Adding skylights to your home is a fun and effective way to create a spacious, open-air floorplan while also regulating your indoor air quality and temperature.
If you're like most homeowners, that sentence may have taken you by surprise.
Over time, skylights have gotten a bad rep. Glass ones have always been too expensive and prone to leaking. Then the old school plastic skylights don't even provide a view, and they leak too!
While skylights have evolved in recent years, our perceptions of them are still catching up. So, here are the top ten myths about skylights that are still prevalent today — and what VELUX has done to bust them!
Myth #1: All Skylights Leak
The most common and most prevailing skylight myth of all is that if you put a hole in your roof, it will eventually leak. That may have been true in the past, but we've named our skylights "The No Leak Skylights" because we've put ours through the wringer — and they hold up every time. After decades of testing, we've found a way to ensure your skylights won't leak. We've even incorporated it into our warranty, which we call our No Leak Promise.
VELUX Skylights are installed with three layers of protection from the elements. Combine that with a 10-year installation warranty and electric and solar options that automatically close open skylights at the first sign of rain, and you can be sure your skylights won't leak.
Myth #2: All Skylights Look the Same
Skylights are just a square hole in your roof. Sometimes they're glass, sometimes they're plastic, but basically, they all look the same, right? Wrong! VELUX's standard skylights are rectangular, but you can customize your size. We also offer circular Sun Tunnel® Skylights, roof windows that turn into balconies, and bigger, multi-sided structural skylights to really push your creativity.
Myth #3: You Can't Turn Off a Skylight
Okay yes, in the literal sense, it is true that you can't "turn off" a skylight during the day. But VELUX has a solution for that: skylight blinds! From blackout to Venetian, our skylight blinds allow you to block out as little or as much light as you need during the day.
Myth #4: You Can't Open a Skylight
Well, you can't open certain skylight models. Venting skylights, however, do open to provide ventilation to a room. We offer a range of venting skylights and roof windows that open to allow fresh air into your home. These venting models open anywhere from a few inches to wide enough to use as roof access or egress.
Myth #5: Skylights Overheat a Room
At times, skylights can warm the room they're in. But with the right positioning and blinds, skylights won't seriously affect your room's temperature. For example, south- and west-facing skylights are exposed to more direct sunlight, which can cause a room to heat up a bit. North- or east-facing skylights, however, may not bring in any direct sunlight at all.
We've also designed accessories to help make skylights more energy efficient. Blinds can help you control light and, as a result, heat gain. There's also VELUX ACTIVE with NETATMO, which lets you set your temperature preferences on your smartphone, then automatically adjusts your skylights and blinds accordingly.
Myth #6: It's a Major Undertaking to Install a Skylight
In new homes, skylights are an easy enough step to add to the construction phase. But if your house is already built and you're looking to add skylights as part of a remodel, it can be a little overwhelming to think about the work that goes into installation. The good news is we try to make everything as easy for you and your installer as possible. Our skylights come with everything it needs and, depending on your model, can take as little as an afternoon to install. Bigger projects may take a few days, but that's still relatively short compared to how long you'll be able to enjoy your skylight.
Still hesitant about installation? Get in touch with one of our VELUX certified installers to make sure you're working with the best of the best.
Myth #7: Skylights Require Constant Maintenance
Vertical windows need regular cleanings, so why wouldn't skylights? And it would be a lot harder to get on the roof with a bottle of Windex. But have you heard about our Clean, Quiet & Safe Glass? It's standard in our skylights, and its patented smooth surface disperses water evenly so dirt is removed quickly and water spots are reduced. By design, it's easy to enjoy a VELUX skylight without constant cleaning.
Like any window, skylights do require some maintenance, but it's typically seasonal, not constant.
Myth #8: Skylights Only Provide Light During the Day
Traditional skylights can only let in light during the day when the sun's out. But VELUX Sun Tunnel® Skylights have more flexibility. Our rigid sun tunnels can be equipped with the Solar Night Light, which provides soft, low-level light at night. For a more powerful nighttime light source, sun tunnels can also be equipped with an electric light kit. On the flip side, if you need less light during the day, a daylight controller can be attached to sun tunnels as well.
Myth #9: Skylights are Dangerous
We understand why skylights can seem dangerous; they're made of glass and hang high above your family's heads. They create another entry point into your home — for intruders and bugs and pests. Can they really be worth it with such safety concerns? At VELUX, we think so, especially since we've done everything to make our skylights as safe as possible.
VELUX skylights are built to last. We even have a hurricane-rated glass built to withstand the most extreme weather conditions. And our glass is tempered — like the glass in your car's windshield — so if it does break, it spiderwebs and crumbles instead of breaking into sharp, dangerous shards.
Additionally, our venting skylights only open a few inches, so they only allow fresh air through. And they come equipped with insect screens, so not even pests can get in. Some of our roof windows do open wide for egress or roof access purposes, but they can be locked from inside.
Myth #10: Skylights Can Only Be Installed in Certain Homes
Well, we've busted just about every myth about skylights, but what does it matter if your roof isn't a certain slope or if you don't have cathedral ceilings or if your attic would get in the way? That's our last myth to bust: no matter what your roof and ceilings look like, there's a skylight you can install. Flat roof? We've got skylights for that. Have an attic? Flexible sun tunnels can maneuver around attic objects, or regular skylights can be installed with a drywall light shaft. Have flat ceilings? Depending on your roof situation, flat roof skylights or a light shaft and curb-mounted skylights are your options.
Whatever your home's situation is, you can install skylights! And now that we've dispelled the most common myths surrounding skylights, we hope you're more excited about the possibilities natural light and fresh air can bring to your home. You can discuss the specifics of installing skylights in your home with one of our design experts by requesting a free 30-minute virtual consultation, or see what skylights would look like through your phone with the new VELUX Visualizer App.
