN TUNNEL Skylights are for All Roof Types

In just one day, we installed one 10" and two 14" VELUX SUN TUNNEL skylights to dramatically brighten the kitchen and bathrooms of this Sonoma County home. Standing in close proximity to surrounding two story homes which shade the windows, the Sun Tunnels bring in additional natural light from the sunny rooftop without compromising privacy. 

The rooftop photos show the clean look of the Sun Tunnels on a flat tile roof. Sun Tunnels can be installed on all roof types, though some require additional labor and special flashings. However, in most cases, the tubular skylights remain the most efficient, effective, and affordable option for bringing natural light into your home. 

Don't wait until it rains to get your skylights checked out!

More Coffee or More Sunlight?

      Have you ever experienced trouble falling asleep at night? Or staying awake at school or work during the post-lunch hours? These feelings of sleeplessness and sleepiness are often caused by the type of lighting we are exposed to throughout the day. For a lot of us, this lighting is electric rather than natural sunlight, and with time, it can have a huge affect on our bodies.

      All light, whether it is electric or natural, has what is called a Kelvin color temperature. Most standard electrical lighting is at 3,500 Kelvin, and remains at this level throughout the day. However, sunlight can reach levels up to 10,000 Kelvin, and changes throughout the day.

Certain levels, usually 4,500 to 6,500 Kelvin, allow our bodies to feel more awake and energized. In the evening, the natural color temperature decreases, allowing our bodies to slow down and progress naturally towards sleep. In other words, the changing color temperature throughout the day and night (the moonlight has color temperature, too) assists in regulating our body’s circadian rhythms.

      Spending so much time inside, under unnatural lighting, upsets these natural rhythms. Studies have shown that computer, television, and cell phone screens all give off light that has higher levels of blue light (a higher color temperature), a quality that tells our brains and bodies that it is time to be awake and active—which contradicts going to sleep right after using them.

      In some hospitals and care facilities they are using lighting in the evenings that has more red light (a lower color temperature) because it creates the opposite effect of blue light. It is calming, relaxing, and good for sleeping.

 By creating ways for abundant natural light to enter a living or work space, we can create indoor spaces that will balance your circadian rhythms and create a healthy, comfortable environment that will give you energy and help you sleep!
   

Skylights are the perfect way to let abundant natural light into your home that will make you feel good!

Call us today for a free estimate! (707) 527-5330.

***

 If you are interested in reading more about Kelvin light temperature, check out the source for this article here: “Human Centric Lighting” by Stan Walerczyk: http://humancentriclighting.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/Stan-Article-SSL1.pdf 

and the Human Centric Lighting Website: http://humancentriclighting.com